JAKARTA, INDONESIA — The King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, landed in Jakarta on March 1, the first Saudi king to visit the country in 47 years. Notable enough. But what’s really got people talking is what he’s brought with him on his Asian tour: almost 460 tonnes of gear and and an entourage 1,500 people strong.
The king will stay in Indonesia for nine days. The House of Saud has prepared for the visit perfectly, with tonnes of kit arriving in Jakarta and Bali before he even touched down.
The plane that carried him was greeted by a gilded, electric escalator, which gently lowered the 81-year-old to a red carpet, sparing him the indignity of having to take a single step.
Transporting him around town are a pair of modified Mercedes S600 limousines, reinforced to withstand bullets and explosions.
The various advisors, support staff and members of the royal court arrived with him in the latest Boeing aircraft.
His cargo of treasures includes various items of luxury furniture, food, linen and more.
The king will stay in Jakarta for three days to work, followed by six days of vacation with his entourage at private villas in Bali.
Suitably refreshed, his majesty and friends will then proceed to Brunei, Japan, China and, finally, the Maldives.
