Muqtada al-Sadr pictured with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his first visit to Riyadh in 11 years.

:: Influential Iraqi cleri Muqtada al-Sadr has arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in what is hist first visit in nearly 11 years.

On his arrival, Sadr was greeted by the Saudi Minister of State for Gulf Affairs, Thamer Al-Subhan.

“We have been very pleased with what we found to be a positive breakthrough in the Saudi-Iraqi relations, and we hope it is the beginning of the retreat of sectarian strife in the Arab-Islamic region,” a statement from Sadr’s office said.

Sadr, who enjoys a wide base support as leader of al-Sadr movement, comes from a prominent Shiite family and is the fourth son of a highly-respected Shiite cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr.

The last visit by Sadr to Saudi Arabia came in 2006.

Sadr was greeted by the Saudi Minister of State for Gulf Affairs, Thamer Al-Subhan, on his arrival to Jeddah.