Merkel in Saudi Arabia for bilateral cooperation talks, G20 preparations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Saudi King Salman on Sunday, state media said, as she began a visit focused on bilateral relations and preparations for the next G20 meeting.

King Salman received Merkel in his palace in the western city of Jeddah, SPA state news agency said, adding that the two presided over a signing ceremony for six cooperation agreements: three government-to-government and the others involving the private sector.

Merkel was also expected to discuss with the Saudis the agenda for the G20 meeting in July, including the Paris climate accord and G20 decisions on energy, according to a German official.

"There will be for sure a discussion over how Germany could support Saudi efforts to diversify its economy and reduce its dependency on fossil energy," the official said ahead of the visit.

"Economic relations are solid but not shining. The volume of commercial exchange stood at $8.7bn in 2016. German investments in Saudi were around $1.3bn," the official said.  

The world's largest oil exporter has embarked on an ambitious plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy after a sharp drop in crude prices diminished revenue.

Like other recent female Western visitors, the German chancellor did not cover her hair upon arrival in the conservative Islamic kingdom, the Independent noted.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May also declined to follow the strict dress code for women recently when she arrived in Riyadh, after saying she hoped to be an inspiration to women in Saudi Arabia.

Merkel is also expected to urge Saudi Arabia and its fellow Sunni-ruled Gulf monarchies to reduce tension with their Shia-dominated neighbour Iran, the official added.

World's largest oil exporter embarked on ambitious plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy after sharp drop in crude prices diminished revenue

After her meetings, Merkel told German journalists travelling with her that she raised human rights concerns with Saudi leaders, including the rights of women.

She said Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen also was discussed. "We don't believe there can be a military solution to the conflict," Merkel said.

Merkel also met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful son of the king, who is also defence minister.

Still, Saudi Arabia will not request more weapons from Germany, and will concentrate instead on economic cooperation in other sectors, according to an interview in the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" published on Sunday.

"We accept the German reticence with regard to exports to Saudi Arabia; we know the political background," Saudi Deputy Economy Minister Mohammed al-Tuwaijri told the magazine.

Among other issues, the kingdom's involvement in the long-running war in Yemen, in which many civilians have died in air strikes carried out by warplanes from a Saudi-led Arab coalition, has raised fears that German arms were being misused.

Last year Germany exported more than a half-billion dollars worth of armaments to Saudi Arabia.

Merkel travels on Monday to the United Arab Emirates, where German investments stand at around $2.6bn, the German official said.