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Rabat – King Salman of Saudi Arabia has left Tangier on Wednesday after a one-month stay in the northern port city.
Media sources reported that the Saudi monarch flew from Tangier’s Ibn Battouta airport after the Moroccan Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, bid him goodbye at the airport.
The one-month holiday of the Saudi King had been immensely important, both politically and economically.
King Salman’s arrival in Tangier on July 24 signified that, despite differences between Morocco and Saudi Arabia regarding the Gulf crisis, relations between the two kingdoms have not been damaged.
In early June, Riyadh led four Arab nations to boycott Qatar over allegations it was supporting terrorism. Morocco refused to engage in the blockade, and instead offered to mediate between the Gulf states.
On Saturday, King Mohammed VI paid a visit to King Salman in his residency. The Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and high Moroccan officials also took part in the meeting.
In addition, signs of a slight alleviation of the Qatar crisis were given from Tangier when King Salman received received Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Jassim al-Thani, a member of the Qatari ruling family.
The signs of alleviation were further confirmed when King Salman opened borders with Qatar for the Hajj and offered to pay for the expenses Qatari pilgrims.
The Saudi ruler’s holiday also represented an important economic gain for the kingdom, as he reportedly spent USD 100 million during his month in Tangier, roughly 1.5 percent of Morocco’s total foreign tourism revenue.
