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King Salmon is on a rare, month-long tour of Asia. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP
IF YOU’RE worried about how much you pack, rest easy.
Nothing could come close to the extravagance of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz.
His Royal Highness packed an estimated 460 metric tonnes — yes, you read that correctly — of luggage ahead of a nine-day visit to Indonesia.
In case you’re wondering, that weighs more than three blue whales’ worth.
According to the Jakarta Post, the colossal cargo included not one, but two Mercedes Benz limousines, as well as two electric lifts.
King Salman will arrive in Indonesia today after visiting Malaysia last week. Picture: Vincent Thian)Source:AP
Local air freight provider Pt Jasa Angkasa Semesta told the newspaper it will take 572 workers to deal with the huge amount of stuff the King is dragging along.
Suddenly the idea of wrestling with your suitcase to jam in an extra pair of shoes doesn’t seem like such a big deal.
King Salman’s visit to Indonesia is part of a rare, month-long tour of Asia.
He arrived in Malaysia last week, and was greeted at the airport by Prime Minister Najib Razak before being whisked away to a state ceremony. He was welcomed with a 21-gun salute, and invited to inspect an honour guard.
The octogenarian ruler and his 620-strong entourage booked out three luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur for the duration of his stay. In addition to 10 ministers and 25 princes, experts estimate he’s being accompanied by at least 100 security personnel.
Saudi royals are known for travelling in grandiose style.
He wants to boost economic ties with Asia, pictured with Malaysian PM Najib Razak. Picture: Vincent ThianSource:AP
According to the Washington Post, the King booked all 222 rooms in the Four Seasons hotel when he visited the US capital in 2015.
The paper reported the same year, he was criticised by locals when his 1000-person delegation forced the closure of a popular beach in the French Riviera.
The King will visit Brunei, Japan, China, the Maldives and Jordan over the next few weeks, in a bid to create stronger economic ties in the region.