Yoon begins state visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar

President Yoon Suk Yeol began a two-country, six-day trip for state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday set to focus on strengthening economic cooperation.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee, waves before boarding the presidential plane to head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a six-day trip which will also take him to Qatar from the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Saturday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol began a two-country, six-day trip for state visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday set to focus on strengthening economic cooperation.

Yoon, accompanied by first lady Kim Keon Hee, departed for Riyadh at around 12:40 p.m. from the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

The trip comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East amid the ongoing war between Israel and militant group Hamas.

During Yoon's trip to Riyadh from Saturday to Tuesday, he will hold a summit with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, an opportunity to further strengthen energy and construction cooperation and also discuss security matters.

Yoon will later attend a Korea-Saudi Arabia investment forum attended by some 300 businesspeople from both countries and other economy-related events.

The trip is expected to be an occasion for the two countries' businesses to sign dozens of memoranda of understanding (MOU) in various fields, including energy, high-tech industries, finance and culture.

The Saudi crown prince visited Seoul in November last year for a summit with Yoon. During his visit, the two countries signed 26 MOUs on projects worth nearly $30 billion in fields including infrastructure, construction and energy.

Yoon will also give a lecture to students at King Saud University in Riyadh.

Over Tuesday and Wednesday, Yoon will make a state visit to Qatar and hold a summit with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha.

Yoon will be the first Korean president to make state visits to the two countries.

For his trip to Saudi Arabia, Yoon will be accompanied by a 130-member business delegation. He will be accompanied by a 59-member business delegation to Qatar.

Yoon will return to Korea on Thursday.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]