Saudi Spaceman Blasts Off Into Sword Dance for Charles, Diana

Saudi spaceman Prince Sultan ibn Abdulaziz on Tuesday whirled into an impromptu Bedouin sword dance for Prince Charles and Princess Diana during a colorful desert picnic outside Riyadh.

Prince Sultan, 30, an Air Force major who orbited the Earth in the space shuttle Discovery last year, joined Prince Salman ibn Abdulaziz, the governor of Riyadh, in a light-hearted jig for the British royal couple on their second day in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Salman treated his guests to a traditional Arab banquet in a black rug tent at a royal farm in the Thumamah region, 50 miles east of Riyadh.

Princess Diana sat cross-legged on a carpet to taste an array of delicacies, including stuffed roast lamb, dates and watermelon, washed down with a yogurt drink.

The princess wore an outfit to match the occasion--a blue and white tunic over white silk jodhpurs with crescent earrings.

Persian Gulf Tour

The royal couple are spending three days in Saudi Arabia, the last leg of a 10-day Persian Gulf tour that has also taken them to Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

Prince Charles, himself a pilot, asked Prince Sultan about his experiences in space and said he had once used a shuttle flight simulator.

“I told him next time he can fly the real thing,” the Saudi prince told reporters. “His wife gave me kind of a surprised look--I think it will be her decision if he ever goes up in a space shuttle.”

Prince Sultan waxed enthusiastic over his meeting with the princess.

“She’s lovely, super, nice, an intelligent lady that everyone in Saudi Arabia appreciates,” he said.

Acknowledging that no female Saudis were with her at the picnic, the U.S.-educated prince, a nephew of King Fahd, said:

“That’s our custom. It’s just unfortunate.”

Male Bedouin dancers pounded painted drums and incense wafted through the air as the royal couple’s motorcade swept up to the farm over a flat desert road.

Hooded falcons, camels garbed in tasseled rugs and fine Arabian horses completed a spectacular display of Saudi Arabian tradition and folk art.