http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/01/us-usa-obama-saudiarabia-idUSBREA1006F20140201(Reuters) - President Barack Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March on a mission to smooth tensions with Washington's main Arab ally over U.S. policy on Iran's nuclear program and the civil war in Syria, a newspaper reported.
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.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have been allies since the kingdom was formed in 1932, giving Riyadh a powerful military protector and Washington secure oil supplies.
