UN envoy Martin Griffiths prepared on Tuesday to head to war-torn Yemen to lay the groundwork for peace talks in Sweden, after fresh fighting shook the flashpoint city of Hodeida.

Efforts to end Yemen's devastating war picked up pace on Monday as the government and rebels edged closer to peace talks and Britain led a push at the UN Security Council for an immediate truce.

Saudi King Salman stood by the crown prince and heaped praise on the judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst crises.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Saudi leaders have promised to ensure accountability over missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, even as they denied any responsibility for his disappearance.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have offered $2.5 billion in aid for Jordan to ease its economic crisis following a wave of anti-austerity protests, the Saudi state media announced early Monday.

Saudi Arabia should avoid turning Iraq into a "battleground in a cold war" with its regional rival Tehran, the International Crisis Group said on Tuesday.

Saudi King Salman will launch the construction of an "entertainment city" near Riyadh on Wednesday, authorities said, part of a series of multi-billion dollar projects as the kingdom seeks to diversity its oil-reliant economy.

Saudi King Salman on Monday replaced top military commanders including the chief of staff, state media said, in a major shake-up of the kingdom’s defence establishment.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday slammed US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, calling the move "unjustified and irresponsible".

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting in Yemen was Thursday placed on a UN blacklist for killing and maiming children, drawing fresh calls from rights groups to step up pressure on Riyadh over the conflict.