Saudi Arabia
Opulence, business deals and a $400M plane from Qatar: Takeaways from Trump’s Mideast tour
President Donald Trump used the first major foreign trip of his second term to outline a vision for restoring global stability that is grounded in pragmatism and self-interest rather than values, holding out U.S. ties to wealthy Gulf countries as a model for America’s longtime foes.
His four-day swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which ends Friday, put a spotlight on Trump’s transactional approach to foreign affairs as he was feted by autocratic rulers with a trio of lavish state visits where there was heavy emphasis on economic and security partnerships.
His trip played out against the backdrop of stubborn global conflicts, including Gaza and Ukraine, that showed the limits of his influence. But Trump insisted he was turning the page on American “interventionalism” in the region as he moved to recognize the new government in Syria for the first time and prodded Iran to engage on nuclear talks before it’s too late.
Some takeaways from Trump’s travels:
Trump marveled at Gulf state opulence but held his tongue on human rights
Presidential trips to the Middle East usually feature at least some public calls for authoritarian governments to improve their human rights efforts. Not this one, as Trump celebrated his business deals with Gulf royals and admired their wealth.
Trump toured the marble and gilded palaces of Gulf rulers and deemed them “perfecto” and “very hard to buy.” He praised the “gleaming marvels” of the skyline in Saudi Arabia. And he groused about the “much less impressive” Air Force One.
In Trump’s remarks at a VIP business conference in Riyadh, he went out of his way to distance himself from the actions of past administrations, the days when he said American officials would fly in “in beautiful planes, giving you lectures on how to live and how to govern your own affairs.”
Rights advocates took that as a pledge of nonintervention, swearing off some of the pressure past U.S. presidents have brought to bear on partners to varying degrees to ease up on detentions, suppression of critics and other issues.
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“It’s absolute support for absolute monarchy,” said Saudi exile Abdullah Alaoudh. His father, a Saudi cleric with a wide following there, is imprisoned in the kingdom.
Some rights advocates said Trump officials gave them private assurances the administration was working on behalf of detained Americans and rights advocates. Tommy Pigott, a deputy spokesman at the State Department, declined to say whether Trump raised those or other rights issues in discussions with Gulf royals.
Thwarted by Putin
While Trump was in the Mideast, Vladimir Putin opted to skip direct peace talks with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy despite the U.S. president’s strong calls for them to meet face to face.
Trump has been pushing Putin and Zelenskyy to move with greater haste to end Russia’s grinding war in Ukraine.
But after it became clear Putin wouldn’t be attending talks in Turkey this week and would instead be sending underlings to Istanbul, an annoyed Trump insisted he knew all along that it was highly likely Putin would be a no-show.
“I don’t believe anything’s going to happen whether you like it or not, until he and I get together,” Trump said. “But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.”
As he wrapped up his visit on Friday, Trump said the face-to-face would happen “as soon as we can set it up.”
Trump was scheduled to fly back to Washington on Friday, but tried to keep people guessing until the end. He teased late Thursday that he would be heading to a “destination unknown” — “probably” Washington, he added. His opaque language stoked speculation that he might make a drop-by to Turkey.
But on Friday morning, he told reporters he needed to get back to Washington. His daughter Tiffany had her first child while the president has been away.
“I would actually leave here and go,” Trump said. “I do want to see my beautiful grandson.”
On Syria sanctions, Trump takes a leap of faith
Just two months ago, the Trump administration wasn’t sold on Syria’s interim government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime al-Qaida-affiliated insurgent. They worried the Syrian president didn’t have the legitimacy to govern the country’s ethnically diverse population.
Clashes broke out in early March, killing hundreds and targeting many more members of the Alawite religious minority to which the ousted Syrian leader Basher Assad belongs.
The moment gave the Trump White House pause about easing sanctions on Syria. But Trump signaled Monday that he was having a change of heart and was moving toward lifting the Syria sanctions. A day later, he announced the move during an address to Gulf leaders.
Trump then took it another step by agreeing to meet al-Sharaa.
Trump said he was impressed with al-Sharaa, who not that long ago had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. The president called him a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past.”
Trump said it was recommendations from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that nudged him to take a chance on al-Sharra.
“President Erdogan called me and said: ‘Is there any way you could do that? Because if you don’t do that, they don’t have a chance,’” Trump said. “So, I did it.”
11 days ago
British banking analyst jailed in Saudi Arabia for 10 years over 'unknown tweet'
A British Bank of America analyst has been sentenced to a decade in a Saudi Arabian prison apparently over a since-deleted social media post, according to his lawyer.
The family of Ahmed al-Doush, 41, believes the charges against him stemmed from a deleted 2018 tweet about Sudan that did not mention Saudi Arabia and his relationship with the son of a Saudi critic in exile, Amnesty International said in a statement Tuesday.
The father-of-four was sentenced Monday after being accused of violating terrorism and anti-cyber crime laws.
“The exact tweet is unknown,” Haydee Dijkstal, al-Doush’s international counsel, posted Tuesday on X. “His trial and detention involved fair trial and due process violations." The lawyer said the U.K. government "should stand firmly against a British national’s imprisonment for allegedly exercising his free speech rights.”
The Saudi Arabian government did not respond to requests for comment.
“We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudi Arabia and are in contact with his family and local authorities,” a spokesperson for the Foreign Office in London said in a statement.
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Al-Doush, a British national, was arrested in August 2024 at a Riyadh airport where he was waiting for a flight to Manchester, England, with his family following a holiday. His wife has since given birth to their fourth child.
“I rarely speak to my husband, but in the few snatched conversations we have managed, it is clear that Ahmed is struggling,” al-Doush’s wife, Amaher Nour, said ahead of her husband’s sentencing, citing his thyroid problems and distress after nine months of detention.
The developments came while U.S. President Donald Trump was in Saudi Arabia, where several dual nationals with Western ties and Saudis have been detained in recent years over social media posts that could be viewed as critical to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler.
In 2021, a Saudi-American dual national was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison by Saudi Arabia on terrorism-related charges stemming from tweets.
Saad Almadi, now 75, was jailed in connection with tweets he had posted over the past several years in the U.S. He was released in 2023 but has been banned from leaving the kingdom.
On Wednesday, the kingdom’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud was asked during a press conference if Almadi's case had been discussed during Trump's trip.
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13 days ago
Nvidia to send 18,000 AI chips to Saudi Arabia
US chip maker Nvidia will partner with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund-owned AI startup Humain and will ship 18,000 chips to the Middle Eastern nation to help power a new data center project.
The partnership was revealed Tuesday as part of a White House trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been working to develop its artificial intelligence capacity and strengthen its cloud computing infrastructure with the help of foreign investment.
“AI, like electricity and internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” said Jensen Huang, founder of Nvidia. “Together with Humain, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realize the bold vision of the Kingdom.”
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The cutting-edge Blackwell chips will be used in a 500 megawatt data center in Saudi Arabia, according to remarks at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The California company said its first deployment will use its GB300 Blackwell chips, which are among Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips at the moment, and which were only officially announced earlier this year.
14 days ago
Over 38,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia for Hajj
A total of 38,570 Bangladeshi pilgrims, including management personnel, have reached Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year.
Some 4,564 pilgrims have travelled under government management, while 34,006 have arrived through private Hajj agencies.
The information was released in a bulletin from the Hajj Management Portal on Sunday night.
A total of 96 Hajj flights have landed in Saudi Arabia so far. Among them, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has operated 47 flights, Saudi Airlines 33, and Flynas Airlines 16.
Passenger distribution across the carriers is as follows:
· Biman Bangladesh Airlines has transported 18,850 pilgrims;
· Saudi Airlines has carried 12,962 pilgrims;
· Flynas Airlines has flown 6,758 pilgrims.
Saudi medical centres have so far issued 5,376 automated prescriptions to Bangladeshi pilgrims, while IT helpdesks have provided 7,110 services.
In terms of visa issuance, a total of 86,213 visas have been issued for Bangladeshi pilgrims. The visa completion rate stands at 100% for government-managed pilgrims and 99% for those under private arrangements.
34,776 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia
Sadly, six Bangladeshi pilgrims have passed away in Saudi Arabia so far. Among the deceased are five men and one woman. Three deaths occurred in Makkah and three in Madinah, with no fatalities reported in Jeddah, Mina, Arafat, or Muzdalifah.
Key Highlights of Hajj 2025:
· Hajj 2025 is expected to be held on 5 June 2025, subject to moon sighting.
· A total of 70 Hajj agencies have been approved by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
· The first Hajj flight departed for Saudi Arabia on 29 April 2025.
· The final outbound Hajj flight is scheduled for 31 May 2025.
· The government quota for pilgrims is 5,200.
· The private sector quota is 81,900.
The first return flight from Saudi Arabia will take place on 10 June 2025.
The last return flight is scheduled for 10 July 2025.
15 days ago
34,776 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia
A total of 34,776 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia so far, according to the latest report from the Hajj office under the Religious Affairs Ministry.
According to the report, the pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia by 86 flights till 10 am on Thursday.
Some 52,324 Bangladeshi pilgrims are yet to depart for the pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, 85,303 pilgrims have received their visas, while 1,797 are still waiting for visa issuance.
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19 days ago
Adviser urges pilgrims to uphold discipline, with Hajj flights set to commence
Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain urged all pilgrims to abide by the laws and regulations of Saudi Arabia and refrain from doing anything that tarnishes the image of the country.
The adviser made the request during exchanged greetings with the pilgrims after inaugurating the Hajj flights for 2025 at the Ashkona Hajj Camp in the capital on Monday.
He said that the government is working to ensure that the pilgrims can perform Hajj at a reasonable cost.
"We are also working on how to simplify all the processes starting from the registration of the pilgrims," he added.
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The adviser expressed optimism over what he said would be many positive changes in Hajj management next year.
The first flight carrying Bangladeshi pilgrims will depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Jeddah at 2:15am.
Saudi Arabia's national carrier Saudia will fly carrying 398 pilgrims to perform the holy Hajj on the first flight (SV 3803).
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A total of 4,180 pilgrims will depart for Saudi on a total of 10 flights on the first day.
Of these, eight flights will land at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and two flights will land at Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz International Airport in Medina.
Religious Affairs Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik chaired the programme, while additional secretary of the Hajj Division Md. Matiul Islam delivered a welcome speech.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin and Nasreen Jahan, Secretary, Saudi Embassy in Bangladesh, Abdul Aziz Fahad M. Al Ibrahim, Charge d'Affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Bangladesh, Air Vice Marshal Md. Manjur Kabir Bhuiyan, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, Syed Golam Sarwar, and Secretary General Farid Ahmed Majumder spoke as special guests at the event.
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At the event, two pilgrims were invited to express their views on the interim government's Hajj management. They expressed their overall satisfaction with Hajj management this year.
Besides, a documentary on Hajj activities was also screened at the event.
29 days ago
Ramadan may extend to 30 days, Eid likely on Monday in Saudi Arabia
Astronomers have said that the Shawwal crescent moon will be undetectable across the Arab and Islamic world on Saturday, March 29, due to the occurrence of a solar eclipse.
Saudi astronomer Bader Al Omaira explained that the crescent will set before the sun, and its conjunction will take place after sunset, making it impossible to spot, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or any other means.
Since a sighting is necessary to mark the start of Shawwal in Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Islamic nations, it is expected that Ramadan will extend to 30 days, with Eid-ul-Fitr falling on Monday, March 31.
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The International Astronomical Centre in Abu Dhabi confirmed last week that the Shawwal crescent will be impossible to observe from the eastern part of the world and across the Arab and Islamic regions, using any observational tools.
Thus, if the Shawwal crescent is not visible on March 29, Ramadan will last for 30 days, and Eid-ul-Fitr will be on March 31. However, if the crescent is sighted, Eid will be celebrated on March 30.
Source: Gulf News
1 month ago
Ukraine says it is open to a 30-day ceasefire; US resumes military aid and intelligence sharing
The Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled that it was open to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow’s agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said Tuesday following talks in Saudi Arabia.
The administration's decision marked a sharp shift from only a week ago, when it imposed the measures in an apparent effort to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces. The suspension of U.S. assistance came days after Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump argued about the conflict in a tense White House meeting.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the U.S. delegation to the talks in Jeddah, said Washington would present the ceasefire offer to the Kremlin, which has so far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions.
“We’re going to tell them this is what’s on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio told reporters after the talks. “If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”
Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, added: "The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear, that they share President Trump’s vision for peace.”
Tuesday's discussions, which lasted for nearly eight hours, appeared to put to rest — for the moment at least — the animosity between Trump and Zelenskyy that erupted during the Oval Office meeting last month.
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Waltz said the negotiators “got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end,” including long-term security guarantees. And, he said, Trump agreed to immediately lift the pause in the supply of billions of dollars of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing.
Seeking a deal with Russia
Trump said he hoped that an agreement could be solidified “over the next few days.”
“I’ve been saying that Russia’s been easier to deal with so far than Ukraine, which is not supposed to be the way it is," Trump said later Tuesday. "But it is, and we hope to get Russia. But we have a full ceasefire from Ukraine. That’s good.”
The Kremlin had no immediate comment on the U.S. and Ukrainian statements. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said only that negotiations with U.S. officials could take place this week.
Trump 's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel later this week to Moscow, where he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a person familiar with the matter but not authorized to comment publicly. The person cautioned that scheduling could change.
Officials met in Saudi Arabia only hours after Russia shot down over 300 Ukrainian drones in Ukraine’s biggest attack since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion. Neither U.S. nor Ukrainian officials offered any comment on the barrage.
Russia also launched 126 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said, as part of Moscow’s relentless pounding of civilian areas.
Zelenskyy renews calls for lasting peace
In an address posted shortly after Tuesday's talks ended, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to a lasting peace, emphasizing that the country has sought an end to the war since its outset.
“Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has strived for peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything possible to achieve it as soon as possible — securely and in a way that ensures war does not return,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, who led the Ukrainian delegation, described the negotiations as positive. He said the two countries “share the same vision, and that we are moving in the same direction toward the just peace long awaited by all Ukrainians.”
In Kyiv, Lena Herasymenko, a psychologist, accepts that compromises will be necessary to end the war, but she said they must be “reasonable.”
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“We had massive losses during this war, and we don’t know yet how much more we’ll have,” she told The Associated Press. “We are suffering every day. Our kids are suffering, and we don’t know how the future generation will be affected.”
Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier who could give only his first name because of security restrictions, warned that Ukraine cannot let down its guard.
“If there is a ceasefire, it would only give Russia time to increase its firepower, manpower, missiles and other arms. Then they would attack Ukraine again,” he said.
Hawkish Russians push back against a ceasefire
In Moscow, hawkish politicians and military bloggers spoke strongly against a prospective ceasefire, arguing that it would play into Kyiv’s hands and damage Moscow’s interests at a time when the Russian military has the advantage.
“A ceasefire isn’t what we need,” wrote hardline ideologue Alexander Dugin.
Viktor Sobolev, a retired general who is a member of the Russian parliament’s lower house, warned that a 30-day truce would allow Ukraine to beef up arms supplies and regroup its troops before resuming hostilities.
Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political commentator, suggested that Moscow could demand a halt on Western arms supplies to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire. “An embargo on arms supplies to Ukraine could be a condition for a truce,” he wrote.
The Kremlin sticks to its conditions for peace
Russia has not publicly offered any concessions. Putin has repeatedly declared that Moscow wants a comprehensive settlement, not a temporary truce.
Russia has said it’s ready to cease hostilities on the condition that Ukraine drops its bid to join NATO and recognizes regions that Moscow occupies as Russian. Russia has captured nearly a fifth of Ukraine's territory.
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Russian forces have held the battlefield momentum for more than a year, though at a high cost in infantry and armor, and are pushing at selected points along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, especially in the eastern Donetsk region.
Ukraine has invested heavily in developing its arms industry, especially high-tech drones that have reached deep into Russia.
2 months ago
Saudi’s oil giant Aramco reports decline in annual profit, cuts dividend
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant, Aramco, has announced a decline in its net profit for 2024, reporting $106.2 billion, down from $121.3 billion in 2023.
The company also revealed a significant reduction in its dividend payouts for 2025, expecting total distributions of $85.4 billion, compared to $124.2 billion in 2024.
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The oil producer disclosed that its base dividend for the fourth quarter of 2024 would rise to $21.1 billion, while its performance-linked payout would be significantly lower at just $200 million.
This marks a steep decline from the previous quarter, when the company had distributed a base dividend of $20.3 billion alongside a performance-linked payout of $10.8 billion.
Aramco’s declining profit comes amid falling global oil prices and slowing demand. In 2024, the average price of Brent crude oil stood at $80 per barrel, down by $2 compared to the 2023 average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Besides, an increase in global crude production put further downward pressure on prices, impacting Aramco’s earnings.
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The company also reported a decline in total revenue, which fell to $436.6 billion in 2024 from $440.8 billion in 2023. This financial performance underscores the challenges faced by the energy sector, as fluctuating oil prices and shifting market dynamics continue to shape the industry’s outlook.
Despite the decline, Aramco remains one of the world’s most profitable companies and a key driver of Saudi Arabia’s economy. The company has continued to invest in expansion projects and energy transition initiatives, positioning itself for long-term stability in an evolving energy landscape.
Industry analysts will be closely watching Aramco’s strategic decisions in the coming months, particularly regarding its approach to dividends and capital expenditure as it navigates a period of global economic uncertainty.
Source: Agencies
2 months ago
Esports Olympics to debut in Saudi Arabia later than expected in 2027
The first Olympic Esports Games will be hosted in Riyadh in 2027, two years later than expected when a 12-year deal with Saudi Arabia was signed last year.
The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday its founding partner for the event will be the kingdom’s Esports World Cup Foundation.
The first annual Esports World Cup was held last July and August in Riyadh with tens of millions of dollars in prize money paid for games including Call of Duty, Fortnite and Street Fighter.
It is unclear which, if any, shooter games the IOC will allow on the Esports Olympics program, which it has repeatedly said must align with Olympic values.
A six-person panel, co-chaired by veteran IOC member Ser Miang Ng and Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, will work on deciding the games program, the IOC said.
Details of the inaugural Esports Olympics were confirmed two days after Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman hosted a visiting Olympic delegation in Riyadh, including its president Thomas Bach, who leaves office in June.
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The 12-year deal was confirmed last July on the eve of the Paris Olympics as the latest prime sporting asset for the oil-rich kingdom to own or host. FIFA confirmed Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup in men's soccer in December.
IOC members were told in Paris the vision for the Esports Olympics was to hold it every two years starting in 2025, with “physical, simulated and electronic games” included.
Qualifying competitions for national teams are set to start this year.
3 months ago