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Saturday, January 3, 2026
TopicSaudi Arabia

Topic: Saudi Arabia

It’s snowing in Saudi Arabia. What caused the 1st snowfall in 30 years and –4°C desert cold?

New Delhi: Parts of Saudi Arabia’s northern desert turned white this week after rare and heavy snowfall. In regions such as Tabuk and Al-Jawf,...

Pakistan offloaded 66,000 travellers this year. They were going to Riyadh to be beggars

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar accused trafficking gangs of “smuggling beggars abroad” and “tarnishing” Pakistan’s reputation.

Chef Kunal Kapur brings Saudi flavours to India. ‘It’s a lot like Bihari cuisine’

Kapur noted that Saudi cuisine is often wrongly lumped together with Middle Eastern food. While the two share similarities, they are also distinctly different.

When did Saudi Arabia ban alcohol? And why it is easing restrictions now

Branded alcohol had been entering the country’s informal market through embassies. But the government ended that system in January 2024.

This is how China is reading US-Saudi Arabia ties

Trump’s announcement of a security arrangement that would allow Riyadh to acquire jets like Israel’s F-35 is seen in China as much more than a routine arms deal.

Grieving family members of Saudi bus crash victims to leave from Telangana for funerals

A Telangana government team, led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin, is in Saudi Arabia to coordinate the relief efforts, including last rite arrangements.

Saudi crown prince in talks to visit White House to discuss defence, AI ties

Trump is seeking to cash in on a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge made during his visit in May while the Saudi leader is seeking security guarantees amid regional turmoil .

Saudi oil power is waning. What this means for its ties to the US

There’s little doubt that Saudi Arabia contributed to its own problems, driven by leadership hubris and poor advice. The Line is a case in point.

Bangladesh Army chief cancels Saudi visit after 14 officers held over ‘excesses’ under Hasina

Warrants were issued against 32 individuals, including ex-PM Hasina & her military secretary Major General Kabir Ahmed. Detentions are among the most extensive within armed forces.

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti passes away at 82, Modi offers condolences

Condolences poured in after Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh's demise. 'The kingdom & Islamic world have lost a distinguished scholar,' said the Saudi Royal Court.

On Camera

Indian bureaucracy should be given incentives and rewards: MH Mody

Is there a place for a counter-bureaucracy, or a separate and competing bureaucracy to counterbalance the force of the executive’s bureaucracy, asked author MH Mody in 1980.

India’s urban co-op banks are turning the page—crisis to cautious revival, one metric at a time

With bad loans shrinking & capital buffers stronger, urban co-op banks’ new umbrella body NUCFDC is now prioritising rollout of digital transformation.

Greece looking at TATA’s WhAP infantry combat vehicle for army procurement

If deal goes through, Greece will be 2nd foreign country to procure vehicle. Morocco was first; TATA Group has set up manufacturing unit there with minimum 30 percent indigenous content.

A year-end Mea Culpa in National Interest—The Army-Islam combo doesn’t kill democracy

Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.