Saudi Arabia | DD News

November 17, 2025 2:06 PM

PM Modi expresses grief over Saudi bus accident involving Indian pilgrims

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed grief over the tragic bus accident in Saudi Arabia involving several Indian Umrah pilgrims near Medinah. According to the Indian mission in Jeddah, a passenger bus carrying Indian pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker early Monday morning. In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all t...

November 17, 2025 11:27 AM

Deeply shocked, fullest support to affected Indians: EAM Jaishankar on Saudi bus accident

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday expressed deep shock and concern over the bus accident in Saudi Arabia involving several Indian Umrah pilgrims near Medina. According to the Indian mission in Jeddah, a passenger bus carrying Indian pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker early Monday morning, resulting in a major explosion and severe damage to the vehicle. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Our...

November 17, 2025 10:48 AM

Saudi crown prince visits US with defence, AI and nuclear on the agenda

A visit by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler to the White House for talks on Tuesday with U.S. President Donald Trump aims to deepen decades-old cooperation on oil and security while broadening ties in commerce, technology and potentially even nuclear energy. It will be the first trip by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the U.S. since the 2018 killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul, which caused a global uproar. U.S. intelligence concluded that MBS approved the captu...

November 16, 2025 10:07 AM

Syria, Saudi Arabia reluctant to make peace with Israel as Trump pushes to expand Abraham Accords

On 10 November, Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa strides into the Oval Office. He becomes the first Syrian leader ever to do so since the country's independence in 1946. Al-Sharaa, the 43-year-old former Al-Qaeda commander who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, meets President Trump for the third time this year. Al-Sharaa enters the White House through West Executive Avenue, a less visible and non-ceremonial route, rather than the traditional front driveway where foreign dignitaries are...

November 10, 2025 10:19 AM

India, Saudi Arabia sign Haj 2026 agreement; quota fixed at 1.75 lakh pilgrims

India and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed the bilateral Haj Agreement for 2026, confirming a quota of 175,025 Indian pilgrims for the annual pilgrimage. The agreement was signed during Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju’s official visit to Saudi Arabia from November 7 to 9. The agreement was inked following Rijiju’s bilateral meeting with Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, in Jeddah. Both sides reviewed ongoing ...

November 9, 2025 5:07 PM

Before talks with Trump, Saudi Arabia doubles down on terms for Israel ties

U.S. President Donald Trump has been talking up the prospects of Saudi Arabia agreeing to normalise ties with Israel, but it is unlikely to happen when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House this month. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia after decades of enmity could shake up the political and security landscape in the Middle East, potentially strengthening U.S. influence in the region. Trump said last month he hoped Saudi Arabia wo...

October 31, 2025 4:56 PM

Indian Diaspora Celebrates Cultural Diversity with Dance, Music at Riyadh Festival

The third day of Pravasi Parichay brought together vibrant performances from five Indian states, with the audience treated to graceful Mohiniyattam, energetic Thiruvadira dance, and a fusion of Kerala's traditional and contemporary styles in the Kerala Fusion Dance. The colorful Oppana dance from Kerala was followed by a Qawwali performance from Uttar Pradesh, showcasing the state's rich cross-cultural heritage. Delhi's group dance presentation offered a lively blend of traditional and contempor...

October 30, 2025 4:56 PM

Olympics- IOC and Saudi Arabia end 12-year Esports deal early

The International Olympic Committee and Saudi Arabia have ended their 12-year Esports partnership after only a year, parting ways to develop separate projects, the IOC said on Thursday. Two years before the first Olympic Esports Games were to be held in Riyadh, the IOC said discussions with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee had ending the partnership 14 months after announcing a 12-year deal during the 2024 Paris Olympics. "Recently, the two parties and the Esports World Cup Foundatio...

October 29, 2025 11:01 PM

Saudi economy minister forecasts 2025 real GDP growth at 5.1%

Saudi Arabia's economy minister forecast real GDP growth of 5.1% for 2025, supported by the non-oil sector, as the kingdom accelerates efforts to diversify away from oil. "We forecast to close the year...in terms of total real GDP growth at around 5.1% and for non-oil GDP around 3.8%," Faisal Alibrahim said, speaking on a panel at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Wednesday. "But we need to acknowledge we are on a long term restructuring journey. We are prioritising dive...

October 29, 2025 7:08 PM

Saudi Arabia plans to refocus $925 billion fund after gigaproject delays, source says

Saudi Arabia is preparing to shift its $925 billion sovereign wealth fund away from a focus on real estate gigaprojects that have dominated its development goals for the last decade, a source with direct knowledge of the plans told Reuters. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, known as MbS, introduced his Vision 2030 plan in 2016 to transform the economy with a focus on large real estate projects. The sovereign fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), has been the d...