Riyadh  - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due in Saudi Arabia later Saturday at the start of a four-day Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Brown will attempt to win the backing of oil-rich Gulf nations in his plan to let them join a fund to stabilise the global financial system and help countries hit by the economic crisis.

"The Gulf states are in a position as states with significant wealth (and) significant resources to contribute to the refinancing and stability of the financial system," Brown was quoted by the BBC as saying.

The visit comes ahead of a global summit to draw up new international financial rules, to be held in the United States on 15 November.

Brown was travelling with Peter Mandelson, the former EU trade commissioner and now British Business Minister, and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband plus and a top British business delegation. dpa