DHAKA: US president Barack Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March on a mission to smooth tensions with Washington’s main Arab ally over US policy on Iran’s nuclear program and the civil war in Syria.

A newspaper reported, The Jerusalem Post publishes this report on Saturday.

Obama is preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings.

‘This is about a deteriorating relationship’ and declining trust, said a senior Arab official in discussing the need for the summit, which was pulled together in recent days, the newspaper reported.

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment.

BDST: 1910 HRS, FEB 01, 2014