An official source told the agency Saudi authorities had invited Portas to visit Riyadh but an exact date for the visit had not yet been set.

Saudi Arabia was shaken by a triple car bombing in Riyadh on May 12 which killed 34 people, including eight US citizens.

Security in Riyadh has been stepped up since the car bombings at three expatriate compounds which have been blamed on the al-Qaeda terror network, the authors of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The Portuguese government is a staunch supporter the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.

WAR.WIRE