Stories from Saudi Arabia

Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Prince of the Eastern Province, attended a graduation ceremony yesterday evening. The event honored 7,866 students from the 47th batch of Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University for the Hijri year 1447. Dr.

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites is executing development projects to expand service areas for pilgrims. By the year 1446 AH, the total developed area is expected to exceed 66,000 square meters.

Under Saudi Arabian law, unmarried women who give birth risk arrest. A Kenyan domestic worker, Edith, reported being unable to obtain a birth certificate for her daughter, Blessings, due to her marital status.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have announced plans to adopt a joint defense model against missile attacks. Reuters reports that Mohammed bin Salman is pursuing this shared approach to counter missile threats.

Red Sea International has reduced its accumulated losses to 41.024 million riyals, representing 8.5 percent of its capital. The company achieved this following an extraordinary general assembly meeting that approved the conversion of a balance and the issuance of shares. The company attributed previous growth in losses to declining revenues and increased expenses. Herfy announced that its losses decreased to 3.9 million riyals by the end of the first quarter of 2026. This represents a reduction from the 18 million riyals in losses reported during the same period in 2025. The company attributed the decrease in losses to specific operational factors during the current quarter. Red Sea stock led gains with a 10% increase.

Takween Advanced Industries reported a 166 percent increase in losses during the first quarter of 2026. The losses reached approximately 2 billion riyals. The company attributed the growth in losses to declining revenues and rising expenses.

Gulf countries are requesting serious initiatives from Iran to restore trust.

The Sharaan Nature Reserve in AlUla has been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of protected areas. The reserve is one of six protected areas forming a core pillar of the AlUla biodiversity strategy.

Saudi scientists have excavated the first national archaeological laboratory. The site is being developed to shape a modern archaeological identity within the Kingdom.

An Indonesian pilgrim named Komaria Dultoi from Pasuruan, East Java, died in Medina on April 27, 2026. The Ministry of Religious Affairs reported the death of the 50-year-old individual. The deceased was reportedly part of an international Umrah group. An 85-year-old Indonesian pilgrim named Maria Asia Higa Pungatakan has died in Medina. According to the report, the total number of pilgrims who have passed away in Medina has reached 1,373. Additionally, 30 pilgrims have been referred to the Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic. A total of 104 clusters containing 40,000 pilgrims have been flown to Medina. Each cluster is equipped with one doctor and one healthcare worker. Medical services are being provided across various points, including clusters, sectors, and health facilities in Mecca and Medina. The support is being provided by Saudi Arabian referral hospitals and healthcare officers.