And the photo that shows it all....
Unfortunately, it does not show his head for easy identification.
I still think Mr. Obama kissed King Abdullah's ring on the King's outstreched right hand, and some dark haired fellow in the foreground unfortunately obscured it for the cameras. And to kiss it, his head had to go down very far. It does not seem like a bow for a bow sake, but an effort (successful or not I am not sure) to kiss the ring of the King. (This, by the way, since 2004, has been discouraged in Saudi Arabia by the King himself, to his own countrymen as he does not accept the practice and considers it "un-Islamic". So Zero attempts to go local and go overboard, but ends up committing, probably, a faux paus in Saudi cultural contexts.)
Generally, among non metrosexual world leader males, a vigorous handshake and a smile, perhaps a light nod, is sufficient and called for, and does not relegate one country to another. This is in fact with Zero should have done in the first place.
The White House spokesmen is a real snake of a liar, too, I might add, when pressed on this question at a White House presser. Sheesh, talk about spinnnnnnnn.....