In his upcoming first state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 10-12, President Rodrigo Duterte is set to meet with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud, alongside other Middle East countries’ leaders, to discuss matters relevant to the welfare and dignity of the overseas Filipinos, as well as, explore avenues for economic and political cooperation.
During his first visit to the Middle East, the President will also witness the signing of several agreements on labor, agriculture, air services, culture, health and political bilateral consultations.
President Duterte is also expected to personally thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for the assistance that the Saudi Arabian government has extended to stranded Filipino workers across the kingdom in August last year.
The king agreed to shoulder the airfare expenses of those who wanted to return home to the Philippines.
In terms of economic cooperation, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Hjayceelyn Quintana said, the President aims to bolsters and explore partnerships in tourism development, halal food security, Islamic finance and energy security.
Quintana also said that the President is keen on seeking partnerships in security, countering terrorism and combating illicit drugs.
“He will also invite these countries to invest particularly in Mindanao as a way of lifting Mindanao out of both poverty and conflict,” she added.
While in Middle East, the President will also meet with the Filipino communities that have long been awaiting his coming.
“The President hopes that through the stronger partnerships he will forge during this visit, he can tap into the over 500 billion US dollars combined investment capital of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the State of Qatar and bring home more investments and jobs for our people,” Quintana said.
After his KSA visit, he will proceed to Manama, Bahrain from April 12-14 where he is scheduled to meet with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The final leg of his trip will be in Doha from April 14-16 where he is slated to meet with the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
