Saudi Arabia

A Turkish court's decision on the suspension and transfer of trial regarding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is in line with laws, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ has said.

"[The court's ruling] does not mean that the case will be dismissed or the transfer of the jurisdiction," Bozdağ tweeted on April 15.

Turkey's attempts to normalize ties with foes will gain momentum through important visits and meetings with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Foreign Minister has reportedly told ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers.

People hold pictures of Jamal Khashoggi at an event marking the second anniversary of his murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, on 2 October 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU.

The decision shocked human rights defenders who said this would end all hope of justice in the case.

A Turkish court ruled on April 7 to suspend the trial in absentia of 26 Saudis accused in the gruesome killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and for the case to be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Archaeologists deep in the Jordanian desert have discovered a 9,000-year-old ritualistic complex near what is thought to be the earliest known large human-built structure worldwide.

The Stone Age shrine site, excavated last year, was used by gazelle hunters and features carved stone figures, an altar and a miniature model of a large-scale hunting trap.

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.

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.