Saudi Arabia
US Christian evangelical delegation meets Saudi crown prince
By The Associated Press — September 11, 2019
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meeting with prominent Christians marks the second such visit by American evangelicals to the kingdom, which is trying to shake off its reputation for religious intolerance and human rights abuses.
Everything in Mecca gets 5 stars online
By Elif Izberk-Bilgin and Tom van Laer — August 7, 2019
(The Conversation) — Mecca’s sites average 4.96 TripAdvisor stars out of 5, while Europe’s 200 best-rated tourist destinations average 3.96 stars.
Saudi Arabia allows women to travel without male consent
By The Associated Press — August 2, 2019
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi clerics supported the imposition of male guardianship based on a Quran verse, but other Islamic scholars argued this misinterprets fundamental Quranic concepts.
Jamal Khashoggi and the paradox of Saudi Arabia
By Stephen Mansfield — March 8, 2019
(RNS) — We are left to hold two competing facts in our minds: Saudi Arabia’s prince may have ordered the murder of Kashoggi, and he is also leading the country through a breathtaking era of reform.
The Iranian government is targeting Baha’is in Yemen. We’ve seen this before.
By James Samimi Farr — November 28, 2018
(RNS) — If we allow the condemnation of 22 Baha’is to death in Yemen, what will the world have actually learned?
U.S. evangelical delegation meets with crown prince of Saudi Arabia
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 2, 2018
(RNS) — The meeting comes one month after the death of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, for which Saudi Arabia has acknowledged responsibility.
Silenced forever: Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi is dead
By Sarah El Deeb — October 20, 2018
BEIRUT (AP) — Friends recalled Jamal Khashoggi as a devout Muslim who loved his homeland, an avid history buff and a humble man with a sense of humor.
Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for hajj’s pinnacle
By Omar Akour — August 20, 2018
MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Some 2 million Muslim pilgrims gathered on Monday in the valley of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for a day of prayer that marks the pinnacle of the annual hajj.
Saudi Arabia prepares for the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage
By Yonat Shimron — August 18, 2018
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Over 2 million Muslims from abroad and inside the kingdom will be taking part in this year's hajj.
Saudi-backed interfaith center boosted by crown prince’s surprising reforms
By Tom Heneghan — March 9, 2018
VIENNA (RNS) — Change in the Desert Kingdom has helped establish it as a serious player in interfaith dialogue.
Politics, religion interfere as Saudi Arabia hosts world chess games
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — December 26, 2017
(AP) Israeli players were denied visas and a leading cleric stands by his view that chess is forbidden in Islam.
Evangelicals support Trump’s Jerusalem decision because we care about the Palestinians
By Johnnie Moore — December 18, 2017
JERUSALEM (RNS) — "We did not support the President’s decision because we favor Jews over Arabs nor for any obscure theological reasons like those speculated about, reported upon and sensationalized in recent days," writes Johnnie Moore. (COMMENTARY)
Study finds Saudi government still tolerates hate speech
By Yonat Shimron — September 26, 2017
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) —The report said Shiites and Sufis who practice Islam differently from conservative Sunnis in Saudi Arabia are a 'prime target of Saudi-sponsored hate speech and intolerant rhetoric.'
Hajj pilgrimage offers US traveler a reset
By Yonat Shimron — September 1, 2017
(RNS) — In public and private messages on Facebook, Salman Azhar described the pilgrimage that he and his wife are set to conclude on Sunday, one that included lessons in self-restraint, humility and love of God.
No veil, no visa? Saudi Arabia may ease rules for tourists
By Yonat Shimron — August 1, 2017
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia plans to build a 'semi-autonomous' visa-free travel destination along its northwestern Red Sea coast where restrictions on women's dress and other conservative norms could be waived.
