MANAMA, Nov 9 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, departed for home last night after concluding a three-day state visit to Bahrain.
The special aircraft carrying His Majesty left the Royal Lounge at the Bahrain International Airport in Muharraq at 8pm local time (1am 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 Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
At the airport to bid farewell to Sultan Ibrahim was the Crown Prince cum Prime Minister of Bahrain Salman Hamad Al Khalifa.
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 (November 6), 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 (November 7) 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 West Asia and is Malaysia’s 9th-largest trading partner, 11th-largest export destination, and 8th-largest import source among West Asian countries.
