Saudi Arabia

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the United Nations on Thursday. In a surprising admission, Ban said he came under pressure to remove Saudi Arabia from a list of countries that harm children. The Saudis had been placed on the list because of t

World News

Saudi Arabia Dropped From List Of Those Harming Children; U.N. Cites Pressure

6:06pm June 09, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon says he delisted Saudi Arabia because of threats to cut U.N. funding and "the very real prospect that millions of other children would suffer grievously" as a result.

Queue Listen Now

Majd kept a journal about a time in her life when she was torn between getting married or going to school.

Health & Safety

Diary Of A Saudi Girl: Karate Lover, Science Nerd ... Bride?

3:40pm May 31, 2016

by Radio Diaries

For two years, Majd Abdulghani kept a journal during a crossroads in her life: Should she get married or keep studying? Or can she do both?

President Obama and Saudi Arabia's King Salman meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 20. Salman, 80, has been far more assertive on foreign policy than many expected. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have had differences on issues such as dealing with Iran and

World News

Saudi Arabia's Surprisingly Assertive 80-Year-Old King

6:27pm May 09, 2016

by Greg Myre

In just over a year, King Salman has decreed plans for major economic reform, launched a more assertive foreign policy and set a line of succession that could guide the kingdom for decades to come.

President Obama shakes hands with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud following a meeting in November at the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.

Plenty Of Friction Expected During Obama's Visit To Saudi Arabia

5:51am April 19, 2016

by Scott Horsley

President Obama departs Tuesday for Saudi Arabia, where he'll meet with King Salman and leaders of neighboring states. There's plenty to talk about: Relations have been strained on a number of fronts.

Queue Listen Now

A detainee cell in Camp 6 inside the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in February.

After 9 Detainees Transferred From Guantanamo, The Number Held There Drops To 80

9:06am April 17, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The group transferred to Saudi Arabia represented just over 10 percent of the population that remained at Guantanamo. It's another step toward Obama's goal of shuttering the facility by next year.

A motorcyclist waits Feb. 17 to buy gas in Caracas, Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro increased the price of gasoline for the first time in 20 years, as he faced growing pressure to ease an economic crisis in the oil-producing country.

Cheap Oil Usually Means Global Growth, But This Time Seems Different

8:31pm March 09, 2016

by John Ydstie

Recent forecasts for global growth have been ratcheted down, even as oil prices sink lower and put more money in consumers' wallets. Economists see several factors changing things.

Queue Listen Now

The work of Saudi artist Njoud Alanbari focuses on issues surrounding female education.

A New Generation Of Saudi Artists Pushes The Boundaries

8:28am February 06, 2016

by Deborah Amos

Daring visual artists, whose edgy work challenges religious and political taboos, have become a critical voice in the conservative kingdom — where open calls for reform are a criminal offense.

Mohammed al-Nimr is the son Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed by Saudi Arabia.

World News

Shiite Sheikh Executed By Saudi Arabia Preached Against Violence, Son Says

7:23pm January 12, 2016

Mohammed al-Nimr says he felt relieved following his father's execution because the sheikh was abused for years by Saudi authorities.

Queue Listen Now

Saudi Arabia's King Salman (left) speaks with his son Mohammed in the capital Riyadh in 2012. The king was the crown prince at the time. When he assumed the throne last year, Salman named Mohammed, now 30, the deputy crown prince and defense minister. The

World News

Long Guarded And Reserved, Saudi Arabia Goes Big And Bold

4:36pm January 12, 2016

by Deborah Amos

King Salman's first year on the throne has brought big changes to the kingdom. It has a more aggressive foreign policy, is actively confronting Iran and is speaking out more openly than in the past.

Family members of Shafqat Hussain, who was convicted and hanged in Pakistan in August for killing a boy in 2004, waited to receive his body outside the central jail in Karachi. Pakistan executed more than 300 people last year.

World News

Fewer Countries Are Relying On Death Penalty, But They're Executing More

7:05pm January 07, 2016

by Jackie Northam

Saudi Arabia's spate of 47 executions last week continued a trend from 2015, in which several countries that have the death penalty used it more often.

Queue Listen Now