Tok Mat – Annual bilateral coordination meetings between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are scheduled

The Saudi-Malaysia Coordination Council (SMCC) held its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, December 10, with the expectation that it will become an annual event.

According to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Malaysia will host the gathering the following year.

He clarified that the SMCC’s main objective was to coordinate all initiatives pertaining to Malaysia-Saudi bilateral relations.

Long-standing diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia have resulted in numerous partnerships, including those in the domains of commerce, investment, education, and tourism. However, we have noticed that the many ministries and organizations involved frequently carry out these initiatives in silos.

Following a dinner with the Malaysian Diaspora and Business Community in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, he told Bernama, “Therefore, the SMCC will oversee and coordinate all activities to ensure they are executed in the best possible manner.”

Mohamad continued, “We have already signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) as a result of cooperation under the SMCC.”

“We intend to finalize seven additional memorandums of understanding shortly, and we will continuously monitor these developments,” he stated.

Mohamad and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal Farhan Al-Saud, co-chaired the first SMCC meeting on Tuesday in the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ office.

In eight important areas—politics, security, defense, trade and investment, energy and the environment, Islamic affairs, education, and sociocultural issues—the SMCC acts as a bilateral framework to foster cooperation and coordinates efforts between the two countries.
On Tuesday, Mohamad made his official arrival in the Saudi capital.

King Khalid International Airport saw the arrival of the plane carrying Mohammed around 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday (4:35 p.m. Malaysia time).

Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, the Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and officials from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs met him at the airport.

Following the meeting, Mohamad is also expected to sign two memorandums of understanding (MoUs): one in the field of social development and another on the Mutual Short Stay Visa Exemption for Diplomatic, Special, and Official Passport Holders.

Mohamad will also hold high-level talks in Madinah on Thursday with Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister Dr. Tawfig bin Fazwan Al-Rabiah.

Malaysia is Saudi Arabia’s seventh-largest commercial partner worldwide and its biggest trading partner in ASEAN.

Saudi Arabia was Malaysia’s biggest Middle Eastern commercial partner in 2023, with a combined trade value of RM50.52 billion (US$11.06 billion).

In 2024, bilateral trade totaled RM30.09 billion (US$6.43 billion) for the first eight months.