Saudi Arabia welcomes Venezuelan leader Maduro, reaching out to yet another US foe

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia has welcomed Venzuelan President Nicolas Maduro on an official visit, reaching out to yet another U.S. foe as the oil-rich kingdom engages in a flurry of diplomacy. The state-run Saudi Press Agency says Maduro arrived late Sunday in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where he was greeted by Saudi officials. It did not give a reason for the visit or elaborate on his schedule. Saudi Arabia is hosting an international conference on combating extremism later this week in the capital, Riyadh. The gathering will be co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The kingdom recently restored relations with Iran’s theocracy and Syria’s President Bashar Assad — both seen as pariahs in the West.