CHAIRMAN OF THE SAUDI SHOURA COUNCIL DR. SALIH BIN ABDULLAH BIN HOMAID ARRIVED TONIGHT IN ASTANA AT AN INVITATION OF THE KAZAKHSTAN SENATE SPEAKER NOORTAE ABIGABEV TO ATTEND THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW HEADQUARTERS OF THE SENATE WHICH WAS FINANCED BY THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA. UPON ARRIVAL IN ASTANA, HE WAS RECEIVED BY DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE UPPER CHAMBER MOHAMMED KOPIIV AND CHARGE D'AFFAIRES OF THE SAUDI EMBASSY IN KAZAKHSTAN FAROOQ WAZEER AND A NUMBER OF PARLIAMENTARY OFFICIALS. IN AN ARRIVAL STATEMENT, BIN HOMAID LAUDED THE DEEP-ROOTED RELATIONS BINDING THE KINGDOM AND KAZAKHSTAN IN ALL FIELDS, DESCRIBING THEM AS CLOSE AND FIRM. HE HIGHLIGHTED THE DISTINGUISHED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE KAZAKHSTAN PARLIAMENT AND THE SHOURA COUNCIL, CALLING FOR ACTIVATING THE PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION AND EXCHANGE OF VISITS AND EXPERIENCES BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES. ON HIS PART, THE KAZAKHSTANI OFFICIAL LAUDED THE SUPPORT USUALLY EXTENDED BY SAUDI ARABIA FOR HIS COUNTRY, NOTING THAT THE NEW 15-STORY HIGHLY-EQUIPPED BUILDING HAS COST $20 MILLION. BIN HOMAID WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A SHOURA DELEGATION INCLUDING DR. HOMOOD ALBADR, DR. MOHAMMED IHSAN BUHLAIQA, DR. SHUWAISH ALMITAIRI AND DR. ABDULRAHMAN ALZAMEL AND SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. LATER, A DINNER PARTY WAS GIVEN IN HONOR OF THE SAUDI VISITING DELEGATION WHICH LEFT RIYADH KING KHALID INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EARLIER TODAY FOR KAZAKHSTAN ON A THREE-DAY VISIT.
