Preparations underway for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit — DFA

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is preparing for the upcoming visit of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud this November or before the end of the year.

“We’re working on the dates and we’re working on the deliverables,” Alfonso Ver, assistant secretary at the Middle East and African Affairs Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said in a press briefing on Friday.

The Philippines is one of the countries included in Prince Mohammed’s regional tour, noting the crown prince’s “personal interest" in visiting Manila. Ver said the other countries included in the tour are Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei.

The Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud recently concluded his two-day trip to Manila from September 28 to 29. Officials then were already discussing how Prince Mohammed’s tour later this year would pan out.

Prince Mohammed has just been named prime minister earlier this week, formalizing the power he already wielded even if the position is usually held by the king. The 37-year-old is first in line to the throne. 

Ver said the government has been preparing for Prince Mohammed’s tour since May, taking into account the logistics of security and protocol. 

Should his trip push through, he would be the first prime minister to visit Manila under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. — with reports from Agence France-Presse