Spanish King Juan Carlos is set to arrive in Jeddah on Saturday to hold talks with top Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Salman, minister of defense, and Prince Muqrin, second deputy premier.
According to Spanish Ambassador Joaquin Perez-Villanueva, the wide-ranging talks will focus on bilateral relations, as well as on regional and international developments.
Carlos’s delegation includes Defense Minister Pedro Morenes Eulate, Public Works Minister Ana Maria Pastor Julian, Industry, Energy and Tourism Minister Jose Manuel Soria and other senior Spanish officials, he said.
The Spanish monarch, whose entourage includes five ministers and a huge contingent of businessmen, will also meet with Interior Minister Prince Mohammed Bin Naif, said the envoy.
During his three-day visit to the Kingdom, Carlos will focus on how to boost political, commercial and cultural ties between the two nations.
Observers say the Spanish king’s current tour hopes “to draw Saudi and Gulf investment” to Spain as part of efforts to bolster the country’s moribund economy.
The busy agenda of King Carlos in Jeddah also includes a meeting with top functionaries of the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) and several business meetings.
Spain is a close ally of the Kingdom.
A Spanish-led consortium is currently developing a multibillion-dollar high-speed rail link between the holy cities of Makkah and Medinah.
Last week, Saudi Arabia also awarded a contract worth close to $1.7 billion to Spanish energy contractor Tecnicas Reunidas to build a large power complex in Jazan.
In a statement, Tecnicas Reunidas said it had been hired by Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, to execute the Jazan IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) complex in the south western region of Saudi Arabia.
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