The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Amr Moussa, has held talks in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Abdullah.

Details of the talks were not immediately available, but correspondents say they are part of intense diplomatic efforts to convene an Arab summit to discuss the deadlocked Middle East peace process.

The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, has been touring the region to garner support for the proposal.

A statement issued in the United Arab Emirates, where Mr Arafat held talks with President Sheikh Zayed Ibn Sultan Al-Nahyan, said the two leaders agreed on the need for an emergency summit to restore Arab solidarity.