President Hu arrived Saturday from a visit to the United States. He plans to hold talks with Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan during the visit. Mr. Hu also will meet with Saudi businessmen before flying to the oil-rich Eastern Province Sunday to meet industry leaders.
The Chinese leader's trip to Saudi Arabia comes three months after the Saudi monarch visited Beijing on his first overseas tour as king. During that trip, the countries signed agreements to cooperate on energy, economic and trade policies, among others.
China has been aggressively seeking to strengthen relationships with major oil suppliers as it grows more heavily reliant on oil imports. Saudi Arabia accounts for about 17 percent of Beijing's imported oil.
On Friday, President Hu defended China's political system as he wrapped up a four day visit to the United States.
In a speech at Yale University, he said China will not simply copy the political models of other countries, but will draw on the useful experiences of foreign nations. Mr. Hu also called for closer relations with the United States.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.