Saudi Arabia's King Salman and US President Donald Trump, in a phone call on Sunday, discussed joint efforts to fight the spread of Islamic State militants and agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, media sources said.

"The president requested and the King agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts," a White House statement said.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said the two leaders discussed the historic relations between the two friendly countries and the latest developments in the region and the world, in addition to discussing the strategic partnership of the twenty first century between the two countries and the importance of improving the economic, security and military cooperation between them.

The White House statement said the two leaders also agreed on the need to address "Iran's destabilizing regional activities."

The statement said the two also discussed what it called an invitation from the king for Trump "to lead a Middle East effort to defeat terrorism and to help build a new future, economically and socially," for Saudi Arabia and the region.

Trump also spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “Groups that raise fake slogans and ideologies aim to hide their criminal truth by spreading chaos and destruction,” the Crown Prince was quoted by UAE state news agency WAM as saying.

The White House said Trump had also "raised the idea of supporting safe zones for the refugees displaced by the conflict in the region, and the Crown Prince agreed to support this initiative."

The two discussed the Islamic State and the Crown Prince agreed to support safe zones to protect refugees in the Middle East, The Hill reported.