Saudi authorities have freed a woman who was held captive for three years by her relatives over a family dispute, an official human rights organization said Monday.

The 50-year-old woman had been imprisoned in a room in a house in the western Taif province, an official from the kingdom's National Society for Human Rights told Agence France Presse.

A Saudi man has died of the coronavirus MERS, bringing the kingdom's death toll from the SARS-like virus to 41, while two new cases were registered, the government said Sunday.

The 51-year-old, who had previously been diagnosed with MERS, died in Riyadh, the health ministry said on its website, adding he also suffered from cancer and other chronic diseases.

A top Saudi member of al-Qaida slammed King Abdullah's support for the Egyptian army's ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, in a video message posted online Sunday.

"One of their latest crimes is supporting the secular forces in Egypt against the government of Morsi," Ibrahim al-Rubaish said in a statement.

Scientists have found the mysterious MERS virus in a bat in Saudi Arabia.

An international research team said the bat virus is an exact match to the first known human case of Middle East respiratory syndrome. The sample was collected from within a few miles of that patient's home.

Saudi Arabia urged the U.N. Security Council and EU ministers Wednesday to immediately address Syria's "massacre," following claims the army killed more than 650 people in a chemical attack.

"It is time for the U.N. Security Council to assume responsibility... by convening immediately to reach a clear deterrent decision that ends the humanitarian tragedy," said Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Saudi authorities executed a Yemeni in Mecca Wednesday after he was convicted of murdering a fellow countryman, the interior ministry said.

Hosni Tawhal had been accused of stabbing Saghr Sulaia to death, the ministry said, quoted by state news agency SPA.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday urged world support for the bid by Egypt's interim government to achieve "stability" in the country, and not to hamper its efforts.

"We expect the international community to support the efforts of Egypt's government in its bid to achieve what we all aspire for -- security, stability, and prosperity," Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told Agence France Presse.

Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam denied on Wednesday that he will head to to Saudi Arabia amid reports that President Michel Suleiman won't approve the formation of a new cabinet if Hizbullah was excluded.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that earlier on Wednesday that Salam will head to Riyadh to offer condolences over the death of Prince Musaed bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud, the bother of Saudi King Abdullah.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday beheaded by the sword two nationals convicted of murdering a Syrian and of armed robbery, the interior ministry said.

Ibrahim al-Qanbar and Ahmed al-Musalam were found guilty of attacking a labor camp and opening fire at residents, killing Mohammed al-Shuja and wounding another person, the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.

Saudi Arabia said on Monday that Arab and Islamic countries will step in to help Egypt if Western nations cut aid packages to Cairo over its deadly crackdown on Islamist protesters.

"To those who have announced they are cutting their aid to Egypt, or threatening to do that, (we say that) Arab and Muslim nations are rich... and will not hesitate to help Egypt," Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said in a statement carried by the kingdom's SPA state news agency.