Obama meets King Salman

US President Barack Obama flew into Riyadh with a large delegation on 27 January, to meet the new Saudi king, Salman Bin Abdelaziz, and offer condolences on the death of his predecessor Abdullah. Obama, who had called King Salman from Air Force One on 24 January to express his sympathies, cut short a visit to India to go to Riyadh for a few hours, during which he observed various protocols and held a meeting with the king. While Obama’s was only one of many international delegations coming to make contact with the new ruler, its size spoke of the value Washington continues to place on its relationship with Riyadh.