Straw and Prince Abdullah discussed the "current situation in Iraq and developments in the region," SPA said.

Straw also delivered the kingdom's de facto leader a letter from British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the contents of which were not disclosed.

The British minister earlier met with Prince Saud and "reviewed regional developments and particularly the situation in Iraq and its consequences."

They also covered "issues related to the Palestinian issue and the importance of kickstarting the peace process, in addition to discussing bilateral issues."

The British foreign secretary later left Riyadh after a Gulf tour that also took him to Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait and was focused on post-Saddam Iraq.

Riyadh, which opposed the US-British war on Iraq, last week called for the Iraqi people to be allowed to choose their own government and decide their own future.

SPACE.WIRE