A joint working committee between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia will be formed to review the skills required by both countries in an exchange of experts initiative, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.

This followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the governments of Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in the field of human resources and manpower which was sealed Monday.

"Today's MoU is a bit different because normally I sign matters relating to labour for the recruitment of foreign workers to work in this country.

"But today is for the exchange of experts that we have in various skills to contribute to both countries," he told reporters after representing Malaysia in signing the MoU in Seri Perdana here.

The MoU was signed jointly with Saudi Arabia's Social Development and Workers Minister Dr Ali Nassir Al Ghafies and witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Dr Ali Nassir also represented Saudi Arabia in signing the MoU in the field of scientific and educational cooperation with Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Idris said the MoU was pertaining to strategic cooperation between the two countries in the exchange of lecturers, student mobility and studies being implemented in the higher education institutions of both countries.

"There will be more students from Saudi Arabia to Malaysia and students from Malaysia to Saudi Arabia," he said.

Besides the two MoUs, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia also signed several major agreements, including on cooperation in the economic field.

Also sealed today was the MoU between the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on cooperation in news exchange. -- Bernama