The king of Saudi Arabia's historic visit to Russia didn't get off to the best of starts when his golden escalator broke down as he left his plane after it landed in Moscow. King Salman was forced to walk down most of the steps after the moving staircase malfunction.

The 81-year-old and one of his entourage looked on in confusion for several seconds before deciding to descend the escalator themselves. The footage was broadcast by Russian state television channel Rossiya-24.

King Salman is in Moscow to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss oil production and agree a number of arms deals.

Reports suggest that the two countries have already agreed a number of lucrative deals, including a range of arms sales worth more than £2bn. Saudi Arabia is also said to be investing in Russian energy projects worth around £1bn.

Putin hailed the visit by king as a "momentous" event, reported Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. King Salman added: "We aim to strengthen our relations in the interests of peace and security, in the interests of developing the world economy."

King Salman
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud gets off the plane upon his arrival at Moscow Getty
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