Riyadh, January 5, 2008 (WAFA) - President Mahmoud Abbas held on Saturday consultations with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on the development of peace talks with Israel.

During the meeting held in Riyadh, they also discussed US President George W Bush's trip to the region next week.

President Abbas also briefed Saudi King on the outcome so far of the negotiations between the Palestinian Leadership and Israel on final status issues.

Palestinian official sources said the visit has also the aim of coordinating attitudes prior to Bush's visit to the region and to assert the point that the Israeli settlement activity in the Palestinian Territories represented a major hurdle in the path of negotiations.