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UK energy secretary Ed Miliband arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London on February 3, 2026. Lucy North/AP Riyadh, March 15, 2026 (SABN) - British energy secretary Ed Miliband said on Sunday that the United Kingdom was exploring “any options” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and reopen the vital shipping route. “It’s a priority for the world that the strait is reopened. Obviously the best and simplest way to do that is to de-escalate the conflict,” Miliband

Riyadh, March 15, 2026 (SABN) - Aluminium Bahrain, known as Alba, said on Sunday it had begun shutting down three aluminium smelting lines representing 19% of its capacity to preserve business continuity amid ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The move marks the latest impact on the Middle East aluminium sector, which accounts for about 9% of global supply, from the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Alba, which has aluminium smelting capacity of 1.62 million tonnes per year,

QNA Doha, March 13 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Qatar’s strategic food reserves are sufficient to cover national needs for 18 months, Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani said, according to QNA. The minister added that the current situation has not required the use of the reserves, while additional supply lines have been opened to maintain the stability of food supplies. Qatar also holds strategic water reserves sufficient for about four months of consumption

Riyadh, March 13 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. The transit of the vessels could help ease India’s cooking gas supply pressures, the sources said. Separately, a crude oil tanker carrying Saudi Arabian oil is expected to arrive in India on Saturday after sailing through the strait around March 1, accordi

Dubai, March 12, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Citibank said it will close all but one of its branches in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday after Iran threatened to target financial institutions in the region. The bank said the decision was taken “given the evolving situation within the country,” without providing additional details. Other financial institutions in the UAE have reportedly advised employees to work from home following the Iranian threat. The warning c

SPA Riyadh, March 11, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — The King Salman Park Foundation announced the awarding of its fourth investment package to a consortium led by Retal Urban Development Company during the MIPIM 2026 in Cannes. The project, valued at more than SAR3.2 billion ($850 million), will focus on a mixed-use residential development within the cultural district of King Salman Park and will be supported by an investment fund managed by SAB Invest. The development

Riyadh, March 11, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Iranian state media reported Wednesday that offices and infrastructure of major U.S. technology companies operating in the Middle East could be considered potential targets. The list was published by the state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency under the title “Iran’s new targets.” According to the report, the list includes regional offices and technology infrastructure such as cloud, data and development centers linked to majo

PHOTO: An aerial view of the Iranian shores and the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz, December 10, 2023. REUTERS Riyadh, March 10, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints for global energy supplies, linking the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The strait lies between Iran and Oman and measures about 21 miles (33 km) at its narrowest point, with shipping lanes just 2 miles (3 km) wi

PHOTO: Ruwais, United Arab Emirates, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Christopher Pike Riyadh, March 10, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has shut its Ruwais refinery following a fire that broke out at a facility within the complex after a drone strike, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Authorities in Abu Dhabi had earlier said emergency crews were responding to the blaze in Ruwais, adding that no injuries were reported, according to th

Riyadh, March 10, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Saudi Aramco reported strong financial results for 2025, with net income reaching 392.5 billion riyals ($104.7 billion), according to results announced Tuesday. The company said net income for the fourth quarter stood at 94.0 billion riyals, while cash flow from operating activities reached 510.8 billion riyals for the full year and 153.2 billion riyals in the fourth quarter. Free cash flow totaled 320.4 billion riyals in

RIYADH, March 9 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Global oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel for the first time in more than three and a half years as the conflict involving Iran disrupted energy production and shipping routes in the Middle East. Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, was trading at $101.19 per barrel on Sunday, up 9.2% from Friday’s closing price of $92.69. West Texas Intermediate crude rose to about $108.37 per barrel after trading resumed on the C

RIYADH, March 7, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Kuwait said on Saturday it is reducing oil production as a precautionary measure amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation attributed the decision to Iranian attacks targeting the country and security concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route through which roughly a fifth of global oil trade passes. The statement did not specify the volume of the production reduction. K

RIYADH, March 6, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Saudi Arabia’s fiscal position remains strong and economic activity across the Kingdom continues to operate normally, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance said. The spokesperson said the Kingdom’s energy export infrastructure remains resilient. Saudi Arabia also retains the flexibility to utilize multiple export routes, including shipments through the Red Sea, the spokesperson added.

An aerial view shows private jets on the tarmac of Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier RIYADH, March 6, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Demand for private jet charters is rising across the Gulf as regional conflict disrupts commercial aviation and restricts access to key airspace corridors. Private aviation operators report a surge in booking requests from travelers seeking to leave the United Arab Emirates and neighboring count

Qatar's energy minister Saad al-Kaabi speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 20, 2025. Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images RIYADH, March 6, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could force Gulf energy exporters to shut down production within days and push oil prices to $150 a barrel, Qatar’s energy minister Saad al-Kaabi said in an interview with the Financial Times. Al-Kaabi said crude prices could reach $150 within two to three we

RIYADH, March 6, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Oil storage facilities across the Gulf region are filling up as crude exports slow sharply amid rising security risks around the Strait of Hormuz, energy analysts said. Few tankers are currently risking transit through the strategic waterway, which is bordered by Iran, due to concerns over potential attacks by drones or rockets. As storage capacity approaches its limits, analysts warn that oil producers in the region may so

Riyadh, March 5, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority urged establishments subject to withholding tax to submit their tax forms for February 2026 no later than March 10, 2026. Submissions must be completed via the authority’s official website to avoid late penalties, which are calculated at 1% of the unpaid tax for each 30 day delay, it said. Withholding tax applies to payments made from Saudi sources to non-resident entities without a permanen

Dubai, March 5, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – More tankers came under attack in Gulf waters on Thursday as the U.S.-Iran war escalated, while Iranian drones entered Azerbaijan, raising the risk of the crisis spreading to more oil producers in the region. A Bahamas-flagged crude oil tanker was targeted by an Iranian remote-controlled boat laden with explosives while anchored near Iraq’s Khor al Zubair port, according to initial assessments. A second tanker at anchor off

Riyadh, March 4, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – SABIC said on Wednesday its adjusted net income for 2025 stood at 2.1 billion riyals, while revenue reached 116.5 billion riyals, according to figures released at a press conference in Riyadh. The company reported free cash flow of 7.2 billion riyals for the year, up 17% from 2024, and said it paid interim cash dividends for the second half of 2025 totalling 4.5 billion riyals. Chief executive Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Fagee

Riyadh, March 4, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia has announced Eid al-Fitr 2026 holiday dates for the public and private sectors across the Kingdom, according to the information provided. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development set a four-day holiday at the end of Ramadan to mark Eid al-Fitr. The holiday is due to start on Wednesday, March 18, corresponding to Ramadan 29, 1447, and will run for four days, with normal working routines returning