Gulf News

Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches Peak

Gulf The flow of pilgrims to Mina proceeded smoothly and easily, supported by all services (Photo: Ali Khamaj)

Pilgrims Pray on Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches Peak

Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the hajj pilgrimage. From daybreak, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Pilot Hamid Al-Omari and other officials are seen during his inspection tour. (SPA)

Saudi Joint Chiefs of Staff Director Inspects Armed Forces Preparations for Hajj

Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces Major General Pilot Hamid Al-Omari, on behalf of Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyad…

Gulf People inspect the wreckage of vehicles the day after a deadly train blast, in Quetta, Pakistan, 25 May 2026. (EPA)

Saudi Arabia Condemns Terrorist Attack on Train in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Saudi Arabia condemned on Monday the “heinous terrorist” attack targeting a train in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel visits the Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Health Minister Visits Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat

Saudi Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel visited on Monday the Ministry of Interior Field Hospital in Arafat, where he reviewed the hospital’s readiness and…

Gulf  Muslim pilgrims offer evening prayers around the Kaaba, in the holy city of Makkah during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP)

Saudi Interior Ministry Announces Fine of up to SAR20,000 for Anyone Performing Hajj without Permit

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that a fine of up to SAR20,000 will be imposed on anyone found performing or attempting to perform Hajj…


Gulf Tuesday's sentences come a day after Bahrain revoked the citizenship of 69 people who "supported hostile Iranian acts". (BNA)

Bahrain Sentences Five to Life for Plotting Terrorist Acts with Iran

A Bahrain court sentenced five people to life in prison on Tuesday for plotting "terrorist and hostile acts" with Iran, which bombarded the Gulf kingdom during…

Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Reiterates its Support for Efforts to Achieve Global Peace and Stability

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s firm stance on regional developments and its continued support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at…

Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomes King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Jeddah on Tuesday ahead of the GCC summit. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Chairs GCC Consultative Summit on Regional Developments

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired on Tuesday the extraordinary GCC Consultative Summit in Jeddah…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb and other officials are seen during his inspection tour on Monday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Tourism Inspects Readiness of Hospitality Facilities for Pilgrims in Makkah

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb inspected the readiness of hospitality facilities and temporary accommodations designated for pilgrims during this…

Gulf Worshippers perform Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on April 24, 2026. (SPA)

Makkah Police Arrest Five Residents for Violating Hajj Regulations

Makkah Region police arrested five Egyptian residents for violating Hajj regulations and instructions by entering and remaining in Makkah without obtaining a…

Gulf Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Discusses Means to Ease Regional Tensions

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held on Monday a series of a telephone calls with his various counterparts to tackle efforts to…

Gulf Bahrain Revokes Nationality of 69 Individuals for Hailing Iranian Attacks

Bahrain Revokes Nationality of 69 Individuals for Hailing Iranian Attacks

Bahraini sources said the authorities in Bahrain have revoked the nationality of individuals hailing the hostile acts carried out by Iran against Bahrain. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Manama)
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Bangladeshi Prime Minister

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a written message from Prime Minister of the People’s…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Crown Prince: 'Vision 2030' Has Driven a Qualitative Leap in the Kingdom’s Development Path

Saudi Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, Mohammed bin Salman, affirmed that “Vision 2030” has…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Defense Ministry to Launch Inaugural Saudi Military History Forum in September

The Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) and Taif University's Taif History Center, will…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Iran’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turky Al-Agili)

Iran’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: Our Pilgrims Continue to Arrive in the Kingdom for Hajj

The first batch of Iranian pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj amid an integrated system of services offered by the Kingdom for…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh)
Gulf Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji during a meeting at the ministry's headquarters in Riyadh with Ambassador of Djibouti to the Kingdom Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama. SPA

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Receives Written Message from Djibouti’s President

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud received on Sunday a written message from Djibouti’s President, Ismail Omar Guelleh,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Saudi Arabia Denounces Shooting Targeting Event Attended by US President

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its denunciation of the shooting that targeted an event attended by US President Donald Trump, SPA reported. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia Denounces Attacks Targeting Military, Civilian Areas in Mali

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and denunciation in the strongest terms of the terrorist and separatist attacks that took…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Arabia is keen to enable pilgrims to perform their rituals in a safe and organized environment (Photo: Mohammed Al-Mana)

Saudi Arabia: $26,600 Fine for Issuing Visit Visas to Individuals Attempting to Perform Hajj

The Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced that a fine of up to SAR100,000 ($26,600) will be imposed on anyone who applies for any type of visit visa on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf Advisor to the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Yazid bin Farhan. (NNA)

Saudi Arabia Stresses its Keenness on Lebanon's Internal Stability

Advisor to the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Yazid bin Farhan renewed on Friday the Kingdom’s keenness on Lebanon’s internal stability, and commitment to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Gulf Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and US President Donald Trump. (QNA)

Qatar Emir, Trump Discuss Washington-Tehran Ceasefire

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed developments ‌in ‌the Washington-Tehran ceasefire ‌agreement ⁠in a phone call ⁠with US…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Gulf A view of Kuwait City, Kuwait. (KUNA)

Saudi Arabia Condemns Drone Attacks on Kuwait Launched from Iraq

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Friday the drone attacks against Kuwait that were launched from Iraq. A Foreign Ministry statement underlined the Kingdom…

Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Jeddah on Friday. (SPA)

Mohammed bin Salman, Zelenskyy Meet in Jeddah

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received in Jeddah on Friday Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy had…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf File photo of smoke rising from a building in Kuwait following recent Iranian attacks (AFP)

Kuwait Announces New Attack Launched from Iraq

Kuwait said a new attack targeted its territory from Iraq, in a repeat of similar incidents reported in recent weeks during the Iran war. The official…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf FILED - 05 May 2022, ---, Jerusalem: Israeli security officers patrol in front of the Dome of the Rock mosque at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

Foreign Ministers of Arab, Islamic Countries Condemn Israeli Violations in Jerusalem

The foreign ministers of several Arab and Muslim countries have condemned the repeated Israeli violations of the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi FM, Lebanese Speaker Discuss Efforts Aimed at Stopping Israeli Attacks

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held on Thursday a telephone call with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah/File Photo

Saudi Foreign Minister, Cuban Counterpart Discuss Latest Developments in Middle East

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call Thursday from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Saudi flag. Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia Secures Leading Rankings in Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report

Saudi Arabia has secured top global rankings in the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2025–2026 report, reflecting a highly competitive environment and…

Asharq Al Awsat