Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/obama-saudi-king-meet-about-speech-mideast-tensions Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript President Obama met with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Wednesday ahead of his speech in Egypt aimed at improving relations with the Muslim world. Ray Suarez reports. Read the Full Transcript JIM LEHRER: President Obama arrived in Saudi Arabia today, on a trip aimed at improving relations with the Muslim world. He planned to address a broad range of issues.Ray Suarez has our lead story report. RAY SUAREZ: The president received a royal welcome on the sun-scorched tarmac at Riyadh's main airport, first stop on his tour through the Middle East and Europe.King Abdullah greeted Mr. Obama, who added the 16-hour stop last week in the country that's home to Islam's two holiest sites. From there, he heads for Egypt and a major speech on relations with the Muslim world.BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States: The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship. We have a strategic relationship. And as I take this trip and will be visiting Cairo tomorrow, I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began, and to seek his majesty's counsel, and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East.