FOREIGN Minister Saifuddin Abdullah will be hosting his Saudi Arabia counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan during his inaugural two-day official visit to Malaysia starting today.

The two ministers will hold a bilateral meeting to chart a way forward for the existing strong Malaysia-Saudi Arabia relations, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry today.

They will also exchange views on the regional and international development of interest to the two countries.

Prince Faisal is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob tomorrow. The prince will also have an audience with the king, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

The Saudi Arabian minister is also scheduled to have separate meetings with Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and International Trade and Investment Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, the statement added.

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have been long-standing partners. Cooperation between the two countries continues to expand in various fields, including in Covid-19 response and post-pandemic recovery.

Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner and the largest source of imports among West Asian countries. The total Malaysia-Saudi Arabia trade last year was valued at RM17.56 billion. – Bernama, June 7, 2022.