Lula met with the Saudi prince who presented Bolsonaro with a gift

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed bin Salman. The meeting took place shortly after the end of the G20 summit, this Sunday (10), in New Delhi, India. The Saudi monarch gained notoriety in the country due to the jewelry he gave as a gift to then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The meeting lasted about 20 minutes and took place a day later than expected. On Saturday (9), Mohamed canceled the meeting due to an unforeseen agenda. Justifying the cancellation, the Presidency of the Republic stated that it received information from the Saudi delegation about an “urgent situation in the delegation”.

Both heads of state have already attempted a first meeting in June this year. While fulfilling an official engagement in Paris, France, the prince invited Lula and First Lady Janja to dinner. However, this event was canceled due to the negative reaction it generated. At the time, Planalto justified the cancellation citing Lula’s “intense schedule”.

At this Saturday’s meeting, the Saudi prince also indicated to Lula that he wants to expand investments in Brazil, in the area of ​​oil and gas and also in renewable energy sources. For Lula’s part, the head of the Brazilian Executive congratulated the prince on Saudi Arabia’s entry into the BRICS. Furthermore, the meeting served to arrange the trip for a delegation of Saudi businesspeople and authorities to Brazil to learn about the New PAC projects, open to foreign investment.

Controversial figure

It is not the first time that Mohammed bin Salman (also known by the acronym MBS) has been involved in controversy. He is suspected of involvement in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. The journalist had published reports in the United States that were critical of the prince.

Data from the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights indicates that Saudi Arabia had 129 people executed per year, from 2015 to 2022, an increase of 82% compared to the period from 2010 to 2014. Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, report continued violations in Saudi Arabia.