STOCKHOLM/RIYADH: Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman arrived here yesterday on a four-day official visit. He was received at the airport by Per Unckel, county governor of Stockholm, and other senior Swedish and Saudi officials including Saudi Ambassador Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Jadie.
Prince Salman is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Research & Marketing Group, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Prince Turki bin Salman, Prince Naif bin Salman, Prince Bandar bin Salman and Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, mayor of Riyadh.
“Prince Salman’s visit will boost links between Riyadh and Stockholm further,” said Gufran Al-Nadaf, a spokeswoman of Swedish Foreign Ministry, while speaking to Arab News from Stockholm yesterday. Prince Salman is scheduled to meet with King Carol Gustaf XVI, Prime Minister Frederick Reinfeldt and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.
“(The visit) will contribute to further cementing bilateral relations in the political, trade and economic domains,” said Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jan Thesleff.
According to reports, the designs for a Saudi-funded landmark mosque in the Swedish city of Gothenburg have received the final go-ahead. The new mosque, to be built in the Hisingen area of the city, would include a 25-meter minaret. The mosque is scheduled for completion in 2009. Saudi Arabia is contributing SR27 million (44 million Swedish kronor) for the mosque, estimated to cost SR31 million (50 million kronor).
In recent years, Riyadh and Stockholm have forged closer ties with balance of trade in favor of Sweden.
— With input from agencies
