Magnitude 4.0 earthquake registered in Arabian Gulf region near eastern Saudi Arabia

​​​​​​​By Ahmed Asmar

The Saudi Geological Survey authority said Friday that it detected a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in the Arabian Gulf region, approximately 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Jubail in eastern Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi official news agency, SPA, citing the National Seismic Monitoring Network, said the minor earthquake occurred Friday morning and was detected by the agency.

"This earthquake is due to the stress along old faults in the Gulf region, caused by the movement of the Arabian tectonic Plate and its collision with the Eurasian Plate," according to the agency.

It confirmed that the Saudi territory was not affected and the situation remains safe.

The Arabian Gulf region is not a seismic zone, however, studies indicate minor accelerations in tectonic movement in the region, according to the local Al-Madina newspaper.