Live2026-09-21 06:00 UTC
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Saudi Arabia Tension Score

building record · 4 days on file

Live 0–100 tension reading for Saudi Arabia, built by our own engine from 2,698 world headlines in the last 30 days. Refreshed every 10 minutes; a fresh headline count twice a day.

46
Stable
7d · 30d

Where Saudi Arabia stands

#9 of 197 countries today, #5 of 16 in Middle East (region score 67). Tension is steady this week.

Same 0–100 scale and zones as the World Tension Index.

Saudi Arabia news pulse

60 headlines in 30 days · newest first
US warns of rapid escalation in Middle East war
Al-Monitor · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
93 · Extreme
Houthi attacks and no Western support: What are Saudi Arabia's options ?
France24 · 21 September 2026 conflicttradegeopolitics
88 · Extreme
Trump says Houthis agree not to fight US, as attacks mount against Saudi allies: Fox News
Straits Times · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
How will Saudi Arabia deal with the Houthis?
Al Jazeera · 21 September 2026 conflicttrade
52 · Moderate
Why doesn't the US intervene to defend Saudi Arabia against the Houthis?
France24 · 21 September 2026 conflicttradegeopolitics
52 · Moderate
Trump claims Houthis agree not to fight U.S., as attacks mount on Saudi allies
Hindu Intl · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
47 · Moderate
The Real U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Is Better Than We Thought
War Rocks · 21 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
47 · Moderate
Qatar condemns Houthi attacks on Riyadh and civilian infrastructure in Yemen
Middle East Eye · 21 September 2026 conflict
44 · Moderate
Oil prices fall as Saudi Arabia reportedly offers more crude via Hormuz after pipeline attack - cnbc.com
GN Energy · 21 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
44 · Moderate
Iran-backed Houthi rebels warn against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen's growing civil war
ABC Intl · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
43 · Moderate
Houthis declare 'blockade for blockade' on Saudi, assure US ships are safe
Middle East Eye · 21 September 2026 conflict
38 · Moderate
Running Out of Options: Conflict Restricts Saudi Oil Exports - The Maritime Executive
Google News · 21 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
35 · Moderate
Houthis say Saudi Arabia launched 28 strikes in Yemen over 24 hours
Middle East Eye · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
35 · Moderate
Strait of Hormuz Watch: Saudi Pipeline Damage Disrupts Alternative Crude Route - IndustryWeek
GN Trade · 21 September 2026 energy
32 · Low
Oil rises after Houthi attack on Saudi capital - Yahoo Finance
GN Energy · 21 September 2026 conflictenergy
32 · Low
US restricts state employee travel to two Saudi cities
Middle East Eye · 21 September 2026 geopolitics
23 · Low
Macron Calls for Another Emergency Oil Release as Europe Loses Supply
OilPrice · 21 September 2026 energyfinancegeopolitics
23 · Low
Saudi Arabia Cuts Europe Off From October Crude as Gulf Exports Surge
OilPrice · 21 September 2026 energytrade
20 · Low
US clears way for $24.3 billion fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia
Defense News · 21 September 2026 geopolitics
20 · Low
US fears rapid escalation in Mideast after Houthis attack Riyadh
Al-Monitor · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
85 · Extreme
Saudi Arabia says Houthis tried to attack its capital
NPR World · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
70 · High
Flames, smoke seen near Riyadh airport; Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital
Al-Monitor · 20 September 2026 conflicttrade
68 · High
Yemen's Houthis strike Saudi capital Riyadh for the first time
France24 · 20 September 2026 conflicttradegeopolitics
67 · High
U.S. fears rapid escalation in West Asia after Houthis attack Riyadh
Hindu Intl · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
65 · High
Houthis claim drone attack on Saudi Arabia's capital after smoke seen rising near airport
Sky World · 20 September 2026 conflicttradegeopolitics
64 · High
Man shot dead in West Bank terror attack near natural spring, IDF captures shooter
Times Israel · 20 September 2026 conflictfinancegeopolitics
64 · High
Houthis say they targeted Saudi capital with ballistic missiles
BBC World · 20 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
63 · High
US embassies issue security alerts over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
Euronews · 20 September 2026 conflict
62 · High
Saudi-led coalition says defences intercept Houthi missile fired at Riyadh
Al Jazeera · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
58 · High
‘There will be a very sizeable Saudi response’ to Houthi attacks
Al Jazeera · 20 September 2026 conflict
58 · High

Every story the engine read that names Saudi Arabia, its capital or its leaders. Links go to the original outlet; the badge is the engine’s own 0–100 tension weight. This list is what moves the number above.

What is driving Saudi Arabia’s tension score

last 30 days
  • 145 headlines in 30 days — 5.37% of everything the engine read, in line with the previous 30 days (0).
  • 49% of those were violent (attacks, strikes, casualties) and 45% scored as high-tension stories.
  • Conflicts on the roster: none. Saudi Arabia is not a party to any conflict our engine tracks right now.
  • Region: Middle East reads 67 today; it carries 15% of this score.

Read it like this. Attention (how much the world is talking about Saudi Arabia) is the biggest input at 30%. Violence and high-tension share tell you what kind of talk it is. A country can be loud and calm — an election, a summit — or quiet and dangerous. The mix is the point.

Saudi Arabia tension month by month

average score, headline counts
MonthAvg scoreZoneHeadlinesViolentDays
September 202642.8Stable145714

Record for Saudi Arabia began on 18 September 2026. Nothing is revised after the fact.

How the Saudi Arabia score is built

Five inputs, fixed weights. Attention 30% (share of world coverage), violence 25% and high-tension share 15% (what kind of coverage), roster conflicts 15%, and the Middle East region score 15%. A momentum nudge (+6 / −4) rewards a country whose coverage is accelerating or fading.

Same physics as the world score. The number rises 85% of the way to its new level at once and falls no faster than 3 points a day — fear arrives fast and leaves slowly.

No third-party index inside. Every count comes from the 41 public news feeds our engine reads itself; the full method is on the methodology page. Data is free under CC BY 4.0 via the API.

Questions people ask about Saudi Arabia

Is Saudi Arabia in a war right now?

Not on our roster. Saudi Arabia is not a party to any tracked conflict; the engine flags new candidates automatically when coverage repeats.

Is tension in Saudi Arabia rising or falling?

Too early to say — the 7-day change appears once a week of data exists.

How does Saudi Arabia compare with the rest of Middle East?

Below its region: Saudi Arabia reads 46 against 67 for Middle East, ranking #5 of 16 there.

Keep exploring

Saudi Arabia and world tension: the long view

evergreen · World Tension Meter team

The swing producer. Saudi Arabia can add or remove millions of barrels a day, which makes its decisions the single biggest influence on the oil price after outright war. OPEC+ meetings are tension events for the energy index.

A regional power with a long reach. From Yemen to Sudan to Lebanon, Riyadh funds, mediates and sometimes fights. Its rivalry and its thaw with Iran both show up in our corpus as swings in regional coverage.

Diversifying under pressure. The kingdom is spending oil money on a post-oil economy. Investment headlines are calm signals; the engine scores them low, which is why a busy Saudi week is not always a tense one.

What our engine watches in Saudi Arabia

  • OPEC+ output decisions and price-war rhetoric
  • Attacks on oil infrastructure, the Red Sea and the Gulf
  • Relations with Iran, Israel and the United States

Indexes to follow: Energy Security · Shipping Stress · Market Fear.