hold -- Bali preps for Saudi Arabian King's luxury holiday

Security preparations were underway in Bali on Friday as the Indonesian island geared up to welcome the King of Saudi Arabia for an extravagant holiday.

Hundreds of police officers and military personnel took part in the preparations on a soccer field in Nusa Dua, an area in southern Bali that houses an enclave of luxury resorts.

During the session, Bali's police and military chiefs checked their staff's equipment and vehicles to ensure they were in working order for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's arrival on Saturday.

The monarch is scheduled to spend six days on holiday on the island with other members of the Saudi royal family amid his month-long Asian tour.

However, the king of the oil-rich country is no light traveller.

As well as arranging a private car and stairways for the vacation, King Salman is having his private sofa and 80-inch television shipped out and set up in his hotel room, a tourism official told local news site Kompas.

Saudi Arabia has also reportedly rented 45 trucks to transport the king's private luggage and other logistics for the holiday.

King Salman arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday, where he has met with senior government officials, and signed an agreement pledging to boost cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The historic visit is the first by a Saudi Arabian king to Indonesia in 47 years.

--IANS

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