Saudi Arabia

Pakistan has returned the total USD 3.45 billion it owed in debt to the United Arab Emirates, the country's central bank said Friday. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in a social media post confirmed the repayment and said that the transaction was completed on Thursday. "State Bank of Pakistan repaid a deposit of USD 1 billion to Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), UAE on April 23, 2026. Deposits of USD 2.45 billion were repaid last week. This completes the repayment of total deposits of USD 3.45 billion to UAE," it said. The announcement came days after Pakistan received a USD 3 billion financial aid from Saudi Arabia. The deposit came in two tranches, with the second tranche of USD 1 billion received on April 21. The UAE had asked for the immediate return of the funds in the wake of the recent situation in West Asia following the US-Israel war on Iran. These funds were part of external financing support extended by the UAE in 2019 to help stabilise Pakistan's balance of payme

Saudi Arabia restricts Mecca entry to authorised pilgrims, imposes fines up to 20,000 riyals and sets deadlines for Umrah visitors ahead of Hajj season

The discussions covered a wide range of strategic and regional issues of mutual interest between the two countries

Output from Saudi Aramco's offshore Manifa oil production facility was also restored, the energy ministry said Sunday, though work continues at the Khurais onshore complex

A Pakistani military contingent comprising around 13,000 soldiers and 10 to 18 jets has reached Saudi Arabia as part of a joint strategic defence agreement signed last year, the Gulf Kingdom announced on Saturday. The military contingent's deployment to King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector includes fighter jets and support aircraft from the Pakistan Air Force, according to a statement from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence. The deployment aimed to enhance joint military coordination, improve operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries, and support security and stability at regional and international levels, it added. A Pakistan government official also confirmed sending troops and jets to Saudi Arabia as part of the two countries' strategic defence agreement, under which any attack on one country would be considered an attack on another. Expert on international affairs Mohammad Mehdi told PTI that Pakistan had sent aircraft and troops to Saudi Arab

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday held discussions with Saudi Arabia's Trade Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al Qassabi on ways to strengthen supply chains disrupted due to the West Asia crisis, after holding talks with his counterparts from the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. All these countries are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with which India is negotiating a free trade agreement. The commerce ministry, in a statement, said that Goyal had a virtual call with Qassabi. "The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade and expressed optimism for early progress in the India-GCC FTA negotiations," it said. Both sides noted the strain conflict has put on regional supply chains and stressed the need for an early recovery through coordinated efforts to ensure smooth trade flows, it said. Goyal highlighted India's steps to support exports to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region. The joint attack launched by the US and Israel on Iran had

Brent crude futures gained 83 cents, or 0.87 per cent, ‌to $96.75 a barrel as of 0100 GMT

For the first time, Saudi Arabia has laid out the scale of damage inflicted to its oil output and exports, although it didn't specify when the attacks occurred. An energy ministry statement also gave the first public confirmation of Saudi casualties during the Iran war, saying one citizen working as an industrial security guard was killed and seven others wounded. Thursday's statement said strikes targeted production, transport and refining sites, as well as petrochemical and power facilities in Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and Yanbu on the Red Sea. The statement didn't attribute responsibility. A pumping station on the East-West Pipeline was among the hardest hit, cutting throughput by about 700,000 barrels per day, while outages at Manifa and Khurais reduced output by 600,000 more barrels per day. The major refineries, including SATORP, Ras Tanura and SAMREF, were also hit, with fires at Ju'aymah disrupting exports of liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas liquids.

Kuwait has accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks targeting it on Thursday despite the two-week ceasefire in the Iran war, as Saudi Arabia said recent attacks damaged a key pipeline in the kingdom. The statement from Kuwait's foreign ministry, carried by the state-run KUNA news agency, put new pressure on the ceasefire ahead of planned talks on Saturday between the United States and Iran in Islamabad. Kuwait's foreign ministry said the drone attacks "targeted some vital Kuwaiti facilities" Thursday night. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's state-run Saudi Press Agency, quoting an anonymous official, acknowledged a recent attack in the war that damaged its crucial East-West pipeline. That pipeline carries oil out to the Red Sea and avoids the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran maintains a chokehold on despite the pause in the fighting. Earlier in a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he authorised direct .

Iran has shown it retains the ability to strike targets in neighbouring countries and effectively shut transit through the Strait, previously a conduit for a fifth of global oil supply

The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia and the island of Bahrain, reopened Tuesday morning after closing for hours over possible threats from Iran. The King Fahd Causeway Authority made the announcement in a post on X, saying the only route by road between Bahrain and the Arabian Peninsula had reopened. Bahrain's airport has been closed over the Iranian attacks for weeks. The hours-long closure came after a ballistic missile attack from Iran targeted Saudi Arabia and may have done damage to energy infrastructure there. The kingdom has not elaborated on the damage from that attack.

The King Fahd Causeway, a key bridge linking Saudi Arabia to the island kingdom of Bahrain, closed early on Tuesday over threats from Iranian attacks. The King Fahd Causeway Authority made the announcement in a post on X. It said vehicle movements had been "suspended as a precautionary measure" over Iranian attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The 25-kilometre (15.5 mile) bridge is the only connection by road for Bahrain, home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, to the Arabian Peninsula. US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if it doesn't by Tuesday 8 pm EDT.

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks involving hundreds of missiles and drones since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, most of which have been intercepted

State oil producer Saudi Aramco will increase flagship Arab Light crude prices for May sales to a premium of $19.50 over regional benchmarks for refiners in Asia

The merger would combine major studios and networks such as CNN and CBS, enabling them to compete more aggressively as streaming draws audiences away from traditional linear TV

Amid rising Iran tensions, Gulf nations are reportedly exploring pipelines and new trade corridors to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz

Stranded in Saudi Arabia with an expired visa? Authorities ask affected individuals to call helpline 992 as relief window closes April 18

The so-called AWACS plane, which has a rotating radar disc mounted above its fuselage, is used to spot distant threats and direct other combat aircraft

Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye and Pakistan held consultations on the West Asia conflict in Islamabad on Sunday to find a way to de-escalate the ongoing war that has unsettled the region and caused severe global economic disruptions. The foreign ministers discussed the evolving regional situation and exchanged views on security issues while exploring options for broader peace in the region, an official said. The talks were held amidst a delay in the direct talks between the US and Iran. No statement was issued after the meeting. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Islamabad on Saturday, while their Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, reached here on Sunday at the invitation of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. The two-day quadrilateral summit is Pakistan's attempt to broker peace in West Asia. After the meeting, the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farh

PM Modi stressed the need to keep shipping routes open and ensure freedom of navigation amid rising tensions in West Asia that have sent energy prices soaring