Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have ramped up attacks on Saudi cities and state-owned oil firms. Adding to the misery, the United States, Saudi Arabia's biggest ally is also isolating the nation in Yemen.

Yemen's Houthis Launch attacks on oil refineries in Saudi Arabia: Report

Houthi rebels said on Sunday (November 21) that they launched 14 bomb-laden drones to attack airports and Armco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The rebels said this was done in response to "Saudi-led coalition escalation in Yemen".

"We targeted the King Khalid Air Base in Riyadh city with four drones, hitting military targets at the King Abdullah International Airport and Aramco oil refineries in Jeddah city with four drones, striking a military target in Abha International Airport in Abha city with a drone, targeting other military sites in the cities of Jazan, Najran and Abha with five drones," Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV has reported that the coalition intercepted an explosive-laden drone launched by the Houthis from Sanaa International Airport in Yemen toward Saudi Arabia, and "it is dealing with other Houthi threats", reports Xinhua news agency.

Houthi rebels fighting against the Yemen government are supported by Iran. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition against Houthi rebels.

Houthi rebels have recently intensified cross-border missile and drone attacks.

In February, the rebel group began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Houthi rebels said on Sunday (November 21) that they launched 14 bomb-laden drones to attack airports and Armco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The rebels said this was done in response to "Saudi-led coalition escalation in Yemen".

Houthi rebels said on Sunday (November 21) that they launched 14 bomb-laden drones to attack airports and Armco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. The rebels said this was done in response to "Saudi-led coalition escalation in Yemen". "We targeted the King Khalid Air Base in Riyadh city with four drones, hitting military targets at the King Abdullah International Airport and Aramco oil refineries in Jeddah city with four drones, striking a military target in Abha International Airport in Abha city with a drone, targeting other military sites in the cities of Jazan, Najran and Abha with five drones," Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a statement. Meanwhile, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV has reported that the coalition intercepted an explosive-laden drone launched by the Houthis from Sanaa International Airport in Yemen toward Saudi Arabia, and "it is dealing with other Houthi threats", reports Xinhua news agency. Houthi rebels fighting against the Yemen government are supported by Iran. Saudi Arabia leads a military coalition against Houthi rebels. Houthi rebels have recently intensified cross-border missile and drone attacks. In February, the rebel group began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib. (With inputs from agencies)

Houthi rebels claim launching 14 bomb-laden drones at Saudi targets

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said that Formula One is “duty bound” to raise awareness of human rights issues as the series closes its season in the Middle East. Qatar is holding its maiden Formula 1 race this weekend and, from 2023, has a 10-year contract that is said to be the most lucrative in F1.

Hamilton calls for Qatar and Saudi Arabia to be scrutinised over human rights issues

The establishment of the first non-profit city of the world was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. &nbsp;

Model for the development of the non-profit sector globally, the city will be an incubator for youth and volunteer groups, along with local and international non-profit institutions. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/afghan-college-students-find-a-new-life-and-safety-in-iraq-429575" hreflang="en">Afghan college students find a new life, and safety, in Iraq</a>

The crown prince said, “This will be the first non-profit city of its kind, which will contribute to achieving the goals of Misk Foundation in supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and qualifying future leaders by defining non-profit work in its internal operational concept and in terms of opportunities and youth training programmes it will provide. &nbsp;&nbsp;

“In addition, the project will provide services that contribute to creating an attractive environment for all beneficiaries of the city’s offerings,” Salman added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/checkmate-russia-shows-off-new-fifth-generation-warplane-at-dubai-airshow-429451" hreflang="en">Checkmate? Russia shows off new fifth-generation warplane at Dubai Airshow &nbsp;</a>&nbsp;

The city, which will be called Prince Mohammed bin Salman Non-profit City, will be located on land dedicated by the crown prince, in Irqah neighbourhood. It is adjacent to Wadi Hanifa and has an area of about 3.4 square kilometers. &nbsp;

The master plan of the city embodies a human-centered, advanced digital metropolis designed to be sustainable and pedestrian-friendly. To promote sustainable development, it will allocate over 44 per cent of the total area for green open spaces. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The establishment of the first non-profit city of the world was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. Model for the development of the non-profit sector globally, the city will be an incubator for youth and volunteer groups, along with local and international non-profit institutions.

The establishment of the first non-profit city of the world was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. Model for the development of the non-profit sector globally, the city will be an incubator for youth and volunteer groups, along with local and international non-profit institutions. Also Read: Afghan college students find a new life, and safety, in Iraq The crown prince said, “This will be the first non-profit city of its kind, which will contribute to achieving the goals of Misk Foundation in supporting innovation, entrepreneurship and qualifying future leaders by defining non-profit work in its internal operational concept and in terms of opportunities and youth training programmes it will provide. “In addition, the project will provide services that contribute to creating an attractive environment for all beneficiaries of the city’s offerings,” Salman added. Also Read: Checkmate? Russia shows off new fifth-generation warplane at Dubai Airshow The city, which will be called Prince Mohammed bin Salman Non-profit City, will be located on land dedicated by the crown prince, in Irqah neighbourhood. It is adjacent to Wadi Hanifa and has an area of about 3.4 square kilometers. The master plan of the city embodies a human-centered, advanced digital metropolis designed to be sustainable and pedestrian-friendly. To promote sustainable development, it will allocate over 44 per cent of the total area for green open spaces. (With inputs from agencies)

First non-profit city of world to come up in Saudi Arabia, says crown prince

The Saudi football federation on Saturday said it was launching the first edition of a women's league later this month. Women's sport was long frowned upon in conservative Saudi Arabia. But the November 22 launch is part of a program set up by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation in 2017 to support women's football

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh launches league to support women's football

Saudi Arabia is launching the first edition of a women's football league. Women's sport was long frowned upon in the kingdom. So what does this change mean for the women of Saudi Arabia? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Saudi Arabia launches its first women's football league

The Saudi football federation on Saturday said it was launching the first edition of a women's league later this month.

Women's sport was long frowned upon in conservative Saudi Arabia.

But the November 22 launch is part of a programme set up by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation in 2017 to support women's football.

According to the federation, the new women's league will be playing in two phases within the regional league.

Sixteen teams will take part in the first phase with games played in three cities — the capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.

Six teams from each region will play in the matches, with the exception of Dammam where only four teams will play.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-qualifiers-ronaldos-portugal-left-stunned-as-serbia-spain-and-croatia-confirm-qualification-429471">World Cup Qualifiers: Ronaldo's Portugal left stunned as Serbia, Spain and Croatia confirm qualification</a>

Those who qualify will be able to play in a knockout competition at the Kingdom Final Championship due to be held early next year in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Federation chairman Yasser Almisehal said the creation of a women's league was "an important moment" for the federation.

The Saudi football federation on Saturday said it was launching the first edition of a women's league later this month. Women's sport was long frowned upon in conservative Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi football federation on Saturday said it was launching the first edition of a women's league later this month. Women's sport was long frowned upon in conservative Saudi Arabia. But the November 22 launch is part of a programme set up by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation in 2017 to support women's football. According to the federation, the new women's league will be playing in two phases within the regional league. Sixteen teams will take part in the first phase with games played in three cities — the capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Six teams from each region will play in the matches, with the exception of Dammam where only four teams will play. ALSO READ: World Cup Qualifiers: Ronaldo's Portugal left stunned as Serbia, Spain and Croatia confirm qualification Those who qualify will be able to play in a knockout competition at the Kingdom Final Championship due to be held early next year in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Federation chairman Yasser Almisehal said the creation of a women's league was "an important moment" for the federation.

Saudi Arabia launches first women's football league

Saudi Arabia-led coalition says that it has killed more than 100 Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's Marib and Al-Bayda.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia-led coalition targets Iran-backed Houthis

Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen said on Saturday that it had eliminated more than 150 Houthi rebels within last 24 hours in raids around Marib, a pro-government bastion.

The Saudi-led military coalition backs Yemen's internationally recognised government. The coalition has reported near-daily strike against the Houthi rebels who are backed by Iran. The coalition has claimed high losses in each strike.

The rebels, who have for months waged an offensive against Marib, rarely comment on losses. AFP cannot independently verify the Saudi tolls that total more than 2,000 dead in air strike since October.

"Fourteen military vehicles were destroyed and more than 157 terrorist elements eliminated" in the latest raids, the coalition said in a statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA.

The air strikes targeted two regions of oil-rich Marib province, Al-Jawf in the north and the south's Al-Bayda, it said, as well as Sirwah, west of Marib city.

The Huthis began a major push to seize the city in February and, after a lull, they renewed their offensive in September.

Marib is the embattled government's last stronghold in the north. A loyalist military official acknowledged Tuesday that the Huthis have made advances on the ground.

Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year.

Tens of thousands of people have died and millions displaced in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

(With inputs from agencies)

Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen said on Saturday that it had eliminated more than 150 Houthi rebels within last 24 hours in raids around Marib, a pro-government bastion.

Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen said on Saturday that it had eliminated more than 150 Houthi rebels within last 24 hours in raids around Marib, a pro-government bastion. The Saudi-led military coalition backs Yemen's internationally recognised government. The coalition has reported near-daily strike against the Houthi rebels who are backed by Iran. The coalition has claimed high losses in each strike. The rebels, who have for months waged an offensive against Marib, rarely comment on losses. AFP cannot independently verify the Saudi tolls that total more than 2,000 dead in air strike since October. "Fourteen military vehicles were destroyed and more than 157 terrorist elements eliminated" in the latest raids, the coalition said in a statement carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA. The air strikes targeted two regions of oil-rich Marib province, Al-Jawf in the north and the south's Al-Bayda, it said, as well as Sirwah, west of Marib city. The Huthis began a major push to seize the city in February and, after a lull, they renewed their offensive in September. Marib is the embattled government's last stronghold in the north. A loyalist military official acknowledged Tuesday that the Huthis have made advances on the ground. Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting Saudi-led forces to intervene to prop up the government the following year. Tens of thousands of people have died and millions displaced in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (With inputs from agencies)

More than 150 Houthis dead in Yemen raids, says Saudi coalition

The US has approved a $650 million weapon sale to Saudi Arabia. After setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US faces a crisis of credibility in West Asia. Palki Sharma tells you how the Biden administration is trying to rebuild trust with allies in West Asia.

Gravitas: Biden faces a crisis of credibility in West Asia

Lebanon is facing a blast of Gulf Arab anger after a minister levelled blunt criticism at Saudi Arabia. On The West Asia Post this week, Ghadi Francis decodes the row that has further strained Beirut's ties with its once generous benefactors.

The West Asia Post | Lebanon is facing a blast of Gulf Arab anger

Lebanon called for talks with Saudi Arabia to ease a spiralling diplomatic row sparked by remarks made by a Lebanese minister on the Yemen war.

Lebanon invites Saudi Arabia's foreign minister for talks to ease diplomatic row

After a legislation change, a Saudi female weapons trainer breaks down barriers in a male-dominated sector.&nbsp;

Mona Al-Khurais has had a fascination with weapons since she was a small child, when her father took her on hunting expeditions in Saudi Arabia and taught her to shoot.

She transformed her love into a career five years ago, obtaining training in Saudi Arabia and overseas to become a qualified weapons trainer.&nbsp;

The 36-year-old now teaches shooting at Riyadh's Top Gun firing range, where she is attracting an increasing number of female students.&nbsp;

"I am so happy to practice my passion and my hobby as a coach and a range safety officer," Khurais said.

"Hopefully, I can share my experience with Saudi girls, to encourage them to enter this difficult field that was previously reserved for men."

"My passion for guns and shooting began when I was a child by going with my father on hunting trips. I started officially five years ago as part of training inside and outside the Kingdom with both Saudi and non-Saudi coaches."

Khurais had to undergo training both in Saudi Arabia and overseas in order to become a qualified weapons trainer.

Khurais claims that this year was a turning point in her career since the government finally permitted women to purchase guns.

In the traditional monarchy, attitudes regarding women are shifting, with women steadily increasing their participation in the workforce by obtaining employment in a variety of fields.

Khurais, on the other hand, originally struggled to work in a male-dominated setting.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After a legislation change, a Saudi female weapons trainer breaks down barriers in a male-dominated sector. Mona Al-Khurais has had a fascination with weapons since she was a small child, when her father took her on hunting expeditions in Saudi Arabia and taught her to shoot.

After a legislation change, a Saudi female weapons trainer breaks down barriers in a male-dominated sector. Mona Al-Khurais has had a fascination with weapons since she was a small child, when her father took her on hunting expeditions in Saudi Arabia and taught her to shoot. She transformed her love into a career five years ago, obtaining training in Saudi Arabia and overseas to become a qualified weapons trainer. The 36-year-old now teaches shooting at Riyadh's Top Gun firing range, where she is attracting an increasing number of female students. "I am so happy to practice my passion and my hobby as a coach and a range safety officer," Khurais said. "Hopefully, I can share my experience with Saudi girls, to encourage them to enter this difficult field that was previously reserved for men." "My passion for guns and shooting began when I was a child by going with my father on hunting trips. I started officially five years ago as part of training inside and outside the Kingdom with both Saudi and non-Saudi coaches." Khurais had to undergo training both in Saudi Arabia and overseas in order to become a qualified weapons trainer. Khurais claims that this year was a turning point in her career since the government finally permitted women to purchase guns. In the traditional monarchy, attitudes regarding women are shifting, with women steadily increasing their participation in the workforce by obtaining employment in a variety of fields. Khurais, on the other hand, originally struggled to work in a male-dominated setting. (With inputs from agencies)

Mona Al-Khurais: Saudi Arabia gets its first female firearms trainer 

With a grave financial crisis inside, Lebanon has found itself in the middle of a diplomatic row. It all began on Friday when Saudi Arabia gave the ambassador of Lebanon 48 hours to leave the country. It also recalled its envoy from Beirut and suspended all imports from Lebanon. WION tells you more.

Saudi Arabia recalls envoy from Beirut as Kordahi's interview sparks row

Islamabad is rejoicing. It has received $3 Billion in aid from Riyadh. But, money alone can't solve Imran Khan's problems. The Tehreek-E-Labbaik is running riot in the country. Protesters are marching towards Islamabad to corner the govt. Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: Pakistan gets $3 Billion aid from Saudi Arabia

Are Saudi Arabia & Israel going to formalise ties? On Monday, a flight from Riyadh landed in Tel Aviv. On Tuesday, an Israeli jet landed in Riyadh. What are the two countries up to? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: First Israeli flight lands in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide $4.2 billion worth of assistance to cash-strapped Pakistan to support its economy. This came after Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks with Saudi Prince Salman in Riyadh this week.

Saudi Arabia agrees to provide $4.2 bn in financial assistance to Pakistan

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday warned Turkey to stop 'aggressive posturing' over maritime dispute and engage in talks. His statement came during a visit to Saudi Arabia made with an aim of strebngthening ties with Gulf countries.

The PM warned that Greece had "drawn our lines very, very clearly" after signing defence deals with the United States and France earlier this month.

"We are secure. I don't think there is a geopolitical threat," Mitsotakis told the elite annual meeting dubbed 'Davos in the Desert', with Prince Mohammed in the audience.

"And I think at the end of the day Turkey will also realise that this aggressive posturing in the eastern Mediterranean is not going to lead anywhere."

Tensions between Greece and Turkey soared last year when Turkey sent gas exploration ship and small navy flotilla to hunt for resources in waters Greece considers its own under treaties.

In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan endorsed a formal partition of Cyprus, which Ankara invaded in 1974 in response to a coup engineered by Greece's then military junta.

Greece also blames Turkey for not taking sufficient action to curb smugglers who send out migrants in unsafe boats and dinghies from its shores.

According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 2,500 people have crossed the Aegean from neighbouring Turkey this year, compared to over 9,700 in 2020.

"I think we've set up our alliances, we've drawn our lines very, very clearly," Mitsotakis said.

"And I do hope that at some point, Turkey will constructively engage with us to resolve the one main outstanding issue we have which is the delineation of maritime shores."

He added: "We're always open for dialogue, but we will not be intimidated and we will not accept our sovereign rights to be compromised."

(With inputs from agencies)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday warned Turkey to stop 'aggressive posturing' over maritime dispute and engage in talks. His statement came during a visit to Saudi Arabia made with an aim of strebngthening ties with Gulf countries.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday warned Turkey to stop 'aggressive posturing' over maritime dispute and engage in talks. His statement came during a visit to Saudi Arabia made with an aim of strebngthening ties with Gulf countries. The PM warned that Greece had "drawn our lines very, very clearly" after signing defence deals with the United States and France earlier this month. "We are secure. I don't think there is a geopolitical threat," Mitsotakis told the elite annual meeting dubbed 'Davos in the Desert', with Prince Mohammed in the audience. "And I think at the end of the day Turkey will also realise that this aggressive posturing in the eastern Mediterranean is not going to lead anywhere." Tensions between Greece and Turkey soared last year when Turkey sent gas exploration ship and small navy flotilla to hunt for resources in waters Greece considers its own under treaties. In July, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan endorsed a formal partition of Cyprus, which Ankara invaded in 1974 in response to a coup engineered by Greece's then military junta. Greece also blames Turkey for not taking sufficient action to curb smugglers who send out migrants in unsafe boats and dinghies from its shores. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 2,500 people have crossed the Aegean from neighbouring Turkey this year, compared to over 9,700 in 2020. "I think we've set up our alliances, we've drawn our lines very, very clearly," Mitsotakis said. "And I do hope that at some point, Turkey will constructively engage with us to resolve the one main outstanding issue we have which is the delineation of maritime shores." He added: "We're always open for dialogue, but we will not be intimidated and we will not accept our sovereign rights to be compromised." (With inputs from agencies)

Greece warns Turkey to stop 'aggressive posturing'

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Wednesday for sending $3 billion in financial aid to cash-strapped country. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/seeking-justice-pak-woman-attempts-suicide-at-court-in-lahore-after-husband-rapes-daughter-424343" hreflang="en">Seeking justice, Pak woman attempts suicide after husband 'rapes' daughter</a>

It may become crucial for the country for surviving the ongoing economic crisis. The leader thanked Saudi Arabia for extending the helpful gesture in these “difficult times”. &nbsp;

The PM also noted that Saudi Arabia “has always been there” for Pakistan in its difficult phases. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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I want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn as deposit in Pak's central bank &amp; financing refined petroleum product with $1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when world confronts rising commodity prices.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1453225771884060676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Expressing his gratitude on Twitter, Khan said, “I want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn as deposit in Pak's central bank &amp; financing refined petroleum product with $1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when world confronts rising commodity prices.” &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-pm-imran-khan-approves-appointment-of-new-isi-chief-ending-fallout-with-army-424311" hreflang="en">Pak PM Imran Khan names new ISI chief, ending fallout with army</a>

On Monday, Imran Khan had met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) summit in Riyadh, which he was invited to attend at the royalty's invitation. &nbsp;

Later, the Saudi prince announced that he was depositing $3 billion in Pakistan's central bank to help the country with the foreign reserves. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Wednesday for sending $3 billion in financial aid to cash-strapped country. Also Read: Seeking justice, Pak woman attempts suicide after husband 'rapes' daughter It may become crucial for the country for surviving the ongoing economic crisis.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Wednesday for sending $3 billion in financial aid to cash-strapped country. Also Read: Seeking justice, Pak woman attempts suicide after husband 'rapes' daughter It may become crucial for the country for surviving the ongoing economic crisis. The leader thanked Saudi Arabia for extending the helpful gesture in these “difficult times”. The PM also noted that Saudi Arabia “has always been there” for Pakistan in its difficult phases. I want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn as deposit in Pak's central bank & financing refined petroleum product with $1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when world confronts rising commodity prices. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 27, 2021 × Expressing his gratitude on Twitter, Khan said, “I want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn as deposit in Pak's central bank & financing refined petroleum product with $1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when world confronts rising commodity prices.” Also Read: Pak PM Imran Khan names new ISI chief, ending fallout with army On Monday, Imran Khan had met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) summit in Riyadh, which he was invited to attend at the royalty's invitation. Later, the Saudi prince announced that he was depositing $3 billion in Pakistan's central bank to help the country with the foreign reserves. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Imran Khan thanks Saudi Arabia for $3 billion aid to cash-strapped Pakistan

The world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia aims to reach zero-net emissions by 2060 and will more than double its annual target to reduce carbon emissions.

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia targets net zero carbon emissions by 2060

A former Saudi Arabian top spy has made sensational allegations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calling him a 'psychopath' and a 'killer'. The former spymaster also alleged that the crown prince dispatched a team of mercenaries to kill him while living in exile in Canada.

Saad Aljabri, a former top spy and interlocutor between Saudi Arabia's intelligence services and Western governments alleged that he was targeted after he fled the country following a 2017 power grab by the crown prince.

Aljabri was being interviewed on US broadcaster CBS News' "60 Minutes"

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-aims-of-net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2060-423376">Saudi Arabia aims of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060</a>

A friend at a Middle Eastern intelligence service, he said, warned that he could face a fate similar to that of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who investigations have alleged was murdered by a Riyadh-linked death squad after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

"The warning I received, don't be in a proximity of any Saudi mission in Canada. Don't go to the consulate. Don't go to the embassy... You are on the top of the list," Aljabri told "60 minutes".

He said the team arrived in Canada in October 2018 -- only to be deported when they lied to customs officials and were found to be carrying suspicious items.

AFP was unable to independently verify Aljabri's claims, and requests for comment to the Canadian foreign ministry went unanswered.

But Canadian officials told "60 Minutes" they were "aware of incidents in which foreign actors have attempted to... threaten... those living in Canada," describing the threats as "completely unacceptable."

Aljabri said the group was made up of members of a group named in investigations as the "Tiger Squad" -- a shadow team of paid killers set up by Prince Mohammed specialising in "extrajudicial killings, rape, and torture," according to a 2019 legal complaint filed by the former spy.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/older-than-stonehenge-and-pyramids-of-giza-camel-carvings-in-saudi-arabia-date-back-8000-years-413296">Older than Stonehenge and Pyramids of Giza? Camel carvings in Saudi Arabia date back 8,000 years</a>

He said the group was part of a pattern of despotic behaviour by the crown prince, who was once hailed as a reformer but has ruthlessly purged opponents since becoming the heir-apparent.

Aljabri also said two of his eight children had been detained by Saudi authorities in retaliation for his fleeing the kingdom.&nbsp;

"I am here to sound the alarm about a psychopath, killer, in the Middle East with infinite resources, who poses threat to his people, to the Americans and to the planet," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

A former Saudi Arabian top spy has made sensational allegations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calling him a 'psychopath' and a 'killer'. The former spymaster also alleged that the crown prince dispatched a team of mercenaries to kill him while living in exile in Canada.

A former Saudi Arabian top spy has made sensational allegations against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman calling him a 'psychopath' and a 'killer'. The former spymaster also alleged that the crown prince dispatched a team of mercenaries to kill him while living in exile in Canada. Saad Aljabri, a former top spy and interlocutor between Saudi Arabia's intelligence services and Western governments alleged that he was targeted after he fled the country following a 2017 power grab by the crown prince. Aljabri was being interviewed on US broadcaster CBS News' "60 Minutes" Also Read | Saudi Arabia aims of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 A friend at a Middle Eastern intelligence service, he said, warned that he could face a fate similar to that of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who investigations have alleged was murdered by a Riyadh-linked death squad after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in 2018. "The warning I received, don't be in a proximity of any Saudi mission in Canada. Don't go to the consulate. Don't go to the embassy... You are on the top of the list," Aljabri told "60 minutes". He said the team arrived in Canada in October 2018 -- only to be deported when they lied to customs officials and were found to be carrying suspicious items. AFP was unable to independently verify Aljabri's claims, and requests for comment to the Canadian foreign ministry went unanswered. But Canadian officials told "60 Minutes" they were "aware of incidents in which foreign actors have attempted to... threaten... those living in Canada," describing the threats as "completely unacceptable." Aljabri said the group was made up of members of a group named in investigations as the "Tiger Squad" -- a shadow team of paid killers set up by Prince Mohammed specialising in "extrajudicial killings, rape, and torture," according to a 2019 legal complaint filed by the former spy. Also Read | Older than Stonehenge and Pyramids of Giza? Camel carvings in Saudi Arabia date back 8,000 years He said the group was part of a pattern of despotic behaviour by the crown prince, who was once hailed as a reformer but has ruthlessly purged opponents since becoming the heir-apparent. Aljabri also said two of his eight children had been detained by Saudi authorities in retaliation for his fleeing the kingdom. "I am here to sound the alarm about a psychopath, killer, in the Middle East with infinite resources, who poses threat to his people, to the Americans and to the planet," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a 'psychopath' and 'killer': Ex-spy

Saudi Arabia has announced it aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. Also, it aims to double its annual target to reduce carbon emissions.&nbsp;

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in brief scripted remarks at the start of the first Saudi Green Initiative Forum.

The Prince said, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to reach zero-net emissions by 2060 under its circular carbon economy programme … while maintaining the kingdom’s leading role in strengthening security and stability of global oil markets."

According to a report by The Guardian, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol said, "I welcome Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a #NetZero target. Countries will get to net zero via different paths, but the threat of climate change is universal. Pledges from major fossil-fuel producers, and their implementation, are vital to reach international climate goals.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-climate-deal-will-be-harder-than-paris-accord-says-alok-sharma-423292">Also read |&nbsp;Cop26 climate deal will be harder than Paris accord, says Alok Sharma</a>

The kingdom is estimated to emit about 600m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. This is more than France and slightly less than Germany. Also, the country will aim to reduce its emissions. However, it will continue to pump and export fossil fuels to Asia and other regions.

This comes in over a week before the start of the global Cop26 conference. Meanwhile, UK president-designate of the Cop26 talks, Alok Sharma, has said that achieving a global climate deal in Glasgow in the next three weeks will be harder than signing the Paris agreement of 2015.&nbsp;

He further said that the task would be to get nearly 200 countries to implement stringent cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions, keeping in mind the increase in global temperature to within 1.5C of pre-industrial levels.

Saudi Arabia has announced it aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. Also, it aims to double its annual target to reduce carbon emissions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in brief scripted remarks at the start of the first Saudi Green Initiative Forum.

Saudi Arabia has announced it aims to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. Also, it aims to double its annual target to reduce carbon emissions. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in brief scripted remarks at the start of the first Saudi Green Initiative Forum. The Prince said, "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia aims to reach zero-net emissions by 2060 under its circular carbon economy programme … while maintaining the kingdom’s leading role in strengthening security and stability of global oil markets." According to a report by The Guardian, the executive director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol said, "I welcome Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a #NetZero target. Countries will get to net zero via different paths, but the threat of climate change is universal. Pledges from major fossil-fuel producers, and their implementation, are vital to reach international climate goals.” Also read | Cop26 climate deal will be harder than Paris accord, says Alok Sharma The kingdom is estimated to emit about 600m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. This is more than France and slightly less than Germany. Also, the country will aim to reduce its emissions. However, it will continue to pump and export fossil fuels to Asia and other regions. This comes in over a week before the start of the global Cop26 conference. Meanwhile, UK president-designate of the Cop26 talks, Alok Sharma, has said that achieving a global climate deal in Glasgow in the next three weeks will be harder than signing the Paris agreement of 2015. He further said that the task would be to get nearly 200 countries to implement stringent cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions, keeping in mind the increase in global temperature to within 1.5C of pre-industrial levels.

Saudi Arabia aims of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060

Saudi Arabia has published a dress code for those attending the upcoming Grand Prix at Jeddah. Visitors have been asked not to wear sleeveless dresses, shorts, miniskirts or bikinis. Women have also been asked to not wear too much make-up. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Saudi Arabia publishes dress code for upcoming Grand Prix

Saudi Arabia will be hosting a race for the first time in the history of Formula 1 in December this year. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is all set to take place at the Jeddah Street Circuit on December 05 which will be the first-ever F1 event in the country.

Ahead of the race, Saudi Arabia has issued a strict set of rules and a controversial dressing code for the mega event. Formula 1 has been issued a list of acceptable and non-acceptable attire by the organisers ahead of the event in Jeddah and those taking part will have to adhere to the guidelines.

Dress code for females:

<img alt="Saudia Arabia GP dress code controversy " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3600c78b-998e-43ed-933e-610fdefb1eed" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/female%202.png" />

The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix will have its own set of rules when it comes to clothing at the event. In line with the directives of the Saudi Arabia government, Formula 1 teams and personnel have been asked to cover their arms and legs at all times during the event.

<img alt="Saudia Arabia GP dress code controversy " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="21570ea4-875f-44f7-94ed-5840776b9c95" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/female%201.png" />

The women cannot wear clothes that rest above their knee and have been advised to ensure their shoulder and legs above the knee are not visible. Women have also been asked to wear minimal make-up in the guidelines issued to F1 for the race, as per a report in Spanish outlet Marca. Women cannot wear backless dresses, mini-skirts or bikinis.

Dress code for males:

<img alt="Saudia Arabia GP dress code controversy " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="172fc3ae-61fa-43d6-aa25-7d03faae6279" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/male1.png" />

Men have been issued a list that is less restrictive compared to women when it comes to the dress code. Like women, men have been advised to cover their arms and legs all time. The F1 participants, support staff and personnel cannot wear shorts, tank tops or remain shirtless.&nbsp;

The dress code can be particularly problematic for support staff who will have to work in soaring heat in Jeddah during the race in clothes that may not be of their choice.

Other restrictions:

Apart from the restrictive dress code, those set to take part in the Saudi Arabia GP have been also asked to follow some other rules. People should refrain from showing affection in public or using profane language, as per the directives issued.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-india-under-pressure-thats-why-they-are-taking-ms-dhoni-as-mentor-says-former-pakistan-cricketer-422013">India under pressure, that’s why they are taking MS Dhoni as mentor, says former Pakistan cricketer</a>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Saudi Arabia will be hosting a race for the first time in the history of Formula 1 in December this year. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is all set to take place at the Jeddah Street Circuit on December 05 which will be the first-ever F1 event in the country.

Saudi Arabia will be hosting a race for the first time in the history of Formula 1 in December this year. The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix is all set to take place at the Jeddah Street Circuit on December 05 which will be the first-ever F1 event in the country. Ahead of the race, Saudi Arabia has issued a strict set of rules and a controversial dressing code for the mega event. Formula 1 has been issued a list of acceptable and non-acceptable attire by the organisers ahead of the event in Jeddah and those taking part will have to adhere to the guidelines. Dress code for females: The Saudi Arabia Grand Prix will have its own set of rules when it comes to clothing at the event. In line with the directives of the Saudi Arabia government, Formula 1 teams and personnel have been asked to cover their arms and legs at all times during the event. The women cannot wear clothes that rest above their knee and have been advised to ensure their shoulder and legs above the knee are not visible. Women have also been asked to wear minimal make-up in the guidelines issued to F1 for the race, as per a report in Spanish outlet Marca. Women cannot wear backless dresses, mini-skirts or bikinis. Dress code for males: Men have been issued a list that is less restrictive compared to women when it comes to the dress code. Like women, men have been advised to cover their arms and legs all time. The F1 participants, support staff and personnel cannot wear shorts, tank tops or remain shirtless. The dress code can be particularly problematic for support staff who will have to work in soaring heat in Jeddah during the race in clothes that may not be of their choice. Other restrictions: Apart from the restrictive dress code, those set to take part in the Saudi Arabia GP have been also asked to follow some other rules. People should refrain from showing affection in public or using profane language, as per the directives issued. Also Read: India under pressure, that’s why they are taking MS Dhoni as mentor, says former Pakistan cricketer

No excessive make-up, restricted dressing: Saudi Arabia's dress code for Formula 1 sparks controversy

The grand mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is operating at full capacity. Worshippers stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they prayed for the first time in mecca since COVID-19 outbreak. Floor markings guiding people to maintain social distance were removed in and around the grand mosque. While social distancing measures were lifted, authorities said that visitors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Visitors are also required to wear face masks on mosque grounds.

Saudi Arabia: Mosque in Muslim holy city of Mecca operates at full capacity

At least 5 people have been killed in a car-bomb blast in Yemen. Sources say that the blast targeted the governor of Aden. According to sources, governor Ahmed Lamlas, and agriculture minister Salem al-Suqatri, survived the blast which went off as their convoy passed. Aden is the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The central government relocated here from the capital Sanaa in 2014, after being forced out by Houthi rebels.Lamlas and al-Suqatri both belong to the southern transitional council - a separatist group that contests with the Saudi-backed government for control of Aden and Yemen's south.

At least 5 people killed in car-bomb blast in Yemen

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Sunday it had held its first round of direct talks with Iran's new government last month, part of a process begun earlier this year to reduce tension between the Gulf's rival Sunni and Shi'ite Muslim powers. Watch this report for more details.

Saudi confirms first round of talks with new Iranian government

Saudi and Emirati efforts to define ‘moderate’ Islam as socially more liberal while being subservient to an autocratic ruler is as much an endeavour to ensure regime survival and bolster aspirations to lead the Muslim world as it is an attempt to fend off challenges rooted in diverse strands of religious ultra-conservatism.

The Saudi and Emirati efforts to garner religious soft power have much in common even though the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates build their respective campaigns on historically different forms of Islam. The two Gulf states are, moreover, rivals in the battle for the soul of Islam, a struggle to define what strand or strands will dominate the faith in the 21st century.

The battle takes on added significance at a time that Middle Eastern rivals are attempting to dial down regional tensions by managing their disputes and conflicts rather than resolving them. The efforts put a greater emphasis on soft power rivalry rather than hard power confrontation often involving proxies.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-76th-united-nations-general-assembly-key-issues-and-the-indian-dilemma-414656">Opinion | 76th United Nations General Assembly: Key issues and the Indian dilemma</a>

Saudi Arabia and the UAE propagate a ‘moderate’ Islam on the back of significant social reforms in recent years that preaches absolute obedience to the ruler and relegates the clergy to the status of the ruler’s clerics.

The reforms include Saudi Arabia’s lifting of a ban on women’s driving, enhancing of women’s professional and personal opportunities, curbing the powers of the religious police and introducing Western-style entertainment.

The UAE last November allowed unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosened alcohol restrictions and criminalised “honour killings,” a widely criticised religiously packaged tribal custom that allows a male relative to kill a woman accused of dishonouring her family.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE compete in the Muslim world with Turkish and Iranian Islamist strands of the faith that are laced with nationalism.

The Gulf states’ state-led moderation of religious practices rather than of theology and Muslim jurisprudence is also challenged by some strands of Wahhabism, the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam on the basis of which Saudi Arabia was founded.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-initial-taliban-moves-fail-to-convince-afghanistans-neighbours-413032">Opinion | Initial Taliban moves fail to convince Afghanistan’s neighbours</a>

“Wahhabism has refracted into three broad groups since the early 1990s: a left that has developed a discourse of civic rights, a centre occupying official posts of state (dubbed ‘ulama al-sultan’ or the ruler’s clerics) that has put up some resistance to the loosening of their powers in the social, juridical and media spheres, and a Wahhabi right sympathetic to the jihadist discourse of al-Qaeda and its focus on questions of foreign policy,” said scholar Andrew Hammond.

While Turkey and Iran pose a geopolitical danger, autocratic monarchical rule is more fundamentally threatened by the religious challenge posed by what Mr. Hammond dubs the Wahhabi left and the Wahhabi right as well as Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama, the only non-state player in the battle for the soul of Islam, that advocates and practices reform of Islamic jurisprudence and unconditionally endorses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The arrests in recent years of Saudi scholars and preachers such as Safar al-Hawali, Salman al-Awda, Sulayman al-Duwaish, Ibrahim al-Sakran, and Hasan al-Maliki suggests as much.

Implicitly drawing a distinction with Nahdlatul Ulama, Mr. Hammond argues that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms amount to “defanging Wahhabism not dethroning it.”

The crown prince, since coming to office, has radically cut back on the investment of tens of billions of dollars in the propagation of religious ultra-conservatism across the globe, most effectively in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has also sought to balance Wahhabism with Saudi ultra-nationalism and shave off the rough social edges of the kingdom’s austere interpretation of the faith. His subjugation of the clergy, and incarceration of adherents of the Wahhabi left and far-right, put an end to a 73-year long power-sharing agreement between the ruling Al-Saud family and the clergy.

The left has entertained concepts of a constitutional rather than an absolute monarchy, called for political liberalisation and civil rights and in some cases endorsed the 2011 popular Arab revolts that toppled four Arab autocrats.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-new-taliban-government-and-the-dangers-posed-by-it-411656">Opinion | New Taliban government and the dangers posed by it</a>

The Wahhabi left could be joined in challenging the conservative Gulf monarchies and, simultaneously, be challenged by Nahdlatul Ulama once the group expands its activities to target the Muslim world’s grassroots beyond Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country as well as its foremost democracy. In its first outreach to grassroots elsewhere, Nahdlatul Ulama is expected to launch an Arabic-language website before the end of the year that would target the Arab world.

Nahdlatul Ulama’s concept of a humanitarian Islam that embraces principles of tolerance, pluralism, gender equality, secularism and human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration goes considerably further than proposals put forward by Mr. Hammond’s Wahhabi left, perhaps better described as more liberal rather than an ideological left-wing of a fundamentally ultra-conservative movement.

The Indonesian group’s concept of Islam also contrasts starkly with the Saudi and Emirati notion of autocratic religious moderation that involves no theological or jurisprudential reform but uses ‘the ruler’s clergy’ to religiously legitimise repressive rule under which protests, political parties and petitioning of the government are banned and thought is policed.

“The state has strengthened the Wahhabi centre through neutralising the Wahhabi left and right, which have each represented a threat to state authority and legitimacy … As for the civic rights innovations of the Wahhabi left exemplified by al-Awda, it is precisely this discourse that the state wants to shut down,” Mr. Hammond said, referring to the imprisoned cleric.

The track record of proponents of autocratic religious moderation is checkered at best. While the UAE has created a society that is by and large religiously tolerant, neither Saudi Arabia nor Egypt, which doesn’t have the wherewithal to fight a soft power battle in the Muslim world but seeks to project itself as a champion of religious tolerance, can make a similar claim.

Prince Mohammed has met Jewish and Evangelical leaders. Mohammed al-Issa, the head of the Muslim World League, long a major vehicle to promote Saudi religious ultra-conservatism, doesn’t miss an opportunity these days to express his solidarity with other faith groups. Yet, non-Muslims remain barred in the kingdom from worshipping publicly or building their own houses of worship.

In Egypt, Patrick George Zaki, a 27-year-old student, lingers in prison since February 2020 on charges of spreading false news and rumours for publishing an article documenting incidents of discrimination against Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority.

Mr. Zaki was arrested a year after Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Egypt’s citadel of Islamic learning, signed a Declaration of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together with Pope Francis during the two men’s visit to the UAE. The declaration advocates religious freedom and pluralism.

By contrast, Nahdlatul Ulama secretary general Yahya Staquf recently told the story of Riyanto in a September 11 speech at Regent University, a bulwark of American Evangelical anti-Muslim sentiment founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. A member of Nahdlatul Ulama’s militia, Riyanto died guarding a church in Java on Christmas Eve when a bomb exploded in his arms as he removed it from a pew.

“To us in Nahdlatul Ulama, Riyanto is a martyr, and we honour his memory every Christmas Eve alongside millions of our Indonesian Christian brothers and sisters,” Mr. Staquf said.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Saudi and Emirati efforts to define ‘moderate’ Islam as socially more liberal while being subservient to an autocratic ruler is as much an endeavour to ensure regime survival and bolster aspirations to lead the Muslim world as it is an attempt to fend off challenges rooted in diverse strands of religious ultra-conservatism.

Saudi and Emirati efforts to define ‘moderate’ Islam as socially more liberal while being subservient to an autocratic ruler is as much an endeavour to ensure regime survival and bolster aspirations to lead the Muslim world as it is an attempt to fend off challenges rooted in diverse strands of religious ultra-conservatism. The Saudi and Emirati efforts to garner religious soft power have much in common even though the kingdom and the United Arab Emirates build their respective campaigns on historically different forms of Islam. The two Gulf states are, moreover, rivals in the battle for the soul of Islam, a struggle to define what strand or strands will dominate the faith in the 21st century. The battle takes on added significance at a time that Middle Eastern rivals are attempting to dial down regional tensions by managing their disputes and conflicts rather than resolving them. The efforts put a greater emphasis on soft power rivalry rather than hard power confrontation often involving proxies. Also Read | Opinion | 76th United Nations General Assembly: Key issues and the Indian dilemma Saudi Arabia and the UAE propagate a ‘moderate’ Islam on the back of significant social reforms in recent years that preaches absolute obedience to the ruler and relegates the clergy to the status of the ruler’s clerics. The reforms include Saudi Arabia’s lifting of a ban on women’s driving, enhancing of women’s professional and personal opportunities, curbing the powers of the religious police and introducing Western-style entertainment. The UAE last November allowed unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosened alcohol restrictions and criminalised “honour killings,” a widely criticised religiously packaged tribal custom that allows a male relative to kill a woman accused of dishonouring her family. Saudi Arabia and the UAE compete in the Muslim world with Turkish and Iranian Islamist strands of the faith that are laced with nationalism. The Gulf states’ state-led moderation of religious practices rather than of theology and Muslim jurisprudence is also challenged by some strands of Wahhabism, the ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam on the basis of which Saudi Arabia was founded. Also Read | Opinion | Initial Taliban moves fail to convince Afghanistan’s neighbours “Wahhabism has refracted into three broad groups since the early 1990s: a left that has developed a discourse of civic rights, a centre occupying official posts of state (dubbed ‘ulama al-sultan’ or the ruler’s clerics) that has put up some resistance to the loosening of their powers in the social, juridical and media spheres, and a Wahhabi right sympathetic to the jihadist discourse of al-Qaeda and its focus on questions of foreign policy,” said scholar Andrew Hammond. While Turkey and Iran pose a geopolitical danger, autocratic monarchical rule is more fundamentally threatened by the religious challenge posed by what Mr. Hammond dubs the Wahhabi left and the Wahhabi right as well as Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama, the only non-state player in the battle for the soul of Islam, that advocates and practices reform of Islamic jurisprudence and unconditionally endorses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The arrests in recent years of Saudi scholars and preachers such as Safar al-Hawali, Salman al-Awda, Sulayman al-Duwaish, Ibrahim al-Sakran, and Hasan al-Maliki suggests as much. Implicitly drawing a distinction with Nahdlatul Ulama, Mr. Hammond argues that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms amount to “defanging Wahhabism not dethroning it.” The crown prince, since coming to office, has radically cut back on the investment of tens of billions of dollars in the propagation of religious ultra-conservatism across the globe, most effectively in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has also sought to balance Wahhabism with Saudi ultra-nationalism and shave off the rough social edges of the kingdom’s austere interpretation of the faith. His subjugation of the clergy, and incarceration of adherents of the Wahhabi left and far-right, put an end to a 73-year long power-sharing agreement between the ruling Al-Saud family and the clergy. The left has entertained concepts of a constitutional rather than an absolute monarchy, called for political liberalisation and civil rights and in some cases endorsed the 2011 popular Arab revolts that toppled four Arab autocrats. Also Read | Opinion | New Taliban government and the dangers posed by it The Wahhabi left could be joined in challenging the conservative Gulf monarchies and, simultaneously, be challenged by Nahdlatul Ulama once the group expands its activities to target the Muslim world’s grassroots beyond Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country as well as its foremost democracy. In its first outreach to grassroots elsewhere, Nahdlatul Ulama is expected to launch an Arabic-language website before the end of the year that would target the Arab world. Nahdlatul Ulama’s concept of a humanitarian Islam that embraces principles of tolerance, pluralism, gender equality, secularism and human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration goes considerably further than proposals put forward by Mr. Hammond’s Wahhabi left, perhaps better described as more liberal rather than an ideological left-wing of a fundamentally ultra-conservative movement. The Indonesian group’s concept of Islam also contrasts starkly with the Saudi and Emirati notion of autocratic religious moderation that involves no theological or jurisprudential reform but uses ‘the ruler’s clergy’ to religiously legitimise repressive rule under which protests, political parties and petitioning of the government are banned and thought is policed. “The state has strengthened the Wahhabi centre through neutralising the Wahhabi left and right, which have each represented a threat to state authority and legitimacy … As for the civic rights innovations of the Wahhabi left exemplified by al-Awda, it is precisely this discourse that the state wants to shut down,” Mr. Hammond said, referring to the imprisoned cleric. The track record of proponents of autocratic religious moderation is checkered at best. While the UAE has created a society that is by and large religiously tolerant, neither Saudi Arabia nor Egypt, which doesn’t have the wherewithal to fight a soft power battle in the Muslim world but seeks to project itself as a champion of religious tolerance, can make a similar claim. Prince Mohammed has met Jewish and Evangelical leaders. Mohammed al-Issa, the head of the Muslim World League, long a major vehicle to promote Saudi religious ultra-conservatism, doesn’t miss an opportunity these days to express his solidarity with other faith groups. Yet, non-Muslims remain barred in the kingdom from worshipping publicly or building their own houses of worship. In Egypt, Patrick George Zaki, a 27-year-old student, lingers in prison since February 2020 on charges of spreading false news and rumours for publishing an article documenting incidents of discrimination against Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority. Mr. Zaki was arrested a year after Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Egypt’s citadel of Islamic learning, signed a Declaration of Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together with Pope Francis during the two men’s visit to the UAE. The declaration advocates religious freedom and pluralism. By contrast, Nahdlatul Ulama secretary general Yahya Staquf recently told the story of Riyanto in a September 11 speech at Regent University, a bulwark of American Evangelical anti-Muslim sentiment founded by televangelist Pat Robertson. A member of Nahdlatul Ulama’s militia, Riyanto died guarding a church in Java on Christmas Eve when a bomb exploded in his arms as he removed it from a pew. “To us in Nahdlatul Ulama, Riyanto is a martyr, and we honour his memory every Christmas Eve alongside millions of our Indonesian Christian brothers and sisters,” Mr. Staquf said. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion | The Battle for the soul of Islam: Will the real reformer of the faith stand up?

Located 1,000 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned. The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site

A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.

In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula. AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century.

In 1983, the last family left the Old Town of AlUla, and after that, the homes and marts that once witnessed bustles of life were doomed to face perennial silence. A city that thousands of years ago was the heart of an extraordinary cosmopolitan drew its last breath with the departure of its last inhabitants. While it could be the epitaph of the Old Town of AlUla, the city refused to die.

Sounds more like a story from the Arabian Nights? It all may appear as a wild imagination, but thankfully, it is a reality.

Maraya

The word Maraya means ‘mirror’ or ‘reflection’ in Arabic, a fitting name for a structure with 9,740 sq.mt of mirrors. Maraya, AlUla's multi-purpose conference and entertainment venue, is an architectural marvel that has been designed to reflect AlUla’s beautiful landscape. It is a modern wonder in a land of ancient wonders, and is AlUla's answer to MICE, business and wedding travellers globally. Maraya emerged as the centrepiece in one of AlUla’s premier cultural festivals – Winter at Tantora. The next year, Maraya Concert Hall hosted world-class performances, VIP experiences and pop-up events, including concerts by global superstars Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Enrique Iglesias, and many others. For More information <a href="https://www.experiencealula.com/en/business-special-events/maraya?utm_source=wion.com&amp;utm_medium=paid-referral&amp;utm_campaign=article1maraya  Experience AlUla">click here.&nbsp;</a>

<img alt="c" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ccd9c187-4464-4f29-ab93-38c56b7daa14" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2863%29_8.jpg" />

While AlUla presents itself as a global cultural centre, there is much more than that in reality. The dessert hosts exquisite nature-made sculptures, sandstone mountains forming mesmerising landscapes, adventures, heritage, arts and culture. One needs to experience AlUla to truly appreciate its beauty. There’s also a sense of openness, vastness and quiet that invites visitors to wander in AlUla’s living museum. From mazes of dramatic rock formations to rolling, sand-swept dunes to a valley cloaked in palm and citrus groves to millennia-old clues in basalt lava flows, be sure to leave plenty of time in your AlUla itinerary to commune with its expansive natural offerings.

Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. WION doesn't endorse or evaluate the advertised product, service, or company nor any of the claims made.

Located 1,000 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.

Located 1,000 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned. The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula. AlUla Old Town, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century. In 1983, the last family left the Old Town of AlUla, and after that, the homes and marts that once witnessed bustles of life were doomed to face perennial silence. A city that thousands of years ago was the heart of an extraordinary cosmopolitan drew its last breath with the departure of its last inhabitants. While it could be the epitaph of the Old Town of AlUla, the city refused to die. Sounds more like a story from the Arabian Nights? It all may appear as a wild imagination, but thankfully, it is a reality. Maraya The word Maraya means ‘mirror’ or ‘reflection’ in Arabic, a fitting name for a structure with 9,740 sq.mt of mirrors. Maraya, AlUla's multi-purpose conference and entertainment venue, is an architectural marvel that has been designed to reflect AlUla’s beautiful landscape. It is a modern wonder in a land of ancient wonders, and is AlUla's answer to MICE, business and wedding travellers globally. Maraya emerged as the centrepiece in one of AlUla’s premier cultural festivals – Winter at Tantora. The next year, Maraya Concert Hall hosted world-class performances, VIP experiences and pop-up events, including concerts by global superstars Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Enrique Iglesias, and many others. For More information click here. While AlUla presents itself as a global cultural centre, there is much more than that in reality. The dessert hosts exquisite nature-made sculptures, sandstone mountains forming mesmerising landscapes, adventures, heritage, arts and culture. One needs to experience AlUla to truly appreciate its beauty. There’s also a sense of openness, vastness and quiet that invites visitors to wander in AlUla’s living museum. From mazes of dramatic rock formations to rolling, sand-swept dunes to a valley cloaked in palm and citrus groves to millennia-old clues in basalt lava flows, be sure to leave plenty of time in your AlUla itinerary to commune with its expansive natural offerings. Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. WION doesn't endorse or evaluate the advertised product, service, or company nor any of the claims made.

A glimpse into AlULa: World's masterpiece

Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud arrived in India on Saturday on a three-day visit during which he is expected to discuss the situation in Afghanistan as well ways to boost bilateral ties.

Saudi foreign minister begins 3-day India visit, to discuss Afghanistan & bilateral issues

The Saudi Arabia-Iran cold War has often torn West Asia apart. But it looks like the two are now engaging secretly as Riyadh remains on the edge after the US pullout. On The West Asia Post this week, Ghadi Francis takes a look at this realignment in relations.

The West Asia Post: Iran-Saudi thaw on the cards?

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