Latest Riyadh Stories

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it had arrested five militants linked to a failed al Qaeda attack on a major oil facility in February, and seized 1.5 tonnes of explosives. An Interior Ministry statement said the five were linked to the foiled attack on Abqaiq, the world's biggest oil processing plant, in which two militants were killed. Saudi had earlier arrested other militants linked to the incident. State television aired a video seized by police showing militants...

RIYADH (Reuters) - Five Saudi women have undergone sex change operations because they developed a psychologic complex in the male-dominated Muslim society, a newspaper reported on Monday. Al Watan newspaper quoted psychology expert Mohamed Abdelmawjoud as saying the operations took place over a year's period. Authorities did not bother any of them, according to the report. An interior ministry official told the paper such cases are examined by religious authorities, and sometimes by...

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has foiled about 90 percent of attacks militants had planned to carry out in the world's largest oil exporting country, a top official said in remarks published on Saturday. "This is thanks to God and to detailed security efforts and continuous tracking of terrorist cells," Interior Minister Prince Nayef told the pan-Arab Al Hayat newspaper. Nayef declined to say when he expected Saudi forces to end militant attacks in the country, which announced this...

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has foiled about 90 percent of attacks militants had planned to carry out in the world's largest oil exporting kingdom, a top official said on Saturday. "This is thanks to God and to detailed security effort and continuous tracking of terrorist cells," Interior Minister Prince Nayef told pan-Arab Al Hayat newspaper. Nayef declined to say when he expected Saudi forces to end militant attacks in the country, which announced this week the arrest of 40...

(Recasts, adds details, background RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had arrested 40 suspected militants, including eight who were linked to al Qaeda's attack on the world's largest oil processing plant last month. Security forces also seized a cache of explosives and firearms in simultaneous raids in several parts of the kingdom, an interior ministry spokesman said. There has been a spate of attacks in Saudi Arabia and last month the authorities foiled an al Qaeda...

By Andrew Hammond RIYADH (Reuters) - Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had vowed to remain one of the biggest financial backers of the Palestinians, despite U.S. and European threats to cut aid. The United States and the European Union have threatened to tighten the taps on the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas, which is gearing up to form its new government, gives up its armed struggle against Israel and recognizes the Jewish state. Hamas leaders are...

By Andrew HammondRIYADH -- Young Saudis, thirsty for cinema in a country with no big screens and just the bare bones of a movie industry, are determined to drag the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom into the celluloid world.Seven Saudi movies will take part in a film festival in the United Arab Emirates' capital Abu Dhabi in March, the strongest showing yet for the nascent Saudi cinema at any festival.And entertainment firm Rotana -- owned by royal entrepreneur Prince Alwaleed bin Talal --...

By Andrew Hammond RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi forces on Monday killed five suspected militants believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on the world's biggest oil processing plant, the Interior Ministry said. A shootout erupted at dawn after security forces besieged suspects in a villa in east Riyadh where several Western residential compounds are located. An official statement said five men were killed and one other suspected militant was arrested elsewhere in the capital. "Early this...

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi forces on Monday killed five suspected militants believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on the world's biggest oil processing plant and arrested one other, the Interior Ministry said. Security sources and witnesses had said a shootout ensued at dawn after security forces besieged suspects in a villa in east Riyadh where several Western residential compounds are located. An Interior Ministry statement said five men were killed in the clash and one other...

By Andrew Hammond RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi forces on Monday killed five suspected militants believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on the world's biggest oil processing plant, the interior ministry said. Security sources and witnesses said earlier a shootout erupted at dawn after security forces besieged suspects in a villa in east Riyadh where several Western residential compounds are located. An official statement said five men were killed and one other suspected militant was...