Mohammed al-Sudani undertook his first visit to Saudi Arabia as Iraq’s Prime Minister on 8 December, attending the inaugural China-Arab States Summit. The Saudi-led initiative saw Arab leaders from across the region sit down with China’s President Xi Jinping during his first visit to Riyadh in six years .

The trip could afford Mr Sudani a critical opportunity to forge a relationship with the kingdom’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and earn trust with Iraq’s Arab neighbors. (CONTINUED - 1131 WORDS)