Agra visit off, Obama heads to Riyadh

US President Barack Obama will travel to Riyadh to condole the death of Saudi Arabia's king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and will not visit Agra, the White House said Saturday.

Obama and his wife Michelle "will travel to Riyadh Tuesday in order to pay respects to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the family of the late king Abdullah bin Abdulaziz," the statement, issued by White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, said.

Obama will arrive India Sunday on a three-day visit. He was to visit Agra Jan 27.

The statement said Vice President Joe Biden was "originally to have led a delegation to Saudi Arabia on the president's behalf".

"As the president's and vice president's travel schedules became clearer, we determined that the window when the vice president would be on the ground in Riyadh coincided with the president's departure from India.

"Accordingly, we adjusted the schedule in coordination with the Indian government so that the president would be able to depart India following his speech Tuesday to stop in Riyadh during the return trip to meet with King Salman and other Saudi officials and offer his condolences on behalf of the American people."

White House said that Obama "regrets that he will be unable to visit Agra during this trip".

"The vice president will remain in Washington," the statement added. - IANS