UAE, Bahrain, Sudan join Saudi in curbing ties to Iran

UAE, Bahrain, Sudan join Saudi in curbing ties to Iran

Special to WorldTribune.com Bahrain and Sudan on Jan. 4 followed Saudi Arabia’s lead in cutting diplomatic ties with Iran. United Arab Emirates said it would also downgrade its ties to Teheran. The escalating tensions between Saudi and Iran came after Riyadh’s execution of a Shi’ite Muslim cleric. Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Teheran […]

2015 GREATEST HITS, NO. 3: Saudi King Salman hospitalized after erratic behavior

2015 GREATEST HITS, NO. 3: Saudi King Salman hospitalized after erratic behavior

Special to WorldTribune.com Oct. 8: Saudi King Salman, said to suffer from dementia, was hospitalized after “he went crazy” and attempted to injure himself, sources said. Arabic-language al-Ahd news agency reported on Oct. 8 that the 79-year-old Salman was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) section of King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. Sources […]

Iran warns Saudi Arabia faces ‘divine vengeance’ for executions

Iran warns Saudi Arabia faces ‘divine vengeance’ for executions

Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned Saudi Arabia of “divine vengeance” over the execution of an opposition Shi’ite cleric, while Riyadh accused Tehran of supporting terrorism — escalating their criticism of each other just hours after protesters stormed the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. Saudi […]

Happy (post-shutdown) days are here again: Obama OKs missile sales

Happy (post-shutdown) days are here again: Obama OKs missile sales

Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The United States, ending its government shutdown, has resumed arms sales to the Middle East. The administration of President Barack Obama has approved billions of dollars worth of weapons and munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Defense Department notified Congress that the two Gulf Cooperation Council […]

Saudis turn to digital cameras at Mecca to monitor Haj

Saudis turn to digital cameras at Mecca to monitor Haj

Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has acquired advanced security equipment to protect the annual Muslim pilgrimage. Officials said the Saudi Interior Ministry has overseen the installation of cameras and sensors to monitor the millions of people expected to arrive for the Haj pilgrimage in mid-October. The officials said the equipment included digital […]

Saudis go green: Targeting 41 gigawatts of solar energy by 2032

Saudis go green: Targeting 41 gigawatts of solar energy by 2032

Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has been consulting with the West for plans to develop a solar energy sector. On Sept. 30, the Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom hosted a solar energy seminar to explore policy and resource management. The two-day seminar, Solar Arabia Summit, was told that Riyad wants to produce 41 […]

Brits fear Gulf backlash over refusal to join strike on Syria

Brits fear Gulf backlash over refusal to join strike on Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Britain appears anxious over the prospect that Gulf Arab allies would retaliate for parliament’s decision not to join any attack on Syria. The London government has denied concerns that Saudi Arabia and the other five Gulf Cooperation Council states could retaliate for Britain’s refusal to join in any U.S.-led strike […]

Woe is not us: From one new energy revolution (shale gas) to another (fire ice)

Woe is not us: From one new energy revolution (shale gas) to another (fire ice)

Sol W. Sanders   As the shale gas revolution begins to ripple through, reordering the world economy, another fossil fuel revolution is in the offing which will again torpedo most conventional wisdom concerning energy. So-called “peak oil”, the end of petroleum exhausted by expanding consumption and diminishing discoveries, the love story of environmental fanatics, has […]

Syria’s future: Israel favors fragmentation while Saudis want reliable counter to Iran

Syria’s future: Israel favors fragmentation while Saudis want reliable counter to Iran

Special to WorldTribune.com By Brian M Downing The Syrian rebellion is bringing new security concerns to many countries, especially Israel. Under the Assads, Syria had been cowed by Israeli military superiority. Syria’s future, its intentions and capabilities, are in doubt. Israel cannot determine the outcome of events there – no state or group of states […]