Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Japan in May

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is set to embark on an official visit to Japan from May 20th to May 23rd, during which he will meet with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Japan's Foreign Ministry expressed its hope that the visit will further enhance the friendly relations between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi affirmed that Kishida would discuss with the Crown Prince a wide range of issues related to the Middle East and the international situation, without providing further details.

Prince Mohammed previously visited Japan in 2019 to attend the G20 Summit in Osaka.

Japan maintains close ties with Gulf countries and imports around 90% of its oil needs from the Middle East.

Japanese companies in the energy sector aim to invest in hydrogen and ammonia production projects in the Gulf for Japanese power plants.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has acquired significant stakes in several Japanese companies in recent years, especially in the video game sector, now owning over eight percent of the giant Nintendo company.

This year, the Kingdom plans to host the World Cup for Electronic Sports Games, as part of its efforts to become a global hub in this sector, including establishing local studios for game development.