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Hajj pilgrims perform rituals in soaring heat as Eid al-Adha celebrations begin

Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia have been performing the symbolic stoning of the devil during the Hajj, enduring temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Muslim pilgrims converge on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia as the Hajj reaches its peak

Muslim pilgrims have gathered on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for the second day of the Hajj, considered the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage.

 

Muslims begin the annual Hajj in sweltering heat against a backdrop of war concerns

The annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, has begun. More than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the country.

 

Yemeni politicians meet in Riyadh after dissolving a southern separatist group

Yemeni politicians have met in Saudi Arabia’s capital for the first time since a sourthern separatist group was disbanded.

 

Saudi Arabia quietly expands access to its only alcohol store for non-Muslim residents

Saudi Arabia has quietly expanded access to its only alcohol store, now allowing non-Muslim Premium Residency holders to purchase alcohol legally.

 

Arab female directors drive change at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah

Arab female film directors are reshaping Arab cinema by telling untold stories and claiming space in a traditionally male-dominated industry.

 

Hollywood meets the Middle East as Red Sea International Film Festival opens in Jeddah

The Red Sea International Film Festival has opened its fifth edition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Running from Dec. 4 to 13, the festival showcases over 100 films from more than 70 countries.

 

Symbolism and smiles during the stoning of the devil ritual at the Hajj

More than 1.6 million Muslims are completing a core element of the Hajj, the symbolic stoning of the devil.

 

More than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj

A Saudi government spokesperson says more than 1.5 million foreign pilgrims are in the country for this year’s Hajj.

 

Saudi Arabia stops 269,678 Muslims without Hajj permits from entering Mecca

Saudi officials say they have stopped more than 269,000 Muslims without permits for the Hajj pilgrimage from entering Mecca.

 

Tesla launches first Saudi showroom, but the country’s heat might be challenging for its EVs

Tesla has officially launched in Saudi Arabia, marking a new chapter in the company’s global expansion after Elon Musk’s troubled relationship with the kingdom.

 

EU ministers will consider easing sanctions on Syria at a meeting later in January

The European Union’s foreign policy chief says the bloc’s foreign ministers will discuss easing sanctions imposed on Syria at a Jan. 27 meeting in Brussels.

 

Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry’s rise

“My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia’s decades-long cinema ban.

 

Hollywood and the Middle East mix at Red Sea International Film Festival

One of the Middle East’s fastest-growing film festivals opened Thursday in Saudi Arabia, attracting filmmakers and stars from around the world to present over 120 films from 81 countries in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district.

 

Banning UNRWA will lead to a vacuum and more suffering for Palestinians, the agency’s chief says

The head of the U.N. agency caring for Palestinian refugees says that newly passed Israeli laws effectively banning its activities in Israel will leave a vacuum that will cost more lives and create further in Gaza and the West Bank.

 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels detain 11 UN staffers as well as aid workers in sudden crackdown

Eleven Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies have been detained by Yemen’s Houthi rebels under unclear circumstances. That’s according to the U.N.

 

In Saudi Arabia, an all-women psychedelic rock band jams out as its conservative society loosens up

As Saudi Arabia liberalizes some aspects of its society, an all-women psychedelic rock band that recently performed in the kingdom’s capital is an example showing some Saudi women are now finding their voice through the arts.

 

UNESCO puts 2 locations in war-ravaged Ukraine on its list of historic sites in danger

The U.N.’s World Heritage Committee has placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger. The iconic St.

 

Saudi oil giant Aramco reports $30B in profits, down nearly 40% from last year due to lower prices

Saudi state-run oil giant Aramco has made $30 billion in profit in the second quarter, a nearly 40% decline from the same period the previous year.