KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be undertaking a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia from tomorrow to March 9, followed by another to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from March 9 to 11.
Details provided by the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) said that this would be Muhyiddin’s first official visits to the two countries since assuming office on March 1, 2020.
The visit to Saudi Arabia is by invitation extended in April 2020 from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
“Muhyiddin has the honour of being the first foreign head of government to be invited by King Salman, following the historic Al Ula Conference on January 5, 2021,” said Wisma Putra in a statement on Friday.
The prime minister’s official programme will take place at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on March 9, which includes an official welcoming ceremony, a virtual audience with the king, and a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The visit will not only provide an opportunity for both sides to strengthen their traditional areas of cooperation, but also forge greater partnership in new areas, such as new technology and innovation as well as energy collaboration.
The ongoing reorientation of the Saudi economy, driven by the kingdom’s Vision 2030, has significantly expanded the scope of opportunity for Malaysia-Saudi cooperation.
During the visit, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are expected to discuss efforts to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties and explore new areas of cooperation with the view of elevating the partnership, including the establishment of a High-Level Strategic Committee (HLSC) at the foreign ministers’ level.
Both countries will also discuss a proposal for the establishment of the Malaysia-Saudi Tech Innovation Centre, which will provide a platform to encourage collaboration in the development of smart cities, artificial intelligence, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0).
The other proposals include the formalisation of the Mecca Road Service initiative, which will ease and simplify the pre-clearance process for Malaysian haj and umrah pilgrims, such as airport arrangements, visa and passport checking, customs procedures, and other logistical arrangements.
The official haj quota, as well as haj and umrah procedures for Malaysian pilgrims, are also expected to be discussed during the visit.
The visit will provide Malaysia with the opportunity to explore new markets for palm oil exports to Saudi Arabia, as well as the Middle East and African regions, and also strengthen cooperation in the halal industry.
Wisma Putra noted that Muhyiddin will also perform the umrah in Mecca, followed by ziarah to Medina from March 6 to 8, by invitation from King Salman.
Meanwhile, on prime minister’s official visit to UAE, the statement said both sides will discuss several proposals to further strengthen the existing bilateral ties and explore new areas of cooperation with the view of elevating the partnership to greater heights.
These include collaboration in the post-pandemic recovery phase through technology, innovation, and economic partnership.
Both countries will discuss the proposal of the establishment of an International Food Security Coalition, with the primary objective of building greater resilience and robustness in global food supply chains.
Also on the discussion table is the proposal to establish the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Chair at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia to promote greater understanding and contact between the two countries while promoting the ideals of good governance, environmental responsibility and interfaith tolerance.
Muhyiddin’s official programme in UAE will take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on March 10, which includes meetings with Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Throughout the visit, Wisma Putra highlighted that the Malaysian delegation will be subject to strict Covid-19 preventative standard operating procedures as agreed upon by the health authorities of Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and UAE. – Bernama, March 5, 2021
