King Salman leaves after 4-day state visit

SEPANG: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia left Kuala Lumpur yesterday after a four- day state visit to Malaysia.

The monarch was seen off at the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who was the Ministerin-Attendance.

Malaysia was King Salman’s first country of visit in Southeast Asia since his ascension to the throne in 2015.

King Salman f lew to Jakarta for a three- day state visit to Indonesia.

King Salman was accorded a state welcome on Sunday at Parliament Square as His Majesty began the state visit which had a tight schedule of events over the four days.

Also on Sunday, King Salman attended a state banquet at Istana Negara, hosted in his honour by the Yang di- Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V.

King Salman was also conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by Universiti Malaya and an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science ( Islam and Wasatiyyah) degree as well as a Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award by the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

The visit also saw the signing of several memorandums of understanding, including a RM31- billion Share Purchase Agreement between Saudi Aramco and Petronas.

At KLIA, King Salman and Najib shook hands and embraced each other before the King, who is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, boarded the special aircraft.

King Salman’s maiden visit to Malaysia was at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V. — Bernama