Fugitive Iraqi Vice President, who has been wanted by the government in Baghdad, arrived in Saudi Arabia from Qatar on Thursday.

Fugitive Iraqi Vice President, who has been wanted by the government in Baghdad, arrived in Saudi Arabia from Qatar on Thursday.

Tareq al-Hashemi has been wanted on charges he was responsible for assassination plots against Iraqi officials.

A Saudi government official told Agence France Press, on condition of anonymity, that “Hashemi has arrived in the kingdom and he has met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal”.

Another official told the Reuters news agency that Hashemi had arrived in the country on Thursday to perform the Umrah.
Hashemi's arrival in Qatar on Sunday, as part of what his office described as a regional tour, prompted Iraq to demand the Gulf Arab state "return him to Iraq to be tried".

Doha's acceptance of the VP sparked a wave of criticism by Iraq, which denounced Qatar's actions as "unacceptable".
Qatar rejected Baghdad's demand to hand over Hashemi saying it violates "diplomatic norms".