Gulf News

Masjid al-Namirah: The Mosque Where Only One Prayer is Held Each Year

Gulf Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Huthaify, in his Day of Arafat sermon, called for the glorification of God's rites, adherence to calmness and order, and avoidance of anything that undermines the spirit of the pilgrimage. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Masjid al-Namirah: The Mosque Where Only One Prayer is Held Each Year

Masjid al-Namirah is considered one of the most prominent Islamic landmarks associated with the Hajj season, drawing the attention of millions of Muslims on…

Ibrahim  Abuzayed (Riyadh)
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 Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meet in Manama on Monday. (BNA)

Gulf Talks Focus on Containing Escalation, Boosting Regional, Global Security

Recent hours have seen a flurry of bilateral contacts across the Gulf addressing Iran-US peace negotiations and wider Middle East developments, with officials…

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

Saudi Foreign Minister, Gulf Counterparts Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah spoke by phone with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi

GCC Secretary-General Receives Ambassador of Ukraine to Saudi Arabia

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met in Riyadh Monday Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Anatolii…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File

Qatar FM Urges US, Iran to be Open to Mediation in Call with Iranian FM

Qatar's foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart on Monday that Iran and the United States should engage positively with mediation efforts, warning that…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Bahrain Flag (Reuters)

Bahrain Summons Iraqi Charge d'affaires over Drone Attacks Launched from Iraq

Bahrain summoned Iraq's chargé d'affaires in Manama on Monday to protest against what it called ongoing drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Araghchi (AAWSAT)

Saudi FM Discusses US-Iran Talks in Call with Iranian Counterpart

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

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Police return violators and vehicles at security checkpoints leading to Makkah. (SPA)

Makkah Entry Permit Requirement Comes into Effect for Residents

Saudi Arabia’s Public Security announced that the Hajj regulations and entry procedures for Makkah took effect on Monday, April 13, requiring residents wishing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf A security officer stands in front of a sign for the Islamabad talks outside a media center set up to cover negotiations between the United States and Iran (AP)

Gulf Observers Outline Views on US Iran Talks, 14-Day Truce

As a 14-day truce announced by the United States and Iran, brokered by Pakistan on April 8, continues to hold, and just hours after the end of the US Iran …

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Gulf Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

Saudi King Approves Awarding Medals to 200 Organ Donors

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has approved awarding the King Abdulaziz Medal (Third Class) to 200 Saudi citizens in…

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

Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Developments with Jordanian, Pakistani Counterparts

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received phone calls from Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The Foreign Ministry’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Dr. Saud Al-Sati, and the Iraqi Ambassador Safia Al Souhail. SPA

Saudi Arabia Summons Iraq’s Ambassador over Drone Threats

Saudi Arabia said on Sunday it had summoned Iraqi Ambassador Safia Al Souhail over what it described as threats targeting ⁠the Kingdom and ⁠other Gulf states…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Saudi Foreign Minister and the Special Envoy of the President of South Korea (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister, Korean Presidential Special Envoy Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met in Riyadh on Sunday Chief of Staff to the President of Korea and Presidential…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, (File photo: AP)

Oman FM Says Success in US-Iran Talks May Require 'Painful Concessions'

Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi on Sunday called for more talks between Iran and the US and for the ceasefire to be extended, hours after…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi (GCC)

GCC Secretary-General Meets with Ambassador of Argentina in Riyadh

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi met on Sunday in Riyadh with the Ambassador of Argentina, Facundo Vila. The two…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Kuwaiti Interior Ministry Spokesman Brig Nasser Buslaib. KUNA

Kuwait Says 24 Arrested Over Financing of Terror

Kuwait has arrested 24 people as part of an investigation into the "financing of terrorist entities,” authorities said late Saturday. Kuwait's Interior…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Gulf The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

MWL Condemns Iranian Attacks on Vital Facilities in Kuwait

The Muslim World League (MWL) has strongly condemned the targeting of vital facilities in Kuwait by Iran and its proxy groups. In a statement, MWL…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Gulf The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs logo

Saudi Arabia Condemns Attacks by Iran, its Proxies on Kuwait

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the “heinous” attacks carried out by Iran and its proxies on a number of vital facilities in Kuwait. A…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and French President Emmanuel Macron meet in Riyadh in December 2024. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince, France’s Macron Discuss Need to Restore Free Navigation in Hormuz

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held telephone talks on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the talks to end…

Gulf The force aims to strengthen joint military coordination and elevate operational readiness between the Saudi and Pakistani armed forces. (SPA)

Pakistani Military Force Arrives in Saudi Arabia Under Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement

The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday the arrival of a military force from Pakistan at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector, acting in…

Gulf Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Foreign Minister, Belgian Counterpart Discuss Regional Developments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held a phone call with Maxime Prévost, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf This handout photograph taken and released by Qatar's Amiri Diwan shows Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) at Lusail Palace on April 10, 2026. (Qatar's Amiri Diwan / AFP)

Britain Stresses Importance of Gulf Participation in Consolidating the Ceasefire

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer concluded a “productive” visit to the Gulf as part of a three-day tour aimed at consolidating the ceasefire to reach a…

Gulf Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber met with United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg. (SPA)

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Meets UN Special Envoy

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and General Supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), Mohammed Al-Jaber, met on Thursday with…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf The continuation of such attacks leads to reduced supply and slows recovery, the official source at the Ministry of Energy said. (Saudi Aramco)

Saudi Arabia: Operational Activities Halted at Several Energy Facilities Due to Recent Attacks

An official source at the Ministry of Energy stated that important energy facilities in the Kingdom have recently been subjected to multiple attacks, including…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Gulf Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, August 17, 2023. (Reuters)

Saudi Foreign Minister Discusses Regional Developments with US, Spanish Counterparts

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Abdullah held separate phone talks on Thursday with his US and Spanish counterparts, focusing on the latest…

Asharq Al Awsat