RIYADH: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has visited the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) to observe the latest advancements in military manufacturing technologies.
Upon arrival at the SAMI Alsalam Aerospace Industries, His Majesty was received by SAMI CEO Thamer Al-Muhid, who briefed the King on the company's ongoing projects and innovations in defence and security systems.
Sultan Ibrahim was accompanied by Tunku Temenggong of Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj, Tunku Panglima of Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj, and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Also present were Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zain, Grand Chamberlain of Istana Negara Datuk Azuan Effendy Zairakithnaini, and Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Datuk Syed Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman.
SAMI was established in 2017 to advance Saudi Arabia's defence industries strategy by localising military manufacturing and developing cutting-edge defence systems, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
SAMI operates through its five main sector units: aviation and space, defence systems, advanced electronics, land systems, and marine systems.
Since its establishment, SAMI has achieved several major milestones aimed at strengthening Saudi Arabia's self-sufficiency in military industries through cutting-edge technologies and the kingdom's top talent.
In a statement, Istana Negara said the state visit reflected the continued commitment of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to further strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in various areas, including the economy, geopolitics, defence, and Islamic affairs.
It mentioned that during the first 10 months of this year, there had been a total of 12 high-profile visits between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is Malaysia's 14th largest trading partner, with total trade amounting to RM44.74bil (USD9.79 billion).
This is the fifth state visit by Sultan Ibrahim after Singapore, China, Brunei, and Russia. – Bernama
