New Delhi: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the first President of Shia-dominated Iran to make the expedition to Sunni-governed Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian President is in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz, a close ally of the US.
Over 17 lakh pilgrims from 181 different countries have travelled to Saudi Arabia for the Haj this year, according to official reports, an increase of 3 per cent from 2006.
Ahmadinejad had said at a press conference a few weeks ago that he would go to the Haj if invited.
“It is only respectful to respond positively to an invitation from a brother,'' he had said.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries – incidentally, all Sunni nations and all US allies – had expressed some worries over Shia-dominated Iran’s increasing influence in the region.
According to news agency The Associated Press, King Abdullah’s invitation reflected a readiness on the part of Saudi Arabia to reach out to its prickly neighbour.
With inputs from The Associated Press
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