SINGAPORE: Singapore has accepted Saudi Arabia’s invitation to participate in the G20 meetings in the kingdom next year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Wednesday (Nov 6).
In a press release, MFA said President Halimah Yacob landed at the Royal Terminal in Riyadh on Tuesday for Singapore’s first state visit to Saudi Arabia. She was received by Riyadh governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
On Wednesday, President Halimah called on King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and attended a state banquet lunch he hosted in honour of the president and her husband Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee.
During their meetings, President Halimah and King Salman affirmed the two nations’ “warm and longstanding bilateral relationship and discussed ways to expand cooperation, including through Singapore’s support for Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic agenda and G20 presidency in 2020”.
Singapore President Halimah Yacob is welcomed by Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, governor of Riyadh, on Nov 5, 2019. (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
President Halimah also thanked King Salman for inviting Singapore to participate in the G20 meetings in Saudi Arabia, which Singapore was “honoured to accept”, said MFA.
King Salman also conferred on Mdm Halimah Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Medal.
Earlier on Wednesday Mdm Halimah met with Prince Faisal and discussed development projects in Riyadh and the resulting opportunities for Singapore companies.
Mdm Halimah’s trip to Saudi Arabia follows Singapore’s second state visit to Kuwait.
She then made a brief visit to the Saudi city of Madinah, where she visited historical sites such as the Qiblatayn Mosque, Quba Mosque and Hejaz Railway Museum.
“Madinah is a deeply religious place for Muslims and I am glad to learn so much about the history of the place, including its pre-Islam history,” said Mdm Halimah in a Facebook post.
Her Saudi trip ends on Friday.
