Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud handed an invitation for the Islamic Solidarity Games to the PM.

Relations between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Cameroon were re-enforced over the weekend following the visit of Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud to Yaounde. A nephew of the king of Saudi Arabia and President of that kingdom's athletics federation, Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud was in Cameroon principally to meet the President of the African Athletics Confederation, Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum. At the centre of the discussion was the development of athletics. The peak of his numerous activities in Yaounde over the weekend however was the audience granted him by Peter Mafany Musonge, Prime Minister and Head of Government.

Receiving the august guest last Friday on behalf of the Head of State, the Prime Minister, accompanied by close collaborators discussed a wide range of issues concerning sports relations between the Kingdom and Cameroon. The visiting dignitary handed an official invitation to the Prime Minister concerning the participation of Cameroon in the Islamic Solidarity Games slated for Saudi Arabia in April next year. Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud was accompanied to the Prime Minister's office by the Saudi Arabia ambassador to Cameroon, Amjed Al Bedewi and six others. The Prime Minister offered the visiting Prince a carved mask as a present. Shortly after the audience with the Prime Minister, the Saudi Prince told newsmen that Cameroon is host to budding talents in a wide variety of sports disciplines. He added that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands to benefit from some of those disciplines where performance is higher than that in his country. The issue of sports infrastructure in Cameroon, he added, will be examined in future economic grant packages between the two countries.

Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud arrived Cameroon last Thursday and was received at the Yaounde-Nsimalen Airport by Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, President of the African Athletics Confederation. His crowded agenda spanned through working sessions with the AAC and CAF Presidents and courtesy calls to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of External Relations. Ministers Bidoung Mkpatt and Dion Ngute welcome the Prince to the various Ministerial departments. Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al-Saud also had the opportunity to watch Cameroonian athletes in action at the Yaounde main stadium last Saturday before giving a press conference at the Yaounde Hilton. A dinner offered by the African Athletics Confederation President to the Prince at the Hilton sealed off the official part of the visit. Insiders in the entourage of the visiting Prince and the AAC President indicate that the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Cameroon will benefit immensely from the visit. It was the first such trip by the Prince to Africa South of the Sahara.