JEDDAH, July 14 — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today had an audience with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Abdulaziz al-Saud at the Royal Court, here.
Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Samsudin said during the audience both majesties among others spoke on further enhancing existing bilateral relations and cooperation between both countries, particularly in terms of haj.
He said the inaugural visit of Sultan Abdullah as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at the invitation of King Salman himself had further helped to strengthen the fraternal bond that has existed since 1957.
Ahmad Fadil said during the audience Sultan Abdullah also expressed his satisfaction with the visit and that it provided the opportunity for both monarchs to meet, after the last Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah’s visit to the country.
“Tuanku had also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to which King Salman expressed his gratitude and extended his invitation to Dr Mahathir to visit Saudi Arabia the next time,” he told the Malaysian media after the closed door audience session ended.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Fadil said King Salman had expressed Saudi government’s readiness to hold the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM), which would focus on economic cooperation. The last Malaysia-Saudi Arabia JCM was held in 2004.
Sultan Abdullah accompanied by his son Tengku Amir Nasser Ibni Sultan Abdullah and officials including Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah arrived in Saudi Arabia on Friday for a three-day special visit.
His Majesty’s itinerary began with his arrival in Madinah, where Sultan Abdullah visited the tomb of Prophet Muhammad at the Nabawi Mosque and performed the Friday prayer before departing to Jeddah on Saturday and completing Umrah in Makkah on the same day.
Sultan Abdullah will depart Saudi Arabia for home at 8pm local time (1am Malaysian time), today. — Bernama
