The holiday is a private affair, but the Indonesian authorities are making all-out efforts to ensure no untoward incident occurs that could pose a risk to the Saudi King and 25 princes as well as other family members vacationing in Bali.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government and people have extended a warm welcome to King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and his family who are on a vacation in Bali on Mar 4-9.
The holiday is a private affair, but the Indonesian authorities are making all-out efforts to ensure no untoward incident occurs that could pose a risk to the Saudi King and 25 princes as well as other family members vacationing in Bali, one of the worlds most famous resort island.
A joint security team, comprising military and police personnel, will tighten security measures around several tourist attractions expected to be visited by the King and or princes.
Commander of the Udayana/Regional Military Command IX Major General Kustanto Widiatmoko confirmed in Denpasar on Mar 3 that security measures will be tightened without posing an inconvenience to the entourage.
The Indonesian military has deployed six vessels, including two warships, to secure the waters of Nusa Dua.
"We have prepared six vessels of which two are warships, while the others are smaller ships," he revealed.
He claimed that the Saudi delegation had not informed him regarding which tourist attractions they would like to visit during their stay in Bali.
The Saudi King, who is accompanied by 25 princes as part of his 1.5 thousand-member entourage, has booked five luxury hotels located on the beaches lining the Indian Ocean.
Media reports revealed that the rates of hotel rooms had jumped to Rp73 million (over US$5.4 thousand) per night in Nusa Dua, and the regular hotel room rates are now pegged between $500 and $1.5 thousand per night.
The Saudi King and his entourage are enjoying a vacation in Bali after paying a state visit to Jakarta on Mar 1-3.
The visit is considered historical as a Saudi king had lasted visited Indonesia 47 years ago.
Hence, King al-Saud has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Indonesian officials and people.
Meanwhile, the Bali authorities have deployed one thousand officers to guard the Saudi Royals.
"The Bali Police have deployed 878 officers apart from other personnel, with the total number reaching more than one thousand," Chief of the Bali Police Inspector General Petrus Golose stated recently.
The traffic police will secure several roads used by the Saudi King, crown prince, princesses, and ministers from the airport towards their hotels in Nusa Dua.
"We will deploy 78 cars and 38 motorcycles to secure the roads," Director of the Bali Traffic Police Anak Agung Sudana noted.
The Bali Police have been securing several luxury hotels where the Saudi Royal family are staying while holidaying on the resort island.
The hotels include St Regis, Mulia, and Lagoon located in Nusa Dua, Badung District, and Bulgari in Uluwatu, also in Badung District, Inspector General Petrus Golose stated.
"The rooms at the St Regis hotel have been vacated since yesterday (Mar 2) and have been secured," he noted.
The local police have coordinated with the military officers, a special team of the Saudi Kingdom, and the presidential security personnel.
"We will make all-out efforts in securing the areas in cooperation with every stakeholder in Bali, including the military, regional administration authorities, and personnel of the Ngurah Rai International Airport," he added.
Despite the intensified security efforts, the activities of King al-Saud and his entourage while vacationing in Bali have been kept firmly under wraps to safeguard their privacy.
The king was scheduled to arrive at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday evening.
The airport will suspend all flight operations for at least 45 minutes to prepare for the landing of King Salmans aircraft on the island.
The Bali provincial government has also made various preparations, including the welcome ceremony and traditional dance performances to ensure that the king and his family would be content and comfortable during their stay in Bali.
The Indonesian government is hopeful that the kings vacation would help boost tourism.
"If the king comes to Bali, then other people will visit too. This is a golden opportunity for Indonesia to promote tourism," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya had asserted in Bali on Feb 23.
The kings visit will be a huge, free promotion for Bali, which the Singaporean-based DestinAsian Readers Choice Award 2017 has named as the worlds best island.
Travelers from the Middle East are premium-class tourists, with a high spending capacity of approximately $2,000 in a single visit.
A total of 48,824 tourists from Middle Eastern countries had visited Indonesia in 2016.(*)
Reporter: Fardah
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
