Malaysia’s King, Sultan Ibrahim, will be the first Malaysian monarch to make a state visit to Bahrain since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1974.
Sultan Ibrahim was invited by King Hamad Isa Al Khalifa and will arrive in Manama on Nov 6.
The two royals share a long-standing friendship. Sultan Ibrahim last visited Bahrain in 2017 as the Sultan of Johor, while King Hamad attended Sultan Ibrahim’s installation ceremony as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year.
Malaysia and Bahrain cooperate in various sectors, with total trade valued at RM1.19 billion last year. Both nations also engage actively on the international stage through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council-Asean framework.
Sultan Ibrahim is currently in Saudi Arabia, where he arrived on Nov 3. During his visit, he had a private audience with Crown Prince Mohammed Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is also the country’s prime minister, at the Al Yamamah Palace.
He is the first Malaysian king to visit Saudi Arabia since the late Sultan Ahmad Shah’s visit in 1984.
Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s 14th largest trading partner, with total trade valued at RM44.74 billion.
Sultan Ibrahim is accompanied by Tunku Temenggong Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar; Tunku Panglima Johor, Tunku Abdul Rahman; and Tunku Putera Johor, Tunku Abu Bakar.
The delegation also includes Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Main image: Sultan Ibrahim is currently on a state visit to Saudi Arabia and is scheduled to depart for Bahrain tomorrow/Facebook Sultan Ibrahim.
