RIYADH, Nov 4 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, is scheduled to meet Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at Al-Yamamah Palace here today.
A state welcome ceremony also awaits the King at the palace in conjunction with his four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, followed by a state banquet.
Accompanying Sultan Ibrahim on the visit are Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
His Majesty arrived at the Royal Terminal of the King Khalid International Airport here at 12.30 pm yesterday, marking the first state visit by a Malaysian King to Saudi Arabia since the late Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah’s visit in 1984.
Istana Negara, in a statement, said the state visit reflected the continued commitment of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to further strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in various areas, including the economy, geopolitics, defence and Islamic affairs.
The statement said that during the first 10 months of this year, there had been a total of 12 high-profile visits between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s 14th largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to RM44.74 billion (USD9.79 billion).
Beyond economic ties, close relations are also evident in matters relating to haj and umrah, with His Majesty expected to convey appreciation to the Saudi government for its hospitality and special arrangements for Malaysian pilgrims each year.
This is the fifth state visit conducted by Sultan Ibrahim after Singapore, China, Brunei and Russia. — Bernama
