King of Saudi Arabia Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud begins his visit to Indonesia on Wednesday (March 1) through the second leg of his month-long, six-country tour of Asia.
He is reportedly accompanied on the trip by around 1,500 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes, and around 100 security personnel, which can be seen as a “logistical feat” by way of transport, accommodation and feeding. It took them 27 flights to achieve Indonesia and nine to depart.
The entourage includes “459 tons of cargo, two electric escalators to assist them get on and off planes, two Mercedes Benz S600s and large amounts of halal food,” Dow Jones reported, citing a Saudi official. The charge is the same as the load of three blue whales. Air freight company Pt Jasa Angkasa Semesta said it will need greater than 570 staff to handle the cargo.
During the primary leg of the trip, the 81-year-old king descended from the plane in Kuala Lumpur via a private escalator. His huge entourage had fully booked three luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur at some stage in his stay.
During the Malaysian leg of his tour it was also written: A $7 billion investment by Saudi oil giant Aramco in Petronas.
In Jakarta, the king left the plane via an escalator after arriving on the airport.
The 81-year-old was welcomed by President Joko Widodo and Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian on trial for blasphemy.
Crowds of flag-waving students lined the route as a convoy of vehicles carrying the king and his entourage sped through heavy rain to the presidential palace within the nearby city of Bogor, where a marching band played Indonesia’s national anthem.
President Widodo described Salman’s trip as “historic” and expressed hope that it will result in closer economic ties.
“As the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia will always have a special bond with Saudi Arabia,” he told the king on the palace.
King Salman expressed hope that the visit “will contribute to improving bilateral relations between our two countries.”
King Salman will probably be there in Indonesia until March 9 and can spend the last six days of his visit there “relaxing” in Bali. According to reports, the monarch and his entourage will stay at five luxury hotels in Bali.
It is anticipated that ten agreements will probably be signed during his visit to Indonesia, which can deal with combating Islamic State militants. The king can be scheduled to deliver a speech to parliament on Thursday. Indonesia may also seek approval to send more residents on the annual hajj pilgrimage to western Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites.
The king will then travel to Brunei, Japan, China and the Maldives.
According to a press release from the royal court, the monarch intends to fulfill with the leaders of each countries “to debate bilateral relations and regional and international problems with mutual interest.”
Source: Channel News Asia
