RIYADH // US president Barack Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to attend a summit with Gulf Arab states, including the UAE.
The president was greeted at King Khalid International Airport by Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz, the governor of Riyadh.
He was due to hold afternoon talks with King Salman, 80, before attending a summit of all six GCC states on Thursday, joined by defence secretary Ashton Carter and secretary of state John Kerry.
Mr Obama is seeking to focus discussions on efforts to end the wars in Syria and Yemen.
On Monday Syrian peace talks appeared to fall apart in Geneva when opposition leaders walked out.
And on Tuesday, the UN envoy to Yemen sought to persuade the Houthi rebels to send representatives to peace talks in Kuwait after they refused to attend.
Also likely to be discussed are Gulf Arab concerns that the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in January will embolden Tehran to adopt a more assertive foreign policy across the region.
Iran is backing the Houthis in Yemen against the internationally-recognised government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition that includes the UAE.
* With reporting by Agence France-Presse
