Saudi Arabia
Latest stories
Pakistani Beheaded in Saudi for Smuggling Heroin

Saudi Arabia on Friday beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of smuggling heroin into the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, the interior ministry said.

Butha Mushtaq was the third Pakistan executed on drug charges in Saudi Arabia since October 15.

W140 Full Story
Saudi to Deal 'Strictly' with Female Drivers

Female drivers in Saudi Arabia will be dealt with "strictly", authorities said on Thursday before a right-to-drive campaign culminates at the weekend.

The kingdom is the world's only country where women are not allowed to operate cars.

W140 Full Story
Saudi Jails 4 Women for Preparing Sons to Wage Jihad

Four women in Saudi Arabia have been jailed for preparing their sons to wage war and for supporting al-Qaida, official media said, in the kingdom's latest "terrorist" convictions.

They were sentenced to between six and 10 years in prison, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Wednesday following the verdicts.

W140 Full Story
Countries Racing to Boost Aid to Lebanese Army to Battle Terrorists

Several countries are currently boosting their arms aid and delivery to the Lebanese army to fortify its capabilities to confront jihadists, who are entrenched on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal on the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

A high-ranking military source denied in comments published in al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday that Army General Jean Qahwaji discussed with U.S. officials during a recent visit to Washington an Iranian grant to the military.

W140 Full Story
Saudi FM Calls on Christians to Agree to Avert Political Crises

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal urged Christians in Lebanon to reach consensus and end their sharp differences to resolve the presidential deadlock and rectify the work of the state institutions.

According to An Nahar newspaper, al-Faisal made his statement during a meeting with Kataeb party MP Sami Gemayel, who traveled on Sunday night to Jeddah upon an invitation by the Saudi FM.

W140 Full Story
Geagea Returns from Saudi after Talks with Hariri, Top Officials

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea returned to Beirut on Wednesday evening after a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia.

Geagea's visit involved meetings with the kingdom's top officials, according to his press office.

W140 Full Story
Saudi Jails 14 for Plans to Attack U.S. Forces in Qatar

A Saudi court Wednesday condemned 14 people to jail terms of between six months and 23 years, in a second batch of sentences over a plot to attack U.S. forces in neighboring Qatar.

The defendants were convicted of "joining a terrorist cell that aimed to launch a terrorist attack against U.S. forces in Qatar," state news agency SPA said in a statement.

W140 Full Story
Saudi Jails 13 for Plan to Attack U.S. Forces, Sentences 2 More to Death for Shiite Protests

A Saudi court has sentenced 13 people, including an Afghan and a Qatari, to between 18 months and 30 years in prison for plotting an al-Qaida attack against U.S. forces.

The defendants were convicted of "forming a terrorist cell" to target American forces in Qatar with hand grenades, rockets and other weapons, official media said after Tuesday's verdicts.

W140 Full Story
Extension of Parliament’s Term Inevitable amid Efforts to Persuade Christians

The extension of parliament's mandate has become a foregone conclusion after both Speaker Nabih Berri and al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc leader MP Fouad Saniora hinted that there was no option but to extend the term of lawmakers despite a veto by influential Christian figures.

Saniora told al-Mustaqbal daily in remarks published on Wednesday that he discussed with Berri a day earlier the extension of the legislature's tenure.

W140 Full Story
Gemayel Meets in Jeddah with Muqrin, al-Faisal, Hariri

Kataeb Party MP Sami Gemayel held talks Tuesday in Jeddah with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Gemayel also met with al-Mustaqbal movement leader MP Saad Hariri, according to a statement issued by Kataeb.

W140 Full Story