RIYADH, 9 September — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed will visit the Kingdom in mid-October at the invitation of the government, it was disclosed here yesterday.
The visit is expected to boost political, religious and commercial links between these two members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). Announcing the visit, Malaysian Ambassador Wan Mokhtar Ahmad said he will see Saudi officials this week to finalize Mahathir’s itinerary.
Mahathir, the longest serving premier in the world, will be accompanied by a large delegation of senior government officials and top businessmen.
Referring to growing bilateral relations, Ambassador Ahmad said that a recent meeting of senior Saudi and Malaysian officials explored prospects of cooperation, especially in education and tourism. Riyadh and Kuala Lumpur also seek to sign agreements to strengthen commercial relations. Saudi Arabia has emerged as the largest trading partner of Malaysia in the Middle East. Saudi-Malaysian trade, Ahmad said, is poised to grow further, especially as Malaysia is well on the way to becoming a full-fledged industrialized nation. Among other products, Saudi Arabia imports a large quantity of palm oil from Malaysia, the world’s largest producer.
The ambassador said a major investment seminar on Saudi economy will be held on Sept. 24 in Kuala Lumpur. He said the event will be attended by several senior Saudi and Malaysian officials and businessmen including Prince Abdullah Ibn Faisal, governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). The two-day seminar will explain new opportunities in the oil and gas sector, major privatization initiatives, opportunities in the field of mineral resources and project financing.
Asked about the increasing tourist traffic between the Kingdom and Malaysia, the envoy said the number of visitors to Malaysia exceeded 60,000 this year compared to 11,000 a few years ago.
