The son of a Florida retiree says Saudi Arabia has forced his father to take steps to renounce his American citizenship after jailing him over social media posts critical of the kingdom’s crown prince.

Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and hail swept through most areas of the Mecca and Medina regions, including Jeddah city and its surrounding areas in Saudi Arabia, on Monday, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Saudi Arabia, one of the largest bond issuers in emerging markets last year, signaled it’s set to maintain a similar pace of borrowing in 2025 to help fund huge oil-diversification projects.

Saudi Arabia faces severe weather with heavy rain, flash floods, and dust storms in Mecca and Medina. Stay informed about safety precautions.- Watch Video on English Oneindia

Saudi Arabia closed investor requests for international bond issuance, as part of the Saudi Government International Bond program, National Debt Manag

Strong demand drove growth in Saudi Arabia's non-oil business sector in December, albeit at a slightly slower pace than the previous month, a survey showed on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, the holiest city according to Islam, has been hit by extreme weather. Footage circulating on social media shows entire neighbourhoods partially submerged amid the heavy rainfall.

The Brazilian's time at Al Hilal has been blighted by injury and with his contract expiring this summer both parties have a decision to make

Saudi Arabia has launched real estate and infrastructure projects worth $1.3tn since Vision 2030 was unveiled in 2016, according to estimates by consultancy Knight Frank. These projects, such as the Neom linear smart city, include adding more than 362,000 hotel rooms and 7.4mn square metres in retail space.

The total order book reached around $37bln, equalling an over-subscription of three times the issuance, NDMC said

The two Mideast powerhouses have been trying to block the rise of Islamist groups in the region for two decades. The rebel takeover in Damascus will test that approach.