Prince Charles has held informal talks with Saudi Arabia's new King Salman after he arrived in Riyadh on the latest leg of a six-day tour of the Middle East.
The Prince of Wales shared a lunch with the monarch and hundreds of guests at a palace in the capital.
He has been under pressure from Amnesty International UK to raise humanitarian concerns with King Salman, particularly the case of jailed Saudi blogger Raif Badawi who faces 1,000 lashes and at least ten years in jail after he was convicted of insulting Islam.
It was unclear whether Prince Charles raised Mr Badawi's case at the lunch.
The prince and the king talked privately through an interpreter before the lunch and then sat together for the 40-minute meal.
Guests dined on a range of dishes including longface emperor fish, traditional lamb dishes and qursan - a popular Saudi dish of meat and vegetables.
Prince Charles knows the Saudi royal family well and was among the world figures who travelled to the country to pay his respects last month following the death of King Abdullah at the age of 90.
When he met with the late monarch's son Prince Miteb, he told Charles: "The whole family were very grateful. It meant a lot when you came on the first day (after the funeral), it meant a great deal to us."
Simon Collis, Britain's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: "Royal to royal links have a particular value... these kinds of visits are capable of having significant impact.
"Any conversation that does happen is not just going to be an exchange of platitudes, because they are past that."
Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK director, said: "We don't expect Prince Charles to give up the red carpets and state banquets and become a human rights campaigner, but as a man who knows the Middle East well we hope that he will use this visit to pass on a few well-chosen words to his royal hosts.
"We know that freedom of religion is an issue close to the Prince's heart, and in Saudi Arabia he will surely want to raise the outrageous case of Raif Badawi. We still need the UK government to do more on Raif's case, but Charles' diplomatic intercession could help secure this man's freedom."
Amnesty has also called on the Prince to highlight the plight of foreign workers employed to build the infrastructure of the 2022 World Cup when he goes to Qatar.
Charles, and Prime Minister David Cameron, were criticised last month after visiting Saudi Arabia to pay respects following the death of King Abdullah.
The decision following the King's death to fly flags at half-mast on key public buildings in London, including Downing Street, drew sharp criticism from prominent politicians.
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