A senior Saudi official says his country is consulting with U.S. officials on what action to take in the case of an American citizen who was kidnapped by al-Qaida militants in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Adel al-Jubeir told CNN that Saudi Arabia does not have a history of negotiating with terrorists.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan described the kidnapping of 49-year-old Paul Johnson as "a high priority" and President Bush is receiving regular updates on the situation.
On Tuesday, an Islamist website showed a video of the blindfolded American hostage, who disappeared Saturday.
In the tape, Mr. Johnson's abductors threaten to kill him unless Islamic militants held in Saudi prisons are freed by Friday. The militant group calls itself al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.