U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, met with the King of Saudi Arabia Monday, after spending the weekend in the Persian Gulf. The two held talks and had a luxurious lunch together at the King’s desert retreat outside of Riyadh.
Upon arriving in the desert Kingdom, Clinton was welcomed by Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who took her to the camp 35 miles northeast of the Saudi capital. On the way over, the Prince joked with the Secretary about the country’s capital. This might have helped ease Clinton’s meeting with King Abdullah.
“I want you to know, Your Majesty, that His Highness thinks camels are ugly,” Mrs. Clinton said, according to the New York Times.
“I think His Highness was not being fair to camels,” the King reportedly replied.
After sitting for some talks and allowing photographers to snap away from them, King Abdullah escorted the former First Lady to her lunch inside the air-conditioned tent, which is about the size of a circus tent. The meal included lamb, rice, hummus and other foods. The King played a wide-screen TV of a soccer game to perhaps entertain the guests. But some suspected it was to keep them from overhearing his conversation with Clinton.
One of the topics the two likely discussed was Iran and its controversial nuclear program. Clinton was hoping Saudi Arabia would use its influence with China to secure sanctions against Iran because of the program.
But what was probably on the mind of King Abdullah was the Mideast peace process, which has been stalling.
“The peace process is the main issue, of course,” said Saudi foreign ministry spokesman Osama Nugali. “Our position is still the same… that we need to revive the peace process.”
“I’m hopeful that this year will see the commencement of serious negotiations,” Clinton said while in Qatar.




















