Saudis set up field hospital for coronavirus patients in Mecca

Muslims gather before the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca to attend prayers marking Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which starts at the conclusion of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

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No foreign pilgrims will be able to attend this year's hajj. Saudi Arabia's leading religious council has decided that protecting the population is the most important goal.

The pace of reforms is picking up in the Gulf state. A pattern is emerging that seemingly sidelines religion but consolidates political power with Saudi royals.

The human rights group has used a new report to warn that Riyadh is cracking down on dissidents now that it is no longer chairing the G20 group of leading world economies.

Saudi Arabia will begin receiving requests for umrah pilgrimage from abroad for vaccinated worshipers starting August 9. The move comes 18 months after a border closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite temperatures exceeding 48 degrees Celsius, Bedouins from the al-Shammari tribe in the Al Nufud Al Kabir desert, in the northen part of Saudi Arabia, continue to live the traditional desert lifestyle, residing in tents and raising camels, keeping to the same routines to cope with the heat for generations.

Once allies, Saudi Arabia and the Taliban have been divided by war, betrayal, and 9/11. As Afghanistan changes and Middle East relations shift, the two won't rekindle ties, but another nation is looking closely at Kabul.

As the war in Yemen continues, lawyers have called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into the Saudi-led coalition, accusing it of war crimes and crimes against humanity. We speak to British barrister Toby Cadman, co-founder of Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers. He tells us why he filed the request at the ICC.

Michael Fawcett has stepped aside to allow a probe into allegations that he offered to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a wealthy Saudi businessman.

This week on The Observers, we start with the story of Ethiopian migrants who have been kept in Saudi Arabian prisons for months in poor conditions, with dirty surroundings and little to eat or drink. We spoke to Arafat Jibril Bakrii, a human rights activist who has been helping migrants to share photos and videos of their living conditions.

Icy relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are thawing — and may lead to renewed bilateral ties. Realistically, diplomatic offices might open soon but it is unlikely that the countries will become close allies.