Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) will visit the Philippines before the year ends, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) bared Friday, Sep. 30.
MBS will come to the Philippines as part of his five-country visit to other parts of Asia, which includes Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Pakistan, DFA Assistant Secretary for Office of Middle East and African Affairs Alfonso Ver told reporters in a press conference.
The Crown Prince’s intent to visit the country was bared during Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud’s meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo on Thursday.
“That’s the biggest thing that has come out of the meeting,” Ver said, adding his visit will be given a whole-of-government approach.
Plans for activities during MBS’ visit have not yet been finalized, Ver said. But the DFA is already working on the deliverables, which could include taxation and investment promotion, he added.
According to Ver, preparations for his visit could involve many logistical and related requirements, considering the large security entourage that accompanied his father, King Salman during overseas trips.
In his Indonesia visit, for example, his father brought six planes and a C-130, Ver said. That could hardly be possible for the Philippines, where a VIP airport lounge, Bulwagang Kalayaan, could only accommodate two planes at a time, Ver said.
Areas of cooperation raised during Prince Faisal’s recent visit could be discussed and elevated to formal bilateral commitments during MBS’ visit. These include cooperation in renewable energy, digital infrastructure and agriculture, in which the President already expressed interest.
Ver said the government wants “to rush everything,” including reviewing all the pending agreements between the Philippines and Saudi Area to provide a framework for future ties, before the Crown Prince arrives.