Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for talks with Saudi King Abdullah and other top officials.

The first Brazilian president ever to visit the Middle Eastern oil powerhouse, Lula was to sign a number of bilateral agreements on political, commercial and cultural relations, according to a Brazilian press official.

He could also discuss Brazil's desire to gain a permanent seat on a revamped UN Security Council, he said. The Saudis will have talks with their Brazilian counterparts on proposals to invest in farming in Brazil.

Lula is accompanied by some 50 Brazilian businessmen hoping to build relations with Saudi Arabia.

Brazil's state oil company Petrobras will sign a cooperation agreement with Saudi mining firm Modern Chemicals. A Brazilian firm will also sign a joint venture agreement for the production of insulin, according to delegates.

Lula is on the first stop of a trip that will take him also to China and Turkey.

In Brasilia before the tour began, Lula's spokesman Marcelo Baumbach said Brazil's intent with Saudi Arabia was more strategic than commercial.

"Good dialogue with Saudi Arabia is a positive element for Brazil's relationship with other Arab countries, especially those in the Gulf," he said.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the Middle East for Brazilian goods. The two countries have annual trade worth 5.5 billion dollars.