VIP VISITS, NEWS BRIEFS, and Washington Notes

KING FAHD MEETS WITH MOROCCO’S KING MUHAMMAD VI 

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz met in Riyadh on February 2 with King Muhammad VI of Morocco, with whom he co-chaired official Saudi-Moroccan talks. King Muhammad also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Crown Prince Abdullah said the talks focused on current developments in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as on the close relations between the two countries and the mutual desire to enhance them further. King Muhammad left Riyadh for Makkah to perform umrah (the lesser pilgrimage).

KING ABDULLAH II OF JORDAN IN RIYADH

King Fahd bin Abdulaziz met in Riyadh on January 27 with King Abdullah II of Jordan. During his two-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah also met with Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Riyadh Province Governor Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. The Saudi Press Agency said the talks focused on the deteriorating situation in Palestine and the suffering of the Palestinian people under Israeli atrocities. King Abdullah also visited the Al-Aziziyah Farm, where he watched folk dancers and visited facilities for breeding Arabian horses.  

KUWAITI INTERIOR MINISTER DISCUSSES SECURITY MATTERS 

King Fahd bin Abdulaziz met on February 10 with Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Shaikh Muhammad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, who was in Riyadh for talks with Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz. In a press statement afterwards, Prince Naif said the talks covered security matters and cooperation between the two countries. 

DELEGATIONS FROM BUSH ADMINISTRATION, U.S. CONGRESS VISIT RIYADH 

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and other Saudi officials met with a number of officials from the Bush Administration and the U.S. Congress in January and February. 

• On January 8, Crown Prince Abdullah met in Riyadh with U.S. Senator John Rockefeller. Senator Rockefeller also met with Chief of General Intelligence Prince Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, reviewing topics of mutual concern and the latest international developments. 

• On January 12, King Fahd met with members of a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives headed by Congressman David Price. The delegation later met with Crown Prince Abdullah and Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal. 

• On January 12, a delegation from the U.S. Senate led by Senator John Kerry met with Crown Prince Abdullah, and later with Prince Saud Al-Faisal. 

• On January 17, Crown Prince Abdullah met in Riyadh with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Burns. Mr. Burns also met with Head of General Intelligence Prince Nawaf bin Abdulaziz and Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Mr. Burns returned to Saudi Arabia in February for a meeting with Crown Prince Abdullah that focused on the Saudi Arabian initiative for Middle East peace. 

• On February 17, Crown Prince Abdullah met in Riyadh with Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) George Tenet, with whom he reviewed issues of mutual interest including the developments of the international situation. 

DELEGATION VISITS WASHINGTON TO DISCUSS SAUDI-U.S. RELATIONS

A Saudi Arabian delegation led by Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud visited Washington, DC, in February to attend a series of lectures and discussion groups on Saudi-U.S. relations. The eight-person delegation, which included three female university professors, attended events sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine, the Middle East Institute and Middle East Insight magazine.

Prince Abdullah spoke of the important position Saudi Arabia enjoys in the Arab and Islamic worlds, adding that the close Saudi-U.S. relationship is an important factor in regional and international political and economic stability, and is beneficial to both countries.

Meanwhile, First Lady Laura Bush met with the female members of the Saudi delegation at the White House on February 7. Dr. Hind Al-Khethaila, Professor of Education at King Saud University in Riyadh, said the topics discussed at the meeting included the educational achievements of Saudi Arabian women and their contributions in various fields.