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  • Anti-corruption squad arrests Saudi government employees

    Government employees were among 145 people arrested in Saudi Arabia over corruption charges last month. The country’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) conducted 1,462 “oversight visits” in December, during which 390 accused individuals were investigated and the arrests made. Those involved worked for a range of government agencies including the ministries of the interior, defence, justice, health, education, municipalities and housing, Nazaha said. Those arrested, some of whom were released on bail, are accused of crimes including bribery and abuse of authority.

  • BYD Pulls Ahead of Tesla to Become Largest EV Maker

    After years on top of the global electric vehicle market, Tesla has lost the title of world’s largest EV producer to Chinese powerhouse BYD. In 2024, Tesla made 1,774,442 electric vehicles, 4,500 shy of BYD’s 1,777,965. After first surpassing Tesla’s quarterly vehicle production in Q4 2023, BYD fell back behind its U.S. competitor in subsequent quarters. In Q4 2024, however, China’s number 1 car brand outproduced Tesla by almost 150,000 vehicles, making it the world’s new leading EV manufacturer.

  • How the Islamic State Radicalizes People Today

    The Islamic State has lost thousands of fighters to death or prison and suffered the demise of its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. But the global reach of the group, also known as ISIS, is still vast, in part because of its sophisticated media output and the people around the world who consume it. From online videos to social media platforms — and even a weekly Islamic State newsletter — the group that wants to force all Muslims to adhere strictly to the faith’s earliest teachings has a very modern media strategy. “Terrorism is essentially communications,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, a former United Nations diplomat who is the senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, a think tank with offices in New York and Berlin. “It is not warfare, because obviously, ISIS cannot militarily defeat the West, right? They tried and it didn’t exactly end well.”

  • Climate-driven sea level rise will overwhelm major oil ports, study shows

    Rising sea levels driven by the climate crisis will overwhelm many of the world’s biggest oil ports, analysis indicates. Thirteen of the ports with the highest supertanker traffic will be seriously damaged by just 1 metre of sea level rise, the analysis found. The researchers said two low-lying ports in Saudi Arabia – Ras Tanura and Yanbu – were particularly vulnerable. Both are operated by Aramco, the Saudi state oil firm, and 98% of the country’s oil exports leave via these ports. The oil ports of Houston and Galveston in the US, the world’s biggest oil producer, are also on the list, as are ports in the United Arab Emirates, China, Singapore and the Netherlands.

  • Saudi Arabia Affirms Readiness To Participate In Syria’s Renaissance

    Prince Faisal reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity while emphasizing efforts to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for the Syrian people, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The discussions also focused on preserving Syrian state institutions, enhancing its capabilities, and facilitating its reintegration into the Arab and Islamic worlds, SPA added. Senior Saudi officials including Prince Musab bin Mohammed Al-Farhan and ambassadors Saud Al-Sati and Faisal Al-Majfal were also in attendance.

  • US approves possible sale of torpedoes to Saudi Arabia: Pentagon

    The State Department approves the possible sale of 20 MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight Torpedoes to Saudi Arabia for $78.5 million, according to the Pentagon. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by upgrading its anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” the Pentagon says. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has repeatedly reaffirmed to Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Washington’s commitment to the Kingdom’s defense and thanked him for Riyadh’s work to promote calm in the Middle East.

  • Which sporting events is Saudi Arabia hosting in 2025?

    On the back of the busiest sporting year Saudi Arabia has ever had, punctuated by news of the nation’s successful 2034 FIFA World Cup bid, the 2025 calendar is looking equally packed with world-class competition. Kicking off with the Dakar Rally in January, the Kingdom will host many of the biggest names in sport over the next 12 months, welcoming the world’s leading athletes across a range of events. Al Arabiya English explores what sporting events will be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2025.

  • All 6 lines of Riyadh Metro operational with rollout of Orange Line

    The Line 3 (Orange Line) covering Madinah Road would connect the east of Riyadh to its west, and extends from Jeddah Road in the west to the second eastern ring road adjacent to the Khashm Al-Aan area in the east with a total length of 41 km. This marks the completion of the phased operation of the six lines of the Riyadh Metro network according to the plan previously announced when the project was inaugurated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on Nov. 27, 2024. The RCRC said in a statement that at 6:00 am on Sunday, passengers will be received on the Orange Line at the following five stations: Jeddah Road Station, Tuwaiq Station, Douh Station, Harun Al-Rashid Road Station, and Al-Naseem Station, which is one of the transfer stations that connects the Orange Line and the Purple Line. The commission also announced the operation of three new stations on the Blue Line that connects the Olaya Street to Batha and these are Al-Morooj Station, Bank Al-Bilad Station, and King Fahd Library Station. Three lines that started operations in the initial phase on Dec. 1 were the 1st line (Blue Line); 4th line (Yellow Line); and the 6th line (Purple Line). In the second phase, two more lines — Line 2 (Red Line) and Line 5 (Green Line) — became operational on Dec. 15.

  • Cristiano Ronaldo Talks Life In Saudi Arabia, Growth Of Saudi Pro League

    Since Ronaldo's arrival in the SPL, the league has grown leaps and bounds. Players like Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, and more are now in the SPL. Cristiano Ronaldo said about the growth: For me, it is an honour that the league is growing and many star players are coming to make the league even better and more competitive. To be the first one -- let's say a star -- to come here is an honour, but what I'm looking forward to is the next five to 10 years of the league still improving. Not only the first teams, but also the academies.

  • Major Saudi Food Company Exits Iran After 20 Years

    The Saudi Arabian group SAVOLA has sold all its assets in Iran for 705 million Saudi riyals (approximately $188 million) and is exiting the country. SAVOLA, the largest Saudi investor in Iran, had invested in the production of cooking oils, including the brands Ladan, Bahar, and Nastaran. SAVOLA Food Company in Iran, a subsidiary of the larger SAVOLA Group, was engaged not only in the production and distribution of edible oils but also in seafood, industrial bread, and confectionery products. Iranian media outlets, including 7sobh, have speculated that the decision to sell and exit the country is linked to Donald Trump‘s re-election in the U.S. and his impending return to office. However, according to a statement issued by SAVOLA Group on Wednesday, January 1, the company’s withdrawal from Iran was “in line with the group’s strategy to exit non-core markets at the right time.”