British boxer Amir Khan dons thobe on Saudi visit

British boxer of Pakistani origins Amir Khan has donned a traditional Saudi thobe for a conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

The former world champion put on the long white garment and a ghutra headdress to take part in the Misk Global Forum.

Khan posted an image of himself in the Saudi dress on his official Twitter account.

The boxer attended the event despite mounting pressure on Riyadh over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's mission in Istanbul.

Last month, a long list of investors and international policymakers boycotted a Saudi conference, nicknamed "Davos in the desert", amid growing outrage over the Khashoggi murder.

Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser, corporate chiefs from JP Morgan, Ford and Uber, and media powerhouses like CNN and the Financial Times all scrapped plans to attend.

Also last month, former British-Yemeni superstar boxer, Prince Naseem Hamed, took an unexpected political stance during Saudi Arabia's first professional boxing event.

"With our souls and our blood, we sacrifice for you Yemen," Prince Naseem said.

"Yemen is going through some hard times, please do not forget to pray for Yemen," he added, speaking in Arabic.

Saudi Arabia is currently leading a military coalition to drive out Houthi rebels from neighbouring Yemen, in a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people and driven the impoverished state to near-famine.

Since the murder of Khashoggi, there has been an increase in international pressure to end the devastating war.