King, Saudi crown prince discuss bilateral ties, regional developments

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the prime minister of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday held a meeting which covered Jordanian-Saudi relations and recent regional developments.

Crown Prince Mohammed welcomed His Majesty to Saudi Arabia, and conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The King asked Crown Prince Mohammed to convey his greetings to King Salman, and expressed thanks for the warm welcome. 

During the meeting, held at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh and attended by HRH Crown Prince Hussein, His Majesty and the Saudi crown prince expressed pride in the deep-rooted historical relations between the two countries and peoples, and their keenness to consolidate cooperation in various fields, in service of mutual interests and Arab and Muslim causes.

The meeting also covered the need to step up efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as regional de-escalation, the statemengt said. 

The King and the Saudi crown prince affirmed their full support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples, stressing the need to continue to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate their suffering. 

His Majesty reiterated the importance of stepping up the humanitarian response in Gaza and ensuring aid is delivered to its intended destinations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Alaa Batayneh, and Jordan’s Ambassador in Riyadh Haitham Abu Alfoul attended the meeting. 

Attendees from the Saudi side included Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Cabinet Member Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, and Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Naif bin Bandar Al Sudairi. 

Upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, His Majesty and Crown Prince Al Hussein were received by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as well as a number of Saudi princes and senior officials.

His Majesty returned to Jordan later on Tuesday after a short visit to Saudi Arabia, another Royal Court statement said.