PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah will be hosting his Saudi Arabia counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan during his inaugural two-day official visit here on June 7 and 8.

During his visit, Prince Faisal will have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, said a statement from the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (June 7).

The Prince is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Saifuddin and Prince Faisal will hold a bilateral meeting to chart a way forward for the already strong Malaysia-Saudi Arabia relations.

The two Foreign Ministers will also exchange views on the regional and international development of interest to the two countries.

Prince Faisal is also scheduled to have separate meetings with the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and International Trade and Investment Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have been long-standing partners. Cooperation between the two countries continues to expand in various fields, including in Covid-19 response and post-pandemic recovery.

Saudi Arabia is Malaysia’s second-largest trading partner and the largest source of imports among West Asian countries. The total Malaysia-Saudi Arabia trade in 2021 was valued at RM17.56bil (US$4.23bil). – Bernama