Saudi Arabia

Two Saudi officials told The Associated Press the Saudi energy minister informed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, of the kingdom's commitment to the group's current roadmap of cautious monthly  increases. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief journalists.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pay a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Feb. 14-15 as the countries stepped up to restore ties after years-long strain.

Bilateral relations between Turkey and the UAE will be evaluated in all aspects, and the possibilities of developing cooperation will be discussed during the meetings, said a statement by the presidency.

Dubai – Foreign Minister Anže Logar is visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia this week on a tour aimed at enhancing bilateral ties and creating potential for economic cooperation in particular. He will also visit the Expo 2020 show in Dubai.

The IMF has approved a $1 billion loan disbursement for Pakistan after signaling approval with recent government reforms.

The money comes from an agreement that was approved in July 2019 for a $6 billion loan over a period of more than three years under the Washington-based crisis lender's Extended Fund Facility.

The XXIV Olympic Winter Games in Beijing begin on February 4 with the opening ceremony, which will take place at 14:00 p.m. Bulgarian time. The games in the Chinese capital will last until February 20.

Visiting the Ka'aba can be performed on the metaverse, but it will not be considered as a "real hajj," the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) has said following a month-long discussion.

A high-stakes camel beauty pageant in Saudi Arabia has been hit by a cheating scandal after 43 entrants were disqualified for botox injections and other cosmetic enhancements.

The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is an annual Bedouin event held in the desert northeast of Riyadh that lures breeders from around the Gulf with prize money of up to $66 million.

A suspect in the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was arrested on Dec. 7 in France, according to a French judicial official.

The official said the suspect was being held on the basis of a Turkish arrest warrant. He requested not being named in accordance with the French justice system's customary practices.

Less than four years after lifting a ban on cinemas, Saudi Arabia is hosting its first major film festival that kicked off on Dec. 6 as it eyes a lucrative new industry.

Movie houses were barred for decades until April 2018, but over the next 10 days, actors and directors will tread the red carpet at Jeddah's Red Sea International Film Festival.

President Rumen Radev received congratulatory letters from heads of state from around the world on the occasion of his re-election for a second term, the press office of the head of state announced.