DUBAI- Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it hoped Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani would not hold an independence referendum, saying such a move could bring risks for Iraq and the region.

Saudi Arabia "looks to the wisdom of President Barzani in not holding the referendum", a foreign ministry statement on state news agency SPA said.

(Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Catherine Evans) ((sylvia.westall@thomsonreuters.com; Dubai Newsroom +971 56 216 6204; Reuters Messaging: sylvia.westall.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))