RIYADH: The high-profile visit of King Salman to Japan beginning Sunday will reinforce ties with Tokyo while providing opportunities to explore investment opportunities and secure energy security for the Southeast Asian nation.
During the visit, King Salman will meet and hold talks with Japanese emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.
“It is the greatest honor to receive Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in Japan, the visit is truly monumental as it is the first royal visit in the last 46 years,” said Setsuo Ohmori, charge d’affaires at the Japanese Embassy, here Saturday.
Japanese emperor Akihito will host a lunch banquet in honor of King Salman, while premier Abe will organize a dinner reception.
“The Japanese government sincerely welcomes the visit of King Salman and hopes that this visit of will further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries,” said a statement released by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“As for MoUs (memorandum of understanding), some of them are still pending to be completed,” Ohmori said, regarding expected agreements to be signed between the two countries.
Details of the agreements are expected to be announced. The Saudi delegation comprising top officials accompanying the king will handle the signing of the accords on the sidelines of the visit.
Expected discussions include a range of bilateral and regional issues, conflicts in the Middle East, Saudi-Japanese cooperation within the framework of the Vision 2030, and commercial partnership with special reference to the Saudi Aramco IPO. Tokyo has expressed its interest to participate in the Aramco IPO.
King Salman starts Japan leg of Asian tour today
King Salman starts Japan leg of Asian tour today
Grand Mosque launches Ramadan plan for women
MAKKAH: The Women’s Affairs Agency at the Presidency of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched its Ramadan enrichment plan at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
The plan includes six main tracks and 24 initiatives. It aims to enrich female worshippers’ experiences, enhance Shariah and behavioral awareness, empower women, and improve religious services while upholding the sanctity of the site.
The six tracks are: awareness and guidance; scholarly and guidance affairs; enrichment and volunteering; women’s empowerment; public relations and communication; and development and quality.
The awareness and guidance track intensifies field presence in high-density areas to provide Shariah guidance, answer questions, correct worship misconceptions, and distribute multilingual materials.
The scholarly affairs track offers lessons, enrichment talks, and programs that strengthen devotional knowledge and promote moderate values.
The enrichment and volunteering track expands female volunteer participation in organizational and service roles, improving efficiency and field support.
The women’s empowerment track develops the professional and cognitive skills of female staff and prepares qualified women to serve at the two sites to a high standard.
The public relations and communication track strengthens engagement with female worshippers and relevant entities, ensuring integrated services and smooth experiences inside the Grand Mosque.
The development and quality track monitors performance and improves operations to elevate service standards.
The initiatives aim for a lasting religious and educational impact, improving the Ramadan experience for female worshippers and supporting an integrated, high-quality service model.
