Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud suffered an embarrassing arrival in Russia when his golden escalator broke down.

The 81-year-old was disembarking his private plane after touching down at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport when the customised escalator malfunctioned.

He was forced to walk down the rest of the steps, receiving a guard of honour when he finally set foot on Russian soil for the historic visit.

The Saudi king is known for his extravagant trips abroad, travelling with a 1,500-strong entourage, two Mercedes Benzes and 459 tonnes of luggage.

In the first official visit of a Saudi monarch to Russia, King Salman met with President Vladimir Putin and signed a slew of arms and energy deals.