January 2 - 47 alleged terrorists are executed by the Saudi state, including leader of the anti-government Shia movement, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.[1][2]
January 2 - The embassy of Saudi Arabia in Tehran, Iran, is ransacked and set on fire by protesters against al-Nimr's execution.[3]
January 3 - Saudi Arabia breaks off diplomatic relations with Iran after the events that happened on January 2.[4]
January 4 - Saudi Arabia announces it will end all air traffic and trade links with Iran, demanding Iran to "act like a normal country" before severed diplomatic relations can be restored.[5]
^ abc"Saudi Arabia executes 47 on terrorism charges". Al Jazeera. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
^"Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr: Saudi Arabia executes top Shia cleric". BBC News. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^Hubbard, Ben (2 January 2016). "Iranian Protesters Ransack Saudi Embassy After Execution of Shiite Cleric". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^"Saudi Arabia breaks off ties with Iran after al-Nimr execution". BBC News. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^"Exclusive: Saudi Arabia to halt flights, trade with Iran". Reuters. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^"Islamic State threatens to destroy Saudi prisons after executions". Reuters. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^"Prominent human rights activist arrested in Saudi Arabia". 12 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
^"AboutHer.com spotlights Saudi Arabian women". Arab News. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
^"Two Saudi security officers shot dead by gunmen: Arabiya TV". Reuters. 25 October 2016.