Obama To Cut Short India Visit, Fly To Saudi Arabia: Report

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet with new King Salman to pay respects after the death of King Abdullah, the White House said on Saturday.

Obama is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday where he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attend the Republic Day parade.

He will cut short his trip, missing a planned tour of the Taj Mahal, a 17th century mausoleum that is one of the world's architectural wonders, to travel to Saudi Arabia, the White House said.

The White House had originally planned that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden would lead a delegation to Saudi Arabia, but now that Obama will travel to Riyadh, Biden will remain in Washington.

King Abdullah died on Friday after a short illness and has been succeeded by his elderly brother Salman, raising concerns about political stability in Saudi Arabia, a longstanding U.S. ally and the world's leading oil exporter.