Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia Seek Stronger Economic Partnership

Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with Riyadh identifying Bangladesh as a priority country and expressing interest in expanding economic, investment and business cooperation.

The commitment came during a meeting between State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah on Thursday.

During the meeting, Kobir handed over a letter from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addressed to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the positive momentum in Bangladesh-Saudi relations and reaffirmed their commitment to taking the partnership to a new level.

Prince Faisal said Bangladesh is among Saudi Arabia’s priority countries and stressed the importance of further strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

He noted growing interest among Saudi companies in Bangladesh and expressed Riyadh’s interest in expanding investment and business engagement in the country.

The Saudi foreign minister also praised the contribution of Bangladeshi expatriates to Saudi Arabia’s development.

Kobir said several high-level visits between the two countries since the formation of the BNP-led government have created fresh opportunities to expand cooperation across various sectors.

He also referred to possible high-level visits between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia in the near future and invited Prince Faisal to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.

Saudi Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Waleed Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the OIC and senior officials from both countries attended the meeting.