MANAMA (Bahrain): His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, departed for home on Saturday (Nov 8) night after concluding a three-day state visit to Bahrain.
The special aircraft carrying His Majesty left the Royal Lounge at Bahrain International Airport, Muharraq, here at 8.00 pm local time (1.00 am Malaysian time).
Accompanying His Majesty on the visit were Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj, and Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj, as well as Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
At the airport to bid farewell to Sultan Ibrahim was Crown Prince Salman Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the Prime Minister of Bahrain.
Also present were Malaysian Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Bahrain Datuk Shazryll Zahiran and Chief of Government Ceremonies in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Rozainor Ramli.
The state visit to Bahrain which began on Thursday, is the sixth state visit undertaken by Sultan Ibrahim following visits to Singapore, China, Brunei, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
It marks a significant milestone in the history of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the kingdom, as it is the first such visit since 1974.
During the three-day visit, Sultan Ibrahim was accorded a state welcoming ceremony at the Sakhir Palace.
The King also visited the Martyrs’ Memorial Monument, a site of great significance in Bahrain’s history, and the Ministry of Interior (Police Fort), with both programmes specially arranged by King Hamad for a head of state for the first time.
On Friday night, King Hamad also hosted His Majesty at a State Banquet in the Sakhir Palace.
Bahrain remains one of Malaysia’s key trading partners in the West Asia region and is Malaysia’s ninth-largest trading partner, 11th-largest export destination, and eighth-largest import source among West Asian countries. - Bernama
