HIS Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, returned to Malaysia on Sunday following a three-day state visit to Bahrain, a historic trip that marked the first royal visit to the Gulf island nation since 1974.
The royal aircraft departed from the Royal Lounge at Bahrain International Airport, Muharraq, at 8 pm local time (1 am Malaysian time), carrying Sultan Ibrahim and his entourage, which included Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj, Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj, and Malaysia’s Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The departure was witnessed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who personally saw off the King.
Also present were Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, Malaysian Ambassador to Bahrain Datuk Shazryll Zahiran, and Chief of Ceremonial Protocol Datuk Rozainor Ramli.
During the visit, Sultan Ibrahim received a state welcome at Istana Sakhir and participated in programmes specially arranged by King Hamad, including a visit to the Martyrs’ Monument, an important historical site, and the Ministry of Interior Bahrain, marking a first for a visiting head of state.
On Friday evening, King Hamad hosted a state banquet in honour of the Malaysian monarch.
The visit represents Sultan Ibrahim’s sixth state trip, following previous visits to Singapore, China, Brunei, Russia and Saudi Arabia. It also underlines the growing diplomatic and trade relations between Malaysia and Bahrain. Bahrain remains one of Malaysia’s key trading partners in West Asia, ranking as the ninth largest trading partner, the eleventh largest export destination, and the eighth largest source of imports in the region. - November 9, 2025
