Saudi Arabia

25 Jan 2019; MEMO: Former Saudi minister of justice, Mohammed Bin Abdul-Karim Issa, has announced that his country will stop funding mosques in foreign countries, Arabi21.com reported on Friday.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Jan 20 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Arabia announced, on Sunday, a year-on-year increase of 54 percent, in foreign direct investment in 2019.

In a report, by the Saudi Arabia General Investment Authority, a total of 1,131 new international companies, set up operations in the kingdom in 2019.

The report revealed that, some 150 investor deals were signed by the authorities, across high-priority sectors, under the Vision 2030 in 2019, from tourism to value-added manufacturing.

19 Jan 2019; MEMO: Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has issued an order to release the sheikh of the Otaibah tribe, Faisal Bin Sultan Bin Humaid, who has been detained for months.

14 Jan 2019; MEMO: Three of the most prominent international human rights organisations decided on Monday to boycott a series of meetings for civil society organisations, scheduled to take place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as part of the G20 summit.

Riyadh, Jan 13 (AFP/PTI) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has warned that military confrontation with Iran will impact global peace and stability, as he visits the Middle East hoping to ease tensions spiked by the US killing of a top Iranian general.

His comments came at the start of a five-day Gulf tour that had been thrown into doubt after Tehran responded to the attack on Qasem Soleimani by launching a barrage of missiles at bases hosting American troops in Iraq, prompting fears of all-out war.

09 Jan 2019; MEMO: The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has temporarily suspended the passage of its oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz after the Iranian rocket strike on US targets in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

Saudi Arabia owns 43 per cent of Bahri and the suspension of its operations may cause the kingdom financial losses. Saudi did not comment on the report.

08 Jan 2019; MEMO: Detained Saudi cleric, Salman Al-Ouda, has refused family visits in protest against the prison administration’s repressive measures against him.

The Prisoners of Conscience Twitter group, which reports on political prisoners in Saudi Arabia, said on Monday that the Al-Haer prison administration, south of Riyadh – where Odeh is being detained – had denied him the right to a defence during in a recent court hearing.

2 January 2020; AFP: Saudi Arabia's hosting of the Dakar Rally this month is just the latest international sporting event to take place in the kingdom as part of a multi-billion-dollar push to boost its battered global image.

In recent months the ultra-conservative kingdom -- under fire over human rights abuses -- has accelerated investment in sports, mirroring a longstanding strategy adopted by regional powers, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

26 Dec 2019; MEMO: Crude oil prices were up early Thursday on a higher note as the global oil market awaits additional production cuts by OPEC and allies to take effect beginning on new year, Anadolu reports.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $67.44 per barrel at 0630 GMT for a 0.36% gain on Thursday after closing Tuesday at $67.20 a barrel.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death on Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose murder in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew sharp international criticism and marred the crown prince’s relationship with members of Congress in Washington.

The Riyadh criminal court found another three people guilty of covering up the crime. They were sentenced for a combined 24 years in prison, according to a statement read by the Saudi attorney general’s office on state TV.