Saudi Arabia

19 Sep 2019; MEMO: Saudi authorities have unexpectedly transferred a number of detained scholars and clerics to the capital Riyadh in order to prepare them for their trial.

Abdullah Al-Ouda, the son of prominent scholar Salman Al-Ouda, wrote on Twitter today that authorities had quickly moved his father to the capital after the court date was brought forward, taking the family by surprise as his original court date was set to be over a month away.

RIYADH, Sept 19 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, highlighted keenness to launch an investigation with international participation on the attacks that targeted two oil plants in the country.

He said, the international probe aims to reassure the global community of procedures taken by Saudi Arabia.

During a phone call, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, stressed his country’s readiness to participate with international experts, in the investigation to find out the source of those attacks, according to a report.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday called the attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations an “act of war” against the kingdom by Iran, as the Saudis displayed missile and drone wreckage and cited other evidence they said shows the raid was “unquestionably sponsored by Iran.”

Iran, which has denied involvement in the attack, warned the U.S. it will retaliate immediately if it is targeted.

JEDDAH/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said it would produce evidence on Wednesday linking regional rival Tehran to an unprecedented attack on its oil industry that Washington believes originated from Iran in a dangerous escalation of Middle East frictions.

But Tehran again denied involvement in the Sept. 14 attacks on oil plants, including the world’s biggest crude processing facility, that initially knocked out half of Saudi production.

17 Sep 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has another senior Hamas official in detention, political and family sources told Al-Resalah on Monday. Businessman Abu Obaida Al-Agha is apparently being held in Dahban Prison in Jeddah, where the Saudi government keeps its political prisoners.

17 Sep 2019; MEMO: The Euro-Mediterranean Human Right Monitor and the IRDG expressed in their speech before the Human Rights Council during the 42nd Ordinary Session their deep concern over the Saudi authorities’ detention of dozens of Palestinians and cases of forced disappearance with no legal support.

17 Sep 2019; MEMO: The Saudi-led military coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Monday that the attack on Saudi Arabian oil plants was carried out with Iranian weapons and was not launched from Yemen according to preliminary findings, Reuters reports.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki said that an investigation into Saturday’s strikes, which had been claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi group, was still going on to determine the launch location.

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) India, the world's third-largest oil consumer, will not face any supply disruption after a reduction in production at its No. 2 supplier Saudi Arabia, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday.

"Following the attacks on the oil stablization centres of @Saudi_Aramco, top executives of Aramco have been contacted," he tweeted. "We have reviewed our overall crude oil supplies for the month of September with our OMCs. We are confident there would be no supply disruption to India. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation."

15 Sep 2019; MEMO: Saudi Arabia has announced to stop oil production temporarily, from its two oil facilities run by the Saudi Aramco, following drone attacks, Anadolu reports.

Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said on early Sunday that oil production is being temporarily halted from the two major facilities, owned by Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant.

15 Sep 2019; MEMO: The emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the level of foreign ministers was held on Sunday, Anadolu reports.

The meeting discussed the recent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks in which he said he would annex large parts of the occupied lands in the West Bank — including the Jordan Valley.