New Delhi:King Salman has granted Saudi citizenship to Dr Zakir Naik. Media reports from Middle East  said he had intervened to grant Dr Naik Saudi citizenship to protect him from arrest by the International Police Organisation, Interpol.

An Indian court had issued a second arrest warrant against Dr Naik asserting him in a terror-related case and over money laundering allegations.

Dr Naik, who was on tour at that time, decided not to return to India and remained in Malaysia where permanent residency status was granted to him five years ago by the Malaysian government, reported middleeastmonitor.com.

The 51-year-old preacher had left India last year after some perpetrators of the Dhaka terror attack claimed they were inspired by him. Indian enforcement officials were moving to revoke his passport and request Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for him.