KSA, Brunei celebrate close ties

The island nation of Brunei is set to begin phasing in Islamic criminal punishment laws from April 1, Brunei’s Ambassador Abdul Mokti Daud told Arab News during celebrations to mark his country’s 30th anniversary of independence in Riyadh.
Daud was accompanied by another high-ranking diplomat, who said that only a small segment of Brunei’s 400,000-strong population are skeptical about such laws due to widespread misinterpretation about their implementation.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar, Azzam Al-Gain, chief of protocol at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and members of the diplomatic corps, were also present at the event.
Brunei’s ambassador expressed his gratitude to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, for promoting brotherly relations between the two countries and providing excellent services to pilgrims.
The envoy also lauded the mega projects under way across the Kingdom and the historic expansion of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah.
Brunei products also were on display at the reception, including goods produced by the Sabli Food Industries and Seri Pekatan SDN seafood crackers.
The ambassador told Arab News that Brunei can serve as a premier tourist destination for Saudi holiday makers thanks to the oil-rich country being 70 percent tropical rainforest.
It is a nature lover’s paradise, he said, with attractions ranging from picnicking in the park to jungle treks and boat rides into the heart of a pristine rainforest.
“The country sums up everything that is good about Borneo. It offers colorful culture, warm-hearted people and plenty of thrills and spills for adventure seekers,” he said.
Borneo, the third largest island in the world, encompasses Brunei, an independent state, and part of Malaysia and Indonesia.
Brunei is just two to three hours by plane from most countries in the region.
The ambassador said Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th monarch in succession to the throne, is prime minister, as well as finance and defense minister.
“The country has a dynamic and sustainable economy, with a per capita income among the top 10 countries in the world. Brunei also ranks number one in the Islamic world in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures a country’s quality of life, the ambassador said.