Saudi Arabia is creating the "world's first tourism destination on offshore platforms" as part of a drive to diversify the economy away from oil. The Rig will be an oil-themed “extreme park” that will be sitting atop a converted oil rig in the Arabian Gulf.⁣

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 rivals for regional power have plenty to talk about. If they do come closer, it would have a significant impact on the Middle East's most pressing conflicts.

Every spring, roses bloom in the western Saudi city of Taif, turning pockets of the kingdom’s vast desert landscape a vivid and fragrant pink. In April, they are harvested for the essential oil used to cleanse the outer walls of the sacred Kaaba, the cubic structure in the holy city of Mecca towards which Muslims around the world pray. This year, the harvest falls during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, which observant Muslims devote to prayer and reflection.

The Saudi soldiers committed "the crime of high treason in cooperation with the enemy," officials said, but did not specify who the enemy was.

Witnesses have reported hearing a loud explosion over Riyadh, three days after a missile was intercepted on its way to the city.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.

One of the world's wealthiest countries on earth, Saudi Arabia, is keeping hundreds of African migrants locked in conditions reminiscent of Libya’s slave camps because of COVID-19.

Here is why you should pick up a copy of The Guardian on Saturday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on the newsstands on Saturday⁣.