Saudi Arabia feels threatened by “trolls” on social media
Online armies of self-styled Saudi patriots riding a wave of state-led nationalism attack critics and what they call "traitors" of the kingdom -- but...
Smallest Hajj in recent history concludes amidst pandemic
Muslim pilgrims circled Islam's holiest site along socially distanced paths Sunday in the final ritual of the hajj, the smallest in modern history as...
Muslims scale Mount Arafat marking Hajj 2020 peak
Muslim pilgrims converged Thursday on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for the climax of Hajj 2020, the smallest in modern times and a sharp contrast...
Safest ever Hajj: limited attendees and virus measures
This year's downsized hajj may prove to be the safest ever despite the ever-present threat posed by the novel coronavirus. In past years pilgrims have...
Pilgrims fighting over invites from Saudi govt to go to Hajj this year
A Jordanian couple in Saudi Arabia burst into tears of joy to be among the chosen ones for next week's downsized hajj pilgrimage, but...
The limited edition Hajj pilgrimage of 2020 starts July 29: Saudi officials
This year's hajj, which has been scaled back dramatically to include only around 1,000 Muslim pilgrims as Saudi Arabia battles a coronavirus surge, will...
Saudi Arabia opens Hajj registration for foreign residents within the Kingdom
Saudi Arabia on Monday opened hajj registration for foreign residents in the kingdom, saying they will make up 70 percent of the pilgrims after...
First sanctions imposed by UK feature Russians and Saudis
The UK on Monday identified 49 "notorious" individuals and organisations, 25 of them Russian and 20 Saudis, to be sanctioned under its first post-Brexit...
Gulf security: troubled by unreliability of traditional partners
Resolving the tug of war in the Middle East will require a backing away from approaches that treat conflicts as zero-sum games, and engagement...
Iranian boats shot by Saudi Arabia and forced to retreat
Saudi Arabia said Saturday three Iranian boats were "forced to retreat" from its waters after warning shots were fired, according to state media. "At 6.30...
Economy to take a hit as Hajj curtailed for 2020 by Saudi Arabia
Vacant religious sites. Abandoned pilgrim tents. Lifeless hotels. A stunning emptiness - and fears of economic ruin - haunt the usually bustling city of...
Saudi Arabia scales back Hajj amid Muslim disappointment
Muslims expressed disappointment Tuesday at Saudi Arabia's decision to scale back this year's hajj pilgrimage, but many accepted it was necessary as the kingdom...