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Thursday, 4th June 2009 (1556 views)

Barack Obama has been given the gift of a gold necklace on his first visit to Saudi Arabia.

The US president was presented with the item by King Abdullah, who noted that it is only given to "the very few friends of the king".

Known as the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit, the gold necklace represents the highest honour that Saudi Arabia can bestow.

Commenting on the presentation, Mr Obama remarked: "I consider the king's friendship a great blessing and I am very appreciative that he would bestow this honour on me during this visit."

President George Bush is thought to have received a similar gift during a visit to the kingdom last year.

The history of gold in Saudi Arabia dates back thousands of years, with its most famous mining site being the Mahd adh Dhahab - also known as the Cradle of Gold.

It is currently operated by the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate.

 

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