World leaders congratulate Obama on re-election

U.S. President Barack Obama, his wife Michelle and their daughters Malia (3rd R) and Sasha (2nd R) return after his re-election, to the White House in Washington November 7, 2012.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama spoke with world leaders including the Saudi King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had sent messages to congratulate the president on his re-election on Tuesday, the White House said.

"The president appreciates all of these messages and looks forward to continuing to work with all of his fellow leaders to address the serious challenges we face together in the world," the White House said on Thursday.

The president responded to some of the messages personally, by phone, the White House said.

Obama, who won a second, four-year term with a decisive victory after a tight contest against Republican challenger Mitt Romney, also spoke with Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron, also spoke with the president, the White House said.

Among the leaders in the Western Hemisphere to congratulate the Democrat on his second term were Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

(This story has been corrected to say world leaders sent messages, and Obama called them)

(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Jackie Frank)