ISLAMABAD, Nov 1: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, who arrived here on Thursday evening for a brief visit, made a last-minute change in his departure plan and apparently decided to stay overnight in Pakistan, sources told Dawn.

The Saudi foreign minister had arrived in the federal capital in a special plane at around 7.15pm to deliver a personal letter of Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz to President Pervez Musharraf.

The source said the prince was scheduled to return after three hours but apparently changed his mind at the eleventh hour after reaching the airport.

He said that Prince Saud al-Faisal arrived at the airport at 10.15pm to leave for his home. “He went into his special plane but came out just after five minutes and left in a cavalcade for State Guest House in Islamabad,” the source said. “The crew of the plane also left with him.”

Airport authorities said the plane’s departure was cancelled due to bad weather. However, they confirmed that other flights continued to arrive and depart at that time. Meanwhile, soon after his arrival from Saudi Arabia, Prince Saud went to meet President Musharraf to deliver the Saudi monarch’s personal letter.

According to a FO press release, the prince briefed the president on the recent visit of the British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Saudi Arabia and had an in-depth discussion on the evolving situation in the region.

“He (prince Saud) reiterated the assurances of full support of Saudi Arabia to the president’s courageous and far-sighted decision to stand by the international community in the war against terrorism,” the press release said.