King Salman bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia will be accompanied by a delegation of 10 ministers and 1,500 officials on his trip to Indonesia as he begins his five-nation tour next month, which also includes an official visit to the Maldives.
The king is to visit Japan, China and Malaysia in addition to Indonesia and the Maldives during his tour to strengthen the Arab kingdom’s relations with East Asian nations.
The Straits Times news website cited Indonesian officials that the Saudi monarch will be staying in Indonesia from March 1 – 9, the longest leg of his trip. According to the website, King Salman will spend the last six days “relaxing” in Bali.
Mihaaru understands that King Salman will be visiting the Maldives during the second week of March. According to sources, his entourage of 1,500 officials will also accompany him to the archipelago where the majority of the monarch’s stay will be spent as vacation.
Meanwhile, the government of Saudi Arabia is yet to release any official details regarding the king’s five-nation tour.
This will be King Salman’s first official visit to the Maldives as the Saudi monarch. He had previously spent a vacation in the archipelago in 2015 when he was the defence minister, and made an official visit in 2014.
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom had called upon the king on a visit to Saudi Arabia last October. The kingdom has become one of the closest allies of the Maldives during the current president’s administration.
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