Chief Adviser’s Saudi Arabia visit canceled

The upcoming visit of Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus to Saudi Arabia has been canceled. He was scheduled to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference to be held in Riyadh from October 27 to 30.

According to the Chief Adviser’s Office, the decision to cancel the trip was made due to the country’s ongoing political situation — particularly the implementation of the July Charter and preparations for the upcoming national elections, which have kept the Chief Adviser occupied.

In his place, Dr. Lutfey Siddiqi, the Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy for International Affairs, will lead the Bangladesh delegation to the event.

Earlier in July, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Abdullah Jafar bin Bayyah handed over an invitation letter from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Chief Adviser during a meeting at the State Guest House Jamuna. Since then, preparations for his Riyadh visit had been underway.

Sources said that an inter-ministerial meeting related to the visit had already been held and a preliminary schedule was finalized. However, due to political priorities, the visit has now been postponed.

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference is considered one of Saudi Arabia’s largest global economic forums, attended annually by top investors, world leaders, and policymakers from around the world.