SHAFAQNA- Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz visited Bahrain, a key ally, on Wednesday.
King Salman was welcomed by his counterpart at the King Fahad Causeway, a bridge connecting Saudi Arabia to Bahrain that was largely funded by Saudi Arabia in the 1980s.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz departed Bahrain on Wednesday afternoon after an hours-long visit, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
At a meeting in capital Manama, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and his Saudi counterpart discussed bilateral relations, regional developments and other “issues of common interest”, the SPA reported. King Salman also met with the country’s crown prince and prime minister.”
King Salman’s visit was not announced in advance, nor were any details given regarding its expected duration or itinerary, AA reported.
Saudi Arabia, along with Kuwait and the UAE, pledged a $10 billion (Dh36.7bn) in financial support for Bahrain’s reform package that aims to eliminate the kingdom’s budget deficit by 2022.
The visit comes a day after Manama‘s formalization of an agreement that was signed with Kuwait last year for financial aid to support the Bahraini economy as part of an assistance package pledged by other Persian Gulf neighbours, Middle Eeast Monitor reported.
Bahrain said it expected to receive up to $2 billion by the end of 2018 as part of the package that would be disbursed over five years.
The ministry of finance has said it received payments in 2018 and that more details of the bailout package will be released this year, The National mentioned.
Bahrain’s finances have been hit hard by a slump in oil prices in 2014 and it has been struggling to cut government spending while avoiding public anger over austerity measures, REUTERS told.
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