Saudi Arabia

Mecca pact does not give Pakistan a blank cheque

August 20, 2026 1:14 pm

States that have invested substantially in economic and strategic ties with India will not lightly subordinate those ties to Pakistan’s preference for managed instability

World News Updates: Trump threatens to bomb Oman 'if it gets in way' of US-Iran deal

August 18, 2026 5:03 am

The development comes as Iran said on Monday that it is working to finalise a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage the transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Power of the name: Why ‘Mecca’ matters in new defence pact

August 16, 2026 5:24 am

Why do governments spend time choosing highly symbolic titles for their treaties? The answer lies in how shared ideas and symbols shape our political world

India should avoid treating the Mecca alliance as a monolith

August 14, 2026 7:11 pm

Turkey contributes an increasingly sophisticated defence industry, particularly in drones and naval shipbuilding, Saudi Arabia offers financial depth and strategic geography, while Pakistan provides manpower and nuclear deterrence

With new agreement, Islamabad is upping the ante

August 13, 2026 12:57 am

Pakistan has a long Cold War record of hitching its wagon to pacts, alliances and treaties to oblige Western governments to derive a geopolitical advantage against India

Our response to Mecca pact should combine deterrence, innovation and deepening Gulf ties

August 12, 2026 3:13 pm

While headlines inevitably invoke the collective defence framework, calling the Mecca Agreement an ‘Islamic NATO’ at this stage is premature

C Raja Mohan writes: The Mecca Accord exposes Arab weakness

August 12, 2026 10:15 pm

There is no escaping the essence of Suhrawardy's arithmetic, that has outlived him, about Arab and Muslim solidarity: 'Zero plus zero plus zero still amounts to zero'

A pact, divided within, with no single threat

August 11, 2026 7:12 am

India should not be overly concerned. It should cultivate stronger ties with the countries of the region, deepen its economic and strategic engagement with the Gulf and maintain working relationships across the regional rivalries.

A triangular hedge in the West Asia tinderbox

August 11, 2026 10:31 am

New Delhi needs to engage Saudi Arabia and Turkey more, while deepening ties with other Gulf states (which may join this pact) and resuscitating its own groupings like the Quad

Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey pact: Attack on one, attack on all — how it compares with NATO

August 09, 2026 1:38 pm

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement says an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three.

Heatwave claims 550 Hajj pilgrims as mercury soars to 50°C at Mecca

June 19, 2024 7:09 pm

Over 1.83 million pilgrims performed Hajj in 2024, suffering extreme heat that claimed 550 lives, primarily due to heat-related illnesses, according to reports.

PM Modi reviews trade ties in meeting with Saudi crown prince MBS

September 11, 2023 6:49 pm

Bin Salman is currently on a state visit to India following the end of the G20 Summit

Breaking protocol, PM Modi receives Saudi Crown Prince at Delhi airport

February 20, 2019 6:50 am

During Salman’s visit, New Delhi and Riyadh will set up a “Strategic Partnership Council” at the ministerial level to deepen partnership in areas like political, security, trade, investment and culture

Killing Kashoggi: How a brutal Saudi hit job unfolded

June 22, 2020 6:10 pm

An autopsy expert. A lookalike. A black van. Our video investigation follows the movements of the 15-man Saudi hit team that killed and dismembered the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Fuel prices at an all-time high: News in Numbers

June 22, 2020 6:17 pm

How the government is explaining the rise in petrol and diesel prices. Take a look in today’s News in Numbers.

Opinion | From London to Qatar, Why Does The Terror Trail Span Continents?

June 22, 2020 7:01 pm

EU parliament urges Saudi arms embargo

February 26, 2016 4:17 pm

Sushma Swaraj meets Bahrain PM, Saudi MOFA

January 24, 2016 5:10 pm

Manama, Jan 24 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met the Prime Minister of Bahrain, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, on Sunday.Swaraj is in Bahrain's capital Manama on a two-day visit.She attended the first ministerial meeting of the India-Arab League Cooperation Forum to deepen the country's ties with the 22-member group.The meet also assumes significance in the wake of the growing threat of Islamic State in the region.