Saudi Arabia: A Tough Week For Denying Rumors

First, it was the pipeline explosion that never happened.

Saudi Arabia denies the report [that there was a pipeline explosion], and less than 24 hours later, the world's journalists accept the Saudi statement as gospel truth, despite the fact that no could confirm it one way or the other. Everyone agrees that the pipeline in question is in Saudi's eastern province, a hop, skip, and a jump away from Iran which is now Saudi's #1 (and maybe only) enemy. 

Now, we have the sandstorm stopping oil-loading operations that never happened.

Operations at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam were suspended yesterday [due to a sandstorm], the commercial port’s General Director Naim al-Naim said, according to the newspaper al-Eqtisadiah.

Despite shutting down all operations, oil loading went on as usual, according to the Saudis.

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. is shipping crude normally today from terminals in the Persian Gulf, the world’s largest oil exporter said, even as sandstorms stop other kinds of cargo from leaving the nation’s main eastern port. 

So, the pipeline explosion that never happened, and the sandstorm that stopped all harbor operations except normal oil loading.