Italian prime minister begins visit to Saudi Arabia during Gulf tour

Italian prime minister begins visit to Saudi Arabia during Gulf tour Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni began a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday as part of a Gulf tour to boost "national energy security", a government source said, as the war on Iran rages. Meloni began her unannounced trip in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, the source said, adding that she was the first leader of a European Union or Nato country to visit the region since the war began on 28 February. The source said the far-right premier would meet officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, though it was not immediately clear whether she would also visit those two countries.