Prince Salman invites PM Tarique to Saudi Arabia
Riyadh looks to expand cooperation with Dhaka across sectors.
Highlights:
- Bilateral cooperation extends across multiple economic sectors
- Riyadh seeks Bangladeshi skilled workers and investment
- Saudi Arabia remains crucial to Bangladesh's diplomacy
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues.
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Zafer H bin Abiyah handed over the invitation letter to Tarique during a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office today (17 August), said Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The envoy said, "Saudi Arabia is pleased to invite the Bangladesh Prime Minister to visit the Kingdom to discuss ways to enhance bilateral ties and consult on regional and international issues."
The invitation signals a fresh initiative to further strengthen the longstanding relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. Although the relationship between the two countries has historically been rooted in religious and people-to-people ties, it has expanded in recent years to include trade, investment, energy and broader economic cooperation, alongside the labour market.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia also expressed interest in investing in various sectors of Bangladesh and recruiting more skilled Bangladeshi workers.
Although Saudi Arabia's recognition of Bangladesh came somewhat later after independence, the two countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1975. Since then, bilateral ties have gradually grown stronger. Relations that initially developed around Hajj, religious exchanges and manpower exports have subsequently expanded into economic and diplomatic cooperation.
Saudi Arabia is one of Bangladesh's most important labour markets. A large number of Bangladeshis work in the country, and the remittances they send home are an important source of Bangladesh's foreign exchange earnings.
The Kingdom is also one of the main destinations for Bangladeshi pilgrims performing Hajj. Longstanding religious and cultural ties between the peoples of the two countries further strengthen the relationship. As a result, ties with Riyadh hold significant importance for Bangladesh's foreign policy and economic diplomacy.
