President Vladimir Putin signaled Moscow's growing Middle East clout on Monday on his first visit to Saudi Arabia in over a decade, buoyed by Russian military gains in Syria, strong ties with Riyadh's regional rivals and energy cooperation.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince warned in an interview broadcast on Sunday that oil prices could spike to "unimaginably high numbers" if the world doesn't come together to deter Iran, but said he preferred a political solution to a military one.

The Houthi group in control of Yemen's capital released hundreds of prisoners on Monday in a unilateral move, which the United Nations hoped would help revive a stalled peace process after months of failed efforts to push through a prisoner swap.

Saudi Arabia has sent messages to Iran's president through the leaders of other countries, an Iranian government spokesman said on Monday, at a time of heightened tensions between the regional rivals.

Saudi Arabia asked rating agency Fitch on Monday to reconsider downgrading its credit rating to A from A+ after attacks on Saudi oil facilities, saying the decision was "swift" and did not reflect Riyadh's actions to maintain global oil supplies.

Iraq reopened its Qaim border-crossing with Syria on Monday after eight years of closure amid regional turmoil, in the latest sign of normalization between Baghdad and Damascus and a win for their mutual ally Iran.

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has made improvements in labor rights for its two million foreign workers, but reforms have not lived up to promises made, Amnesty International told Reuters in an interview.

Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has approved the reopening on Monday of the Qaim border-crossing with Syria, state news agency INA said, the latest sign of normalization between Baghdad and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Saudi authorities said on Friday they would allow tourists from 49 countries to enter the kingdom without a visa in advance, at a cost of 440 riyals for a maximum of 180 days. It, however, announced that "women are prohibited from dressing indecently" and tourists are prohibited from entering Mecca and Medina.

Iran has committed another breach of its nuclear deal with major powers by enriching uranium with advanced centrifuges, a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog policing that deal said on Thursday, further fraying the landmark accord.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was impossible for Turkey to stop buying oil and natural gas from Iran, despite the threat of U.S. sanctions, and added that trade between the two countries would continue, according to broadcaster NTV.

Egyptian authorities have arrested more than 1,000 people, rights groups said Wednesday, broadening a crackdown launched after rare protests calling for the ouster of general-turned-President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday he was open to discuss small changes, additions or amendments to a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers if the United States lifted sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic.

India will get two additional cargoes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from United Arab Emirate's Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) to make up for a shortfall from Saudi Arabia, two government officials said.

Saudi Arabia has waived fees on expatriate workers employed in the industrial sector, one of the main economic segments eyed for development, for five years, a cabinet statement said on Tuesday.

Air strikes blamed on the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 16 people in Yemen's disputed province of al-Dhalea on Tuesday, two residents and the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he believed that the conditions for the leaders of the United States and Iran to meet were now in place, but the ball was now in their court to make it happen.

Kuwait's deputy foreign minister said on Monday that Kuwait shares Saudi Arabia's optimism to end a disagreement over the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone "very soon," state news agency (KUNA) cited him as saying.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday as he seeks to defuse tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Two flights were diverted from Dubai International Airport on Sunday due to suspected drone activity, the hub's operator said, at least the second disruption of its kind there this year.