KUALA LUMPUR:Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah left for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, today for a five-day special visit.

Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said the special visit is at the invitation of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan.

“The main agenda of this special visit involves discussions between Al-Sultan Abdullah and Sheikh Mohamed Zayed and the top leadership of the UAE government regarding their intention to donate 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Malaysia for the purpose of the third phase of the clinical test in the country,” he said in a statement issued by Istana Negara today.

Ahmad Fadil said Al-Sultan Abdullah will also discuss about the efforts to strengthen and enhance Malaysia-UAE bilateral ties and cooperation in various sectors.

During the special visit, the King is also scheduled to attend a meet-and-greet programme with the Malaysian diaspora in UAE and visit the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Abu Dhabi COVID-19 Vaccination Centre.

In order to ensure safety and compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19, Ahmad Fadil said the King’s special visit is also subject to the SOP set by both the Malaysian and the UAE governments.

“In complying with the SOP, Al-Sultan Abdullah and all members of the royal delegation have already taken their COVID-19 test four days (96 hours) before their departure to Abu Dhabi, and will take another test upon arrival at the Abu Dhabi International Airport,” he said.

Al-Sultan Abdullah and his delegation will also undergo COVID-19 screenings before departing from Abu Dhabi and upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s Bunga Raya Complex.

Upon return, His Majesty will undergo self-quarantine for 10 days at Istana Negara as required by the Ministry of Health, while other members of the delegation, at locations stipulated by the ministry.

Ahmad Fadil said the special visit is Al-Sultan Abdullah’s third visit to Abu Dhabi after the first in June 2019 and the second, a private visit at the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed Zayed, in November the same year.

Sheikh Mohamed Zayed had also visited Malaysia last year at the invitation of Al-Sultan Abdullah in conjunction with the King’s installation on July 30, 2019.

The UAE is Malaysia’s largest trading partner in the West Asian region with a bilateral trade value of US$6.42 billion (RM25.9 billion) in 2019.

-- BERNAMA