RIYADH: Japan’s Emperor Naruhito’s 64th birthday was celebrated by the country’s embassy representatives in Riyadh on Tuesday. Fumio Iwai, the nation’s ambassador, held a reception at his residence in the capital to mark the occasion. The ceremony was attended by Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, deputy governor of the Riyadh region, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia. In a speech, Iwai highlighted the progress of Japan-Saudi Arabia relations over the years. He said there have been frequent high-level contact between officials from both nations, including Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit last July to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, he said Japan was honored to host Saudi Arabia’s ministers of defense, industry and mineral resources, and communications and information technology in Tokyo in 2023. The ambassador said that Japan’s private sector businesses signed 40 agreements across various industries with Saudi Arabia firms in 2023. Iwai added that seven Japanese companies have opened offices in the Kingdom. He said Japan has made it easier for Saudi Arabia citizens to visit the country, with the introduction of electronic and multiple-entry visas. The number of visas issued to Saudi Arabia citizens in 2023 was four times higher than in 2022. He said next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia.