Posts misleadingly compare Saudi Arabia's welcoming ceremonies for world leaders

Published on 21/07/2022 at 10:44

Several photos have been shared repeatedly in English and Korean-language posts that claim they show how Saudi Arabia treated world leaders "differently" by laying out different coloured carpets for their arrival. The posts suggest former US president Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin received more favourable welcomes than US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson because they were given red rather than purple carpets. This, however, is misleading. The kingdom changed the colour of its ceremonial carpets from red to lavender in 2021. The posts shared photos of Trump and Putin that predate the carpet policy change.