Page 3 - Saudi Arabia

Saudi bus–tanker collision: 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims feared dead: What we know so far

At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims, many from Hyderabad, are feared dead after a bus travelling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat, Saudi Arabia early Monday. Authorities

42 Indian pilgrims feared dead in bus-tanker collision in Saudi Arabia

The pilgrims had completed their Umrah rituals in Mecca and were travelling to Medina when the tragedy struck. Many were reportedly asleep at the moment of impact

Trump to welcome Saudi crown prince with deal signings, lavish dinner

It's not an official state visit, but the White House is preparing to host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week with the pomp and circumstance that is typical of one. The crown prince's day at the White House next Tuesday will begin with an arrival ceremony on the sweeping South Lawn and a subsequent greeting on the South Portico, according to a senior White House official. Then Trump will host him in the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting, followed by a signing and lunch in the Cabinet Room where the US and Saudi Arabia will formalise multiple economic and defence agreements, said the official, granted anonymity to discuss the administration's planning. Later in the evening, the White House will hold an East Room dinner hosted and planned by first lady Melania Trump. His visit is billed as an official working visit because Prince Mohammed is not technically a head of state, the official said. On Wednesday, dozens of CEOs are expected to attend a meeting of the US-Sau

Headwinds for Trump in getting Saudi crown prince to back Israel ties

President Donald Trump has not been subtle about how badly he wants to see Saudi Arabia and Israel normalise relations. He has talked up his push to extend his first term Abraham Accords the project that formalised commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and a trio of Arab nations as key to his plan for bringing long-term stability to the Middle East as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to hold. The normalisation push is expected to be high on the agenda when Trump hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday for talks during a pomp-filled White House visit. I hope that Saudi Arabia will be going into the Abraham Accords very shortly, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday as he made his way to Florida for the weekend. Yet Trump's optimism that a US-brokered deal could come soon is tempered by more sober internal assessments. Saudi Arabia is unlikely to sign on to the accords anytime soon, but there is cautious optimism

Saudi's free 96-hour stopover visa lets Indians perform Umrah in transit

The visa, available to passengers flying on Saudia and Flynas, lets travellers turn a simple layover into a 4-day spiritual visit to Makkah and Madinah without applying for the traditional Umrah visa.

Jaishankar meets Ukrainian, Saudi counterparts on sidelines of G7 FMM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday held separate meetings with his Ukrainian and Saudi counterparts on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM) Outreach session in Canada, discussing recent developments and regional issues of mutual interest. Jaishankar, in a social media post, said he had a useful conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. "He (Sybiha) shared Ukraine's perspective on recent developments," the EAM said. Jaishankar also met Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and discussed a wide range of subjects, including bilateral relations, regional hotspots, connectivity, and energy. Jaishankar is in Niagara to attend an outreach session with the G7 partner nations. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held talks with his American counterpart Marco Rubio that largely focused on issues relating to trade and supply chains. The external affairs minister also met his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand and reviewed ..

India, Saudi Arabia sign Haj Agreement, quota fixed at 175,025 for 2026

Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has signed the bilateral Haj Agreement in Jeddah, with the country's quota for India confirmed at 175,025 for the pilgrimage in 2026. Rijiju, who was on an official visit to Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 9, held a bilateral meeting with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, in Jeddah on Sunday. During the meeting, both ministers reviewed the ongoing Haj preparations, discussed measures to enhance coordination and logistical support, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further streamline the pilgrimage process for Indian pilgrims, an official statement said. The discussions focused on improving facilities, transportation, accommodation, and health services to ensure a smooth and comfortable pilgrimage experience. Following the meeting, the two sides signed the Bilateral Haj Agreement between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Haj2026 in Jeddah. The country quota for India was confirmed at 175,025, the

Falling Saudi Arabia LPG prices likely to help refiners breathe easy

Saudi benchmark contract prices (CPs) for November for propane and butane, blended to make LPG, dropped to their lowest since August 2023 - $475 and $460 a tonne

Saudi Arabia's flyadeal to begin India flights in the first quarter of 2026

Bullish on the fast-growing Indian aviation market, Saudi Arabia's no-frills carrier flyadeal will start flights to Indian cities, including Mumbai, from the first quarter of 2026. The airline's CEO, Steven Greenway, told PTI that India is one of the "most hyper-competitive markets" in the world and there is a need to have an "absolute, brutal focus on unit cost". A sister company of Saudia Airlines, the Jeddah-based profitable flyadeal has been flying for over eight years and expects to have 46 planes in its fleet by the end of this year. Currently, the carrier has 42 A320 family aircraft and has also placed orders for 10 wide-body A330 Neos that are expected to start coming in from July 2027. "Our intent is to start operating (to India) in the quarter one of next year... We expect to do the metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi, and also, our focus will be the secondary cities in India... I think Mumbai would be the first one," Greenway told PTI in an interview. Saudi Arabia and Ind

Opec+ weighs small oil output hike for December ahead of key meet

Key members of the group led by Saudi Arabia are discussing a hike of about 137,000 barrels a day - matching those made in October and November

Datanomics: Kafala system abolition may end expats' misery in Saudi Arabia

Over 18 million workers were employed in Saudi Arabia in the second quarter of 2025 (Q2 CY2025). Out of these, nearly 77.5 per cent were foreign workers

L&T bags grid infrastructure orders of up to ₹5,000 crore in Saudi Arabia

As part of its National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP), Saudi Arabia is upgrading its electricity grid to support renewable energy projects

Saudi Arabia, rich with oil, wants to be known as the AI exporter

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seizing a chance to turn Saudi Arabia's oil wealth into tech influence

Saudi ends Kafala system: How it could help millions of migrant Indian workers

In a landmark labour reform, Saudi Arabia has abolished the decades-old Kafala system, a move that frees millions of migrant workers, including 2.6 million Indians,

Saudi Arabia appoints Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as new grand mufti

Saudi Arabia appointed a prominent ultraconservative scholar late Wednesday as the country's new grand mufti, the kingdom's top religious scholar. Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, 90, took over the position, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The decision came from King Salman, based on the recommendation of his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the report added. Sheikh Saleh, reportedly born Sept 28, 1935, in Saudi Arabia's al-Qassim province, studied the Quran with a local imam after his father's death. He became a prominent scholar, speaking to the faithful via the Noor ala al-Darb, or Light the Way, radio show and via multiple books he's authored and his television appearances. His fatwas, or religious orders, have been shared via social media as well. Sheikh Saleh has faced criticism in Western media in the past for some of his pronouncements. Human Rights Watch in 2017 reported Sheikh Saleh, when asked if Sunni Muslims should view Shiite as their brothers, ...

Saudi Arabia ends Kafala system: What changes for 2.6 mn Indian migrants

Saudi Arabia has scrapped its decades-old Kafala system, freeing 13 million migrant workers, including 2.6 million Indians, from restrictive employer control and exit visa rules

Saudi premium residency at Rs 98,000: How foreigners can live & work freely

Saudi Arabia offers a SAR 4,000 Premium Residency across five routes, allowing foreigners to live, work, and invest without a local sponsor

US, Saudi Arabia vie for larger share of India's crude oil import pie

Amid global oversupply, the US is emerging as a cost-competitive oil supplier to India, challenging Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers even as Russian barrels dominate

Saudi Arabia, US in talks for defence pact ahead of MBS' Washington visit

Riyadh and Washington are negotiating a deal similar to the recent US-Qatar pact, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares for a key visit to Washington next month

Pakistan's power play: Saying yes to all in a risky multipolar world

Islamabad might have failed for decades to create the sort of productive, dynamic economy that builds anything the world might want to buy. But that doesn't mean there's nothing left to sell