There was desperation in the voice of the young Ethiopian man when he managed to get through to the BBC from a phone in his prison cell on death row in Saudi Arabia. Habtom, whose name – like the other prisoner featured in this article – has been changed to protect his identity, has been…
In response, the Saudis pumped as much oil as they could – around five million barrels per day – through their east-west pipeline to their export terminal on the Red Sea, on their opposite coast, at Yanbu. From there it was loaded onto tankers that headed south, out into the Arabian Sea and off to…
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Drones launched at Saudi, Jordan and Iraq suggest Iran, or linked groups, may be testing US as it mulls new strategy. Published On 27 Jul 202627 Jul 2026 Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting drones that targeted oil facilities in its eastern province and Riyadh. Saudi’s Foreign Ministry said it “reserves the right…
Nuclear experts and former officials in Israel – the US’s top ally in the Middle East – have voiced concern that the plan could ultimately lead to Saudi Arabia being able to develop a nuclear weapon – though other experts say that path would likely take decades and spark pushback from the international community. Israeli…
The VLCC Mobassa B (previously named Front Forth), one of the two tankers which the UAE defence ministry said was struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 18, 2024, in this picture obtained by Reuters on July 14, 2026. Edwin van Werd | via Reuters Oil prices…
Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The oil price has risen above $98 a barrel for the first time since early June after Iran-backed Houthi militants said they had attacked two Saudi Arabian tankers in the Red Sea. In a statement…
The Bab al-Mandab Strait, a 32km-wide (20-mile) waterway located between south-western Yemen and the Horn of Africa. It connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea, which is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez canal. Soon after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Houthis began attacking merchant vessels in…
Yemen’s Houthis said they launched missiles at Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia on Monday in response to air strikes on Sanaa’s airport that they blamed on the kingdom. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which backs the country’s internationally-recognised government, said its air defences “dealt with” the missiles and no casualties were reported. The Houthis,…
Saudi Arabia, the three-time Asian champions, finish bottom of Group H with two points from three games. Published On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026 The president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation has announced his resignation after the national team were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup in the first round. Saudi Arabia finished…
“The thinking now is to basically get small wins, small successes here and there, instead of these mega projects,” says Abdullah. “Like, for example, the Red Sea island resort of Sindalah could be one small win that they can promote, which is basically a very traditional style of resort, which can still be presented as…
