Maduro in Saudi Arabia for Official Visit

By Staff, Agencies

Saudi Arabia welcomed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who is paying an official visit to the kingdom, in a move reaching out to another US foe.

Maduro arrived in the Red Sea city of Jeddah late Sunday, where he was greeted by Saudi officials, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The reason behind Maduro's visit and his schedule were not provided by the agency. However, it is worth noting that Saudi Arabia is set to host an international conference on ‘combating extremism’ later this week in the capital, Riyadh.

While Saudi Arabia has been a long-time ally of the United States, relations between the two countries have become strained in recent years. The kingdom has taken steps to restore relations with Iran and Syria, asserting that it is pursuing its own national interests amidst the backdrop of intensifying global power competition.

Experts believe that Saudi Arabia's diplomatic efforts are aimed at bolstering regional stability and enhancing the kingdom's image as it seeks international investment for its ambitious development projects.

The Venezuelan presidential media team tweeted that the purpose of Maduro's visit is to strengthen political alliances, diplomatic relations, and address energy-related matters.

Prior to his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Maduro had traveled to Ankara to attend the inauguration ceremony of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had been re-elected as the president of Turkey.

Maduro's re-election in 2018 came amidst attempts by Washington to interfere with Venezuela's electoral process by supporting the opposition and imposing heavy sanctions on Maduro's government, in the hope of triggering a regime change. However, Venezuela managed to withstand the impact of the sanctions.