JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday at the head of a high-level delegation on a four-day visit, officials said. Sharif, accompanied by Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and his foreign and finance ministers, was greeted in the Red Sea city of Jeddah by Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz, the official news agency SPA said.

The crown prince has been put in charge of the oil-rich Persian Gulf Arab state since King Fahd left on holiday to Spain on Saturday. Talks between the crown prince and Sharif are expected to focus on boosting relations between the two Muslim countries, according to a Pakistani diplomatic source. Officials in Pakistan said Sharif would also brief the Saudi leadership about the regional situation after the scaling down of the latest conflict with India over Kashmir. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz travelled to Pakistan in May, after the two states agreed to boost investment and trade.

Riyadh has provided around one billion dollars in aid to Islamabad. (AFP)