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Washington rolls out red carpet for Saudi Arabia's King Salman

By Amy R. Connolly
King Salman bin Abd alAziz of Saudi Arabia is shown during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House September 4, 2015 in Washington, DC Pool Photo by Olivier Douliery/UPI
1 of 5 | King Salman bin Abd alAziz of Saudi Arabia is shown during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House September 4, 2015 in Washington, DC Pool Photo by Olivier Douliery/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- The red carpet is being rolled out across Washington, D.C., this weekend as Saudi Arabia's King Salman traverses the city, most notably at the luxury hotel where he and his entourage are staying.

The Four Seasons in Georgetown reportedly redecorated to ensure everything was gold for the regent.

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"Gold mirrors, gold end tables, gold lamps, even gold hat racks," one hotel employee told Politico.

Red carpets have been laid in hallways and a parking garage to ensure the billionaire king and his family will never have to touch asphalt. The 222-room hotel was sold out for the weekend, presumably filled with Saudi diplomats, family members and assistants.

Salman has a reputation for displacing commoners for his own comforts when traveling. In July, during his eight-day stay on the French Riviera, locals were outraged when beaches were closed to ensure his privacy.

Salman spent some of Friday meeting with President Obama at the White House to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and its wider effects on the Middle East, just days before the Senate returns to take up the deal. Obama himself took some extraordinary steps to greet Salman, personally meeting the king at the door of the West Wing when the motorcade pulled up.

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This is the Saudi king's first visit to the United States since he ascended to the throne in January after his brother, King Abdullah, died.

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