Mohammed bin Salman

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Feb. 19 hat he planned to raise U.S. concerns about human rights during a visit to Saudi Arabia, in particular the case of a Saudi-American doctor facing trial there who was barred from leaving the kingdom and allegedly tortured.

A searing documentary about the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi made its anticipated debut at the Sundance Film Festival, unveiling a detailed investigation into the Saudi Arabia regime and the companies and governments that do business with it.

Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death and three more to jail terms over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October 2018.

The country's public prosecutor said on Dec. 23, Saud al-Qahtani, a former high-profile Saudi royal adviser, was investigated but not charged and was released.

A Saudi Arabian State Security Agency promotional video classified feminism, atheism and homosexuality as "extremist ideas".

The same video says Saudi Arabia defends tolerance and wants to become more attractive to foreigners, Reuters reports. Distributed by the State Security Presidency, the video said "all forms of extremism and perversion are unacceptable."

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview that he takes "full responsibility" for the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but denied allegations that he ordered it.

Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to foreign tourists by introducing a new visa regime for 49 countries and urging foreign companies to invest in a sector expected to carry 10 percent of the GDP by 2030, Reuters reported.

Oil production in Saudi Arabia will be fully restored by the end of September, authorities said. At the same time, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is leaving for the kingdom to discuss the next steps after the airstrike against Saudi oil facilities.

A new law gives passports to any Saudi over 21 years of age.

Saudi Arabia has allowed women to travel without the need of permission by a spouse or relative. This is yet another solution that weakens the current system of male custody of women, for which the country has been criticized abroad.

More than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters, The New York Times reported on March 17.

The Senate must push for accountability after U.S. President Donald Trump defied Congress and did not report whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's death, according to The Washington Post.