King Salman of Saudi Arabia was due to embark on an unusual tour of his country on Tuesday, as the kingdom’s international reputation continued to be buffered by the fallout from the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

The 82-year-old was due to leave the capital Riyadh and visit several other provinces during the week-long trip, his first domestic tour since taking the throne in 2015.

The king’s trip was announced with great fanfare and appeared to be an effort to project confidence and reassure ordinary Saudis amid the most intense international criticism of Saudi Arabia since September 11th.

“It is timely and does send a signal to the domestic audience that the king is in touch with the population and remains the kingdom’s leader and he continues to value the old ways of communicating with his people,” said Dr Neil Quilliam, senior research fellow at Chatham House.

Meanwhile, several dozen members of the Saudi elite are believed to still be imprisoned one year after Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, ordered widespread arrests of princes and business leaders.