Saudi Arabia Expresses Confidence in Bangladesh Government, Eyes Investment Across Key Sectors

Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, has said that the Saudi government has expressed full confidence in the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and is keen to expand investment in several strategic sectors in Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, the state minister described recent discussions with a high-level Saudi delegation as "highly successful and productive."

She said Saudi Arabia is interested in investing in Bangladesh's fisheries, food processing, energy, renewable energy, solar power, information technology, and artificial intelligence sectors by leveraging its expertise in these fields.

Earlier in the day, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji held a joint meeting at the state guest house Padma with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, and the Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Shama Obaed Islam noted that the welfare of Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia was also discussed. She said the Saudi delegation paid tribute to three Bangladeshi nationals who were killed during the recent conflict and thanked the Saudi authorities for their cooperation in repatriating the victims' bodies.

She added that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in recruiting more skilled Bangladeshi workers, and both sides discussed ways to strengthen labor cooperation.

The state minister also revealed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh, in turn, has extended an invitation to the Crown Prince to visit Bangladesh.

She expressed hope that a joint meeting would soon be held in Saudi Arabia with the participation of senior Bangladeshi officials, including the Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), to further advance bilateral economic cooperation.

According to the minister, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are also expected to hold a Political Consultation Meeting and a Joint Working Group meeting later this year to maintain regular engagement and deepen bilateral ties.

Describing the visit as highly fruitful, Shama Obaed Islam said the Saudi delegation conveyed its strong belief that relations between the two countries would reach new heights under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's leadership.

Responding to a question regarding passport-related consular issues faced by Bangladeshi nationals in Saudi Arabia, she said such challenges are common in many countries and were not a major topic of the bilateral discussions.

However, she noted that Bangladesh's missions in Jeddah and Riyadh are already working closely with the Saudi authorities to resolve the issues. Technical teams from Bangladesh's Home Ministry and passport authorities, along with their counterparts at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior, will continue discussions to address the matter.

The state minister said the Saudi delegation repeatedly emphasized that it does not wish to limit cooperation to a single sector but is eager to collaborate with Bangladesh across a wide range of areas.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji arrived in Dhaka on Monday for a two-day official visit and was received at the airport by the Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser, Humayun Kabir.