Obama, Gulf allies meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss security

President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia's King Salman walk together to a meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The president begins a six day trip to strategize with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, England and Germany on a broad range of issues with efforts to rein in the Islamic State group being the common denominator in all three stops. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia's King Salman walk together to a meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The president begins a six day trip to strategize with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, England and Germany on a broad range of issues with efforts to rein in the Islamic State group being the common denominator in all three stops. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

By Associated Press April 21, 2016 1 min read

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – President Barack Obama is set to meet with top officials from six Arab nations to discuss regional security issues in the Persian Gulf including the fight against the Islamic State militant group.

Obama’s meetings with the U.S.-allied countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday follow bilateral talks with Saudi King Salman.

The White House says the summit meeting will include three sessions. One aims to foster regional stability while another focuses on counterterrorism efforts, including efforts to defeat al-Qaida and Islamic State militants. A third session will focus on Iran, which Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states see as a destabilizing rival in the region.