Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced on Monday that the scheduled visit of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been postponed due to the health condition of King Salman. The decision follows a statement from the Royal Court in Riyadh revealing that the 88-year-old king is being treated for a lung infection with antibiotics.
 
The Crown Prince was set to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the Japanese Emperor, marking his first visit to Japan since 2019. However, the Saudi government informed Tokyo late Sunday that the visit would need to be rescheduled.
 
“The visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed to Japan will be re-coordinated between the two countries,” Hayashi told reporters.
 
Despite the postponement, Saudi officials stated that some members of the delegation would still travel to Japan for certain discussions.
 
King Salman, who has reigned since 2015, has had several health concerns in recent years. In April, he was briefly hospitalized for routine examinations, and in May 2022, he underwent a colonoscopy and was hospitalized for over a week. The Royal Court had reported earlier on Sunday that the king was experiencing a high temperature and joint pain, necessitating further medical tests.
 
Prime Minister Kishida visited Saudi Arabia last July, focusing on energy cooperation, particularly in green energy and decarbonization. The postponed talks were also set to cover energy security, clean energy, economic diversification, and foreign affairs. Additionally, Crown Prince Mohammed, known as MBS, was expected to explore opportunities in the gaming sector, part of his Vision 2030 strategy to transform Saudi Arabia's economy.
 
MBS has shown a keen interest in the gaming industry, with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund holding an eight percent stake in Nintendo and plans to develop a theme park based on Japan's "Dragon Ball" franchise near Riyadh.
 
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