Concerns over the health of his father, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, prompted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to postpone his four-day planned trip to Japan, which was originally slated for this week, according to Japan’s senior government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi late on Sunday.
The crown prince would have made his first trip to the Asian nation since 2019 if the visit had started on Monday as scheduled. According to Japanese news sources, Crown Prince Mohammed was scheduled to sign agreements to strengthen supply chains for liquid hydrogen and meet with representatives of several Japanese enterprises, the nation’s emperor, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to a story published by the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday, the 88-year-old father of the crown prince is experiencing lung inflammation and will be prescribed medicines at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah. According to Saudi official media, King Salman was hospitalized to King Faisal Specialist hospital in Jeddah last month for “a routine check up” visit.
After King Abdullah’s death in 2015, King Salman has become the monarch of Saudi Arabia since then. After two years, the monarch appointed his son to succeed Mohammed bin Nayef as crown prince.
The 38-year-old crown prince is next in line for the throne, manages the majority of the kingdom’s daily operations, and is regarded as the de facto ruler. The visit by Crown Prince Mohammed to Japan in late 2022 was also scheduled, however it was postponed right before his scheduled arrival.
Hayashi informed reporters late on Sunday that “the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Crown Prince Mohammed to Japan will be re-coordinated between the two countries.” A Saudi team will still visit Japan for discussions, according to Saudi sources who spoke with AFP. This is despite the de facto leader’s absence.
The foreign ministers of two nations chatted over the phone for fifteen minutes on Monday. As the globe faced several crises, including those in Gaza and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa of Japan wished for the King’s quick recovery and stated that she want to collaborate closely with Riyadh. According to the ministry, two ministers expressed their desire to reschedule their trip as soon as feasible.
In recent years, Japan and Saudi Arabia have been strengthening their relationship. Japan’s assistance has been vital to Saudi Arabia’s realization of Vision 2030, the crown prince’s ambition to diversify the kingdom’s economy away from reliance on oil by making significant investments in other industries including entertainment, tourism, and renewable energy. Japan is the fourth biggest economy in the world.
Uncomfirmed report; Saudi king possibly died
Some arab media are reporting the King of Saudi Arabia has now passed away. King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Yesterday it was informed that the king was hospitalized due to pneumonia. #saudi #kingsalman #MiddleEastNews
If this turns out… pic.twitter.com/7waD5Yz1CX
— Brian BJ (@iamBrianBJ) May 20, 2024On the other hand, Riyadh is a significant provider of petrochemicals and the main source of crude oil for Tokyo, supplying over $34.3 billion in crude oil yearly.
Based on data from the International Monetary Fund, Japan’s trade with Saudi Arabia reached $42 billion in 2023, making it the eighth biggest trading partner.
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