Obama prepares for Mideast trip

The central event of Obama's five-day, four-country trip abroad will be a speech in Cairo. The president has said the speech will focus on how the US can build mutual understanding and improve its relationship with the Muslim world. Obama will begin his trip by traveling to Riyadh on Wednesday to hold talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on the Mideast peace process, Iran's nuclear program and terrorism. Obama will hold no public events in Riyadh but will have a private dinner with the king and spend the night in the city before heading to Egypt. Saudi Arabia may be key to addressing the situation in Pakistan. With President Asif Ali Zardari becoming increasingly unpopular, Obama administration officials are hoping Saudi Arabia can use its leverage with Pakistani opposition leader Nawaz Sharif to work on resolving the increasing turbulence in that country. The Riyadh visit will take place the day before Obama is to deliver his long-anticipated speech in Cairo where he is expected to speak broadly about US policy toward the Muslim world and discuss his hopes for peace in the region. The president is expected to outline a new US approach toward the region and the Muslim world. Much of the Arab world doubts that the US president can change entrenched foreign policy; Kazinform cites the Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version