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LISA MULLINS: I'm Lisa Mullins, and this is The World. President Barack Obama got a royal welcome today to Saudi Arabia. A military band played the Star Spangled Banner as the US President and the Saudi king stood shoulder to shoulder under a gazebo. It was a positive start to an important visit for US interests in the region. Here's more from The World's Jason Margolis.

JASON MARGOLIS: The day began with Mr. Obama and Saudi king Abdullah exchanging a light embrace and kiss. The President did not bow before the king. Mr. Obama appeared to do that earlier this year in London, a gesture that drew criticism from some. This time, the two men held talks at the King's sprawling farm. King Abdullah presented Mr. Obama with a gold medallion, the kingdom's highest honor. King Abdullah called Mr. Obama “a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position.” Mr. Obama briefly spoke with reporters.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began, and to seek his Majesty's counsel and to discuss many of the issues we confront here in the Middle East.

MARGOLIS: The two men adjourned to private talks with a range of potential topics: the Arab-Israeli peace efforts, Iran's nuclear program, and a recent surge in oil prices. The President also reportedly discussed what to do with 100 Yemeni detainees locked up in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Those prisoners have complicated the President's plans to close the camp. Just as President Obama was arriving in Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera broadcast an audiotape reportedly containing the voice of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. The tape mentions Pakistanis who have been uprooted from their homes in a month-old campaign to drive militants out of the Swat Valley.

OSAMA BIN LADEN: President Obama, his administration and supporters, have sewn new seeds of hatred and revenge against America. This is because of the huge number of displaced people in Swat and the tribal regions in Waziristan. By doing so, Obama has chosen to follow in his predecessor's path, increasing hostility in the Muslim world and conflict. We address the American people and tell them they will suffer the consequences of their president's actions.

MARGOLIS: The US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said it was ludicrous to suggest that anyone but Al Qaeda and the Taliban are responsible for the refugee crisis in Pakistan. The president will spend tonight at King Abdullah's farm outside the Saudi capital. Tomorrow, the president is due to head to Egypt where he's scheduled to give a much-anticipated speech from the domed hall at Cairo University. For The World, I'm Jason Margolis.

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