Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) meeting with Spanish King Juan Carlos (L) in Jeddah on May 17, 2014. (AFP PHOTO/HO/SPA)
The Spanish monarch arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday for a three-day official visit.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Prince Salman—who serves as the Kingdom’s Chief Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense—and King Juan Carlos discussed “matters of common interest.”
Official delegations from both countries joined the meeting later and discussed bilateral ties and ways to strengthen them in order “to serve the interests of both people,” according to the SPA. The delegations also discussed the latest regional and international developments.
The meeting was also attended by Second Deputy Prime Minister Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Interior Minister Prince Mohammed Bin Naif Al Saud, and a number of other ministers and senior officials.
The Spanish side was represented by Defense Minister Pedro Morenés Eulate, Minister of Public Works and Transport Ana María Pastor and Spanish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joaquin Perth Bilanueba, along with other senior officials.
King Juan Carlos earlier received a delegation of Spaniards involved in the building of Saudi Arabia’s Haramain High Speed Railway, and was briefed on the progress of the project.
He also met Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, President of the Council of Saudi Chambers and Chairman of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Abdullah Al-Rasheed, Chairman of the Saudi–Spanish Business Council. The meeting was attended by Saudi Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.
Addressing businessmen and businesswomen at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, King Juan Carlos emphasized Saudi economic stability and said: “Saudi Arabia plays an important role in the Middle East and the Arab world and has become an important member of the G20 and other international forums.”