Saudi King’s Malaysia trip targets Muslim concerns

King Abdullah begins on Monday the first visit by a Saudi monarch to Muslim Malaysia in 36 years, a trip whose potential could stretch past concerns over trade and oil to offer ways to reshape the Islamic world.

Analysts said King Abdullah, who is leading a delegation of 300 people that includes cabinet ministers and businessmen, could draw a lesson from fast industrialising Malaysia, which champions the view that Islam and modernity are not mutually exclusive. ‘‘Malaysia’s importance stems from the fact that the entire Muslim world views it as a successful model of a modern Islamic state,’’ said Abdulaziz Sages, chairman of the Gulf Research Centre, based in Dubai. ‘‘As the leader of the Islamic world that houses the holiest shrines, Saudi Arabia is grappling with the process of internalising the virtues of moderation and modernisation under the leadership of King Abdullah,’’ Sages said in an article published on Sunday.

King Abdullah will hold talks with Malaysian PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, current head of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference . The summit comes at a time when Muslim nations find themselves grappling with problems of poverty, unemployment, economic instability and a global tide of fear over militants who claim inspiration from Islamic principles.