In a letter to US President Joe Biden, Richard Blumenthal calls the LIV Golf Series an ‘attempt by the Saudi government to ‘sports-wash’ its reputation’ By MEE staff in Washington Published date: 30 June 2022 21:34 UTC United States Senator Richard Blumenthal on Thursday sent a letter to President Joe Biden, expressing “deep concerns” over Saudi Arabia’s golf league, accusing its hosting of tournaments on American soil as a means of “sportswashing” the kingdom’s human…

Ahead of visit to Saudi Arabia, Biden says he ‘will see the king and the crown prince, but that’s not the meeting I’m going to’ By MEE staff Published date: 30 June 2022 18:35 UTC US President Joe Biden said on Thursday he would not directly ask Saudi Arabia to increase oil output to curb crude prices when he sees Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit next month. During a news conference in Madrid, Spain, Biden was asked whether he would request that Riyadh increase oil production, to which he responded, “No”.

Saudi student in Mississippi arrested by FBI for lying about the anonymous account he used to intimidate critics of the kingdom By MEE staff Published date: 29 June 2022 13:02 UTC A Saudi man used an anonymous Instagram account to threaten dissidents in the United States and Canada who were critical of Saudi Arabia, according to recently unsealed court filings. Ibrahim al-Hussayen was arrested for lying to FBI officials about using…

In an off-mic moment French president tells Biden that Gulf states can’t increase oil production By MEE staff Published date: 28 June 2022 20:38 UTC French President Emmanuel Macron weaved his way through a crowd at this week’s G-7 summit in Bavaria, Germany, to tell US President Joe Biden that Saudi Arabia and the UAE wouldn’t be able to increase oil production. “Excuse me, sorry…

Report comes after a senior US official informed lawmakers last week that more countries were prepared to take steps towards normalising relations with Israel A bus carrying Palestinian Muslim pilgrims arrives at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt as they head to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, on June 21, 2022 (AFP). By MEE staff Published date: 27 June 2022 18:33 UTC Israel and Saudi Arabia are negotiating a deal that would…

Diplomats hope talks can help break impasse over return to 2015 nuclear deal that saw sanctions lifted from Iran By MEE and agencies Published date: 27 June 2022 14:56 UTC Qatar will host indirect talks between Iran and the United States in the next few days amid a push by the European Union to break the impasse to reinstate the 2015 nuclear pact, Iranian media reported on Monday. Mohammad…

Murtaja Qureiris was arrested in 2014 over, among other things, a children’s ‘cycling protest’ he led when he was just 10 years old By Alex MacDonald Published date: 24 June 2022 10:59 UTC Saudi Arabia’s youngest political prisoner, who was only 13 years old at the time of his arrest, has been released from jail. Murtaja Qureiris, who was arrested in 2014, left prison in the early hours of Friday morning following the end of his jail sentence, according to Saudi lawyer Taha Hajji.

Report comes amid claims that new countries may take steps to normalise ties with Israel during the US president’s visit to the region By MEE staff Published date: 23 June 2022 17:41 UTC The US is formulating a “roadmap for normalisation” between Israel and Saudi Arabia ahead of President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East next month, according to reports by Walla news and Axios. The White House hopes to have an outline of steps towards normalisation before Biden raises the issue during his July visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

US official hints at progress between Israel and Arab states during Biden’s trip US President Joe Biden speaks about gas prices in the South Court Auditorium at the White House campus on 22 June, 2022 in Washington DC (AFP) By Sean Mathews Published date: 22 June 2022 21:19 UTC A senior US official told lawmakers on Wednesday that more Arab countries are looking…