World Bulletin / News Desk 

French President Francois Hollande arrived in Riyadh on Monday for a visit to Saudi Arabia.

Hollande was welcomed at King Khalid International Airport by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the kingdom's official SPA news agency reported.

Saudi Arabia invited French President Francois Hollande, whose country is deemed to have a tough stance in Iran nuclear negotiations, to Riyadh to discuss regional issues with Gulf Arab states who fear a rapprochement with Tehran could lead to further destabilisation in the region.

The two sides have set themselves a June 30 deadline for reaching a deal on Tehran's nuclear program.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors fear the deal will embolden Iran, which they consider their chief regional rival.

France, Saudi Arabia: Iran nuclear deal must avoid destabilising region 

France and Saudi Arabia said on Monday any future deal between Iran and major powers had to ensure that it did not destabilise the region further and threaten Iran's neighbours, the two countries said in a joint statement ahead of a summit in Riyadh.

"France and Saudi Arabia confirmed the necessity to reach a robust, lasting, verifiable, undisputed and binding deal with Iran," President Hollande and Saudi Arabia's King Salman said after meeting ahead of Tuesday's summit.

"This agreement must not destabilise the security and stability of the region nor threaten the security and stability of Iran's neighbours," the statement said.