A Saudi woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for "acts of sedition" including pledging allegiance to the Islamic State jihadist group, newspapers reported on Thursday.

A court in Riyadh issued the sentence against the unnamed 27-year-old on Wednesday, the Saudi Gazette said.

With a major government reshuffle, Saudi Arabia's King Salman and his powerful son have shown their determination to move the kingdom's economy away from oil, experts say.

Deputy head of Hizbullah Sheikh Nabil Qaouq held on Monday Saudi Arabia responsible for the ongoing conflict in Syria, accusing it of being the main backer of takfiri and al-Qaida-linked groups, reported the National News Agency.

He said: “The Saudi regime is chiefly responsible for the ongoing bloody massacres taking place in Aleppo.”

A small bomb exploded outside a highway patrol station in eastern Saudi Arabia, injuring a policeman, official media said on Friday.

The attack happened late Thursday in the Al-Ahsa region, the Saudi Press Agency said, citing a provincial police spokesman.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed a Jordanian convicted of drug smuggling, bringing to 88 the number of foreigners and Saudis put to death this year.

Mohammed Abu Zayed had been found guilty of smuggling amphetamines in his car, the interior ministry said.

Saudi Arabia said Monday it would create the world's largest wealth fund and sell shares in state energy giant Aramco as it unveiled a vast plan to transform its oil-dependent economy.

The announcement of the long-term reform program, dubbed "Saudi Vision 2030", marks the beginning of a hugely ambitious attempt to move Saudi Arabia beyond oil, the backbone of its economy for decades, amid a steep fall in prices.

Saudi Arabia executed a Pakistani national on Thursday for smuggling drugs, taking to 86 the number of people the ultra-conservative kingdom has put to death this year.

Shah Zaman Khan Sayyed had been found guilty of attempting to smuggle heroin and amphetamines into the kingdom, the interior ministry said.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday that Washington and Gulf Arab states were united against the Islamic State group as he sought to overcome strains on Iran to boost efforts against the jihadists.

In Riyadh for talks hosted by Tehran's arch-rival Saudi Arabia, Obama said the United States still has "serious concerns" about Iran, but insisted no country has an interest in conflict with the Shiite power.

President Barack Obama held talks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday as he began a two-day visit hoping to ease tensions with the historic U.S. ally.

Riyadh and its Sunni Arab Gulf allies have bristled at what they see as Washington's tilt towards regional rival Iran after Tehran's landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

Human Rights Watch on Monday hailed Saudi Arabia's decision to strip its frequently criticized religious police of many of their powers, urging the kingdom to also ease sex segregation rules.

Under changes approved by the Saudi cabinet last week, religious officers will no longer be allowed to detain people and instead must report violators to police or drug squad officers.