Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived in Saudi Arabia today, Monday, leading a ministerial delegation, coming from Turkey where he attended the inauguration ceremony of the Turkish president. He was welcomed at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah by Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Mecca Province, Minister of State and member of the Council of Ministers, Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, the accompanying minister, the Director of Royal Protocol in Mecca, Ahmed bin Dhafar, and several officials, according to "WAS."
According to Venezuelan media, Maduro arrived in Jeddah accompanied by his wife, the foreign and communications ministers, and other officials. He will hold meetings with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The presidential press team stated via Twitter: "Maduro arrives at King Abdulaziz International Airport, located in Jeddah, the second most important city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as part of a work agenda aimed at enhancing political, diplomatic, and energy alliances."
The official Saudi press agency did not mention the reason for Maduro's visit, but Venezuela, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has previously sought coordination with the Kingdom regarding declining oil prices and American sanctions.
Maduro is the last adversary of the United States to visit Saudi Arabia at a time when the Kingdom is rebuilding its alliances without waiting for the approval of its longtime ally, Washington. Recently, Riyadh has restored relations with Iran and Syria and strengthened cooperation with China and Russia.
Maduro's visit comes a day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's arrival in the Kingdom for talks with Saudi leadership.
U.S. President Joe Biden has eased some sanctions on Venezuela since taking office, which were largely imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump as part of a "maximum pressure" campaign on Caracas to encourage dialogue. However, negotiations between the two countries have stalled once again. The United States states it will relax sanctions on Venezuela only if it takes concrete steps toward holding free elections.
