Saudi King Salman returns to kingdom after Morocco vacation

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has returned to the kingdom after a holiday abroad in Morocco, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported late on Wednesday.

He arrived in Jeddah from the Moroccan city of Tangier, the report said. The king was seen off by several officials including the Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Al-Deen Al-Othmani, and was welcomed back by top Saudi dignitaries including the Crown Prince.

King Salman left for the holiday on July 24, and appointed his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to run the affairs of the country in his absence.

This was the first time that Prince Mohammed bin Salman took on the role after he was appointed crown prince in June.

Read more: Saudi king heads on holiday, appoints crown prince in charge

In the last month, Prince Mohammed has convened two cabinet sessions including one on Wednesday, August 23.

During the session, Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers also gave approval for discussions with China for the formation of a joint investment fund.

The fund was one of several means of cooperation with China given the go ahead by the council. Approval was also granted for discussions on a draft judicial cooperation agreement and a memorandum of understanding on “cooperation in the field of information”.

Read more: Saudi eyes joint investment fund with China

Also read: Key new regulations implemented under Saudi’s new Crown Prince