Going Eastward
The King of Saudi Arabia is on a marathon visit to six Asian countries, including Indonesia. It may be part of an initiative to garner support outside the Arab world as it sheds its dependence on Western allies.
March 7, 2017
Hundreds of local residents, students and teachers in Bogor, West Java, stood amid heavy downpour to greet the arrival of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud last week. Bearing umbrellas and donning raincoats, they lined up on both sides of the road leading to the Bogor Palace entrance. "He thought his arrival would trigger demonstrations," said Religious Affairs Minister, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who sat alongside the King in his limousine.
At the p
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