The trial of Al-Qaeda militants, arrested for taking part in a series of terrorist attacks around Saudi Arabia, started on Monday in Riyadh, according to Saudi media reports.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana arrived Monday in Saudi Arabia, the second leg of a Middle East tour that will also take him to Qatar and Syria.

A Saudi religious scholar says it is better for engaged couples to meet through web cameras than to have face-to-face contact, Saudi local media reported Thursday.

The webcam acts as a "shield" between couples and this is much preferable from a religious point of view, according to Abdel Mohsen al-Abikan, Consultant of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Justice.

Saudi Arabian police have arrested five men on charges of being involved in preparing internet propaganda in support of al-Qaeda, the Arabic television station al-Arabiya has reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal chaired the opening of the Arab League Council in Cairo Monday evening amid signs the 22-state body was becoming impatient with the continued political impasse between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.

Foreign ministers of the Arab League gathered in Cairo on Monday for talks expected to centre on the Palestinian situation and the crisis in Darfur.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi said that the world has enough oil for many decades "and his country will invest in increasing production to 15 million barrels a day.