Saudi Arabia

White House spokesman Sean Spicer gives the daily press briefing at the White House on Tuesday.

White House Downplays Trump Tweets On Gulf Feud

7:02pm June 06, 2017

by Scott Horsley

The White House and the State Department stressed the need for cooperation among Arab allies, after President Trump appeared to take the side of Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors against Qatar.

A man walks past the Qatar Airways branch in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Monday. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states severed relations with Qatar and restricted Qatari planes' use of their airspace.

World News

Diplomatic Rift Between Gulf Arab Allies And Qatar Presents Fresh Challenges

5:15pm June 05, 2017

by Alison Meuse

Qatar hosts a key air base for the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. It's unclear how or if coalition members that severed ties with Qatar will continue to participate in operations out of that base.

Together with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, President Trump touches a lit-up globe that activated a video at the inauguration of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh, Saudi A

Here's The Deal With That Glowing Orb — And Plenty Of Notes On What It Isn't

3:51pm May 22, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

It seemed an innocuous gesture: President Trump joined two other world leaders in laying their hands on a lit-up globe at an event in Saudi Arabia. Then, Twitter caught wind of it.

Ivanka Trump participates in a presentation ceremony of The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal to President Donald Trump at the Royal Court Palace, Saturday, in Riyadh.

Saudis And The UAE Will Donate $100 Million To A Fund Inspired By Ivanka Trump

7:02pm May 21, 2017

by Jim Zarroli

As a candidate, President Trump regularly criticized the Clinton Foundation for taking money from Middle East despots. But these donations are different.

President Trump delivers a speech Sunday to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump Says Fight Against Terrorism A 'Battle Between Good And Evil'

4:33pm May 21, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

In his first foreign trip as president, Trump stressed to leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority countries that "nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them."

President Trump meets Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office on March 14. Trump is traveling to the kingdom Friday on his first foreign trip.

President Trump's First Foreign Trip Will Include Red-Carpet Welcome In Saudi Arabia

4:37pm May 17, 2017

by Greg Myre

Given the president's campaign rhetoric, Saudi Arabia seems an odd choice for his first foreign visit. But the kingdom plans a warm welcome and has invited leaders from many other Muslim countries.

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Female shoppers in traditional Saudi Arabian dress wait for their transport outside the Kingdom Centre shopping mall in Riyadh. Women's decision-making abilities are limited by the country's guardianship rules.

World News

Rights Group Urges Saudi King To End Men's 'Guardianship' Over Women

2:04pm May 09, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Saudi Arabia requires all women to have a male guardian, even if that guardian is their own son. King Salman recently ordered a review of his country's guardianship rules.

Lawyer and former presidential candidate Khaled Ali (center) celebrates with others after the Supreme Administrative Court said two islands, Sanafir and Tiran, are Egyptian on Monday in Cairo, Egypt.

World News

Egyptian Court Rules Against Government Bid To Give Two Islands To Saudi Arabia

10:46am January 16, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The ruling is an embarrassment for Egypt's government, and a cause for celebration for protesters who saw the proposed handover as an incursion on Egypt's sovereign territory.

World News

IMF Approves $12 Billion Bailout For Egypt After Austerity Measures

6:06pm November 11, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The funding, which is aimed at boosting investor confidence in the region's most populous country, comes after the government floated the currency and slashed fuel subsidies.

With Oil Prices Down, Saudi Arabia Turns To The Bond Market For The First Time

12:11pm October 19, 2016

by Jim Zarroli

Long synonymous with wealth and luxury, the desert kingdom is looking for ways to plug a growing budget deficit.