Saudi Press Agency

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's official national news wire and the authoritative channel for royal court communiqués and foreign-ministry statements. On 21 April 2026, SPA published the Saudi foreign ministry's welcome of Trump's indefinite Ceasefire extension, framing it as a step toward 'comprehensive sustainable pacification' — the first major Gulf state response to the announcement and a signal of Riyadh's continued stake in a negotiated end to the Iran conflict.

Founded in 1970, SPA operates under the Ministry of Media. It publishes in Arabic and English, and its releases are treated as official policy statements rather than journalism: when SPA publishes, it is the government speaking. Unlike the UAE's state outlets, which often carry ministerial nuance and occasionally diverge from Saudi positions, SPA has maintained tight alignment with the royal court throughout the 2026 conflict.

SPA's tone on the Iran Ceasefire — welcoming and conciliatory — stands in contrast to the UAE's harder conditions posted the same day. The divergence tracks a well-documented gap: Saudi Arabia under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman normalised relations with Iran in 2023 via a China-brokered deal, whereas Abu Dhabi's position has remained more sceptical of Iranian commitments.