Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Tuesday reiterated Bangladesh's commitment to freedom of navigation, noting that the country's participation in the Saudi-led Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition (MMDC) reflects its commitment to safeguarding international maritime trade routes and regional stability.
The foreign minister held bilateral talks with the vice minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Eng Waleed El-Khereiji, at the State Guest House Padma, where the two sides exchanged views on the evolving situation in the Middle East.
The meeting also reviewed cooperation in security, investment and multilateral affairs, including Saudi Arabia's support for Bangladesh's election as president of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Dr Khalilur expressed Bangladesh's solidarity with the Kingdom, appreciated Saudi Arabia's prudent leadership in promoting regional stability, and reaffirmed Bangladesh's support for the peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and international law.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir, among others, were present at the meeting with the Saudi delegation led by the vice minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Saudi vice minister paid a two-day official visit to Dhaka, leading a high-level Saudi delegation that included two deputy ministers and other senior government officials.
Welcoming the Saudi vice minister, the foreign minister reaffirmed that Bangladesh attaches the highest importance to its longstanding brotherly and strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia and proposed elevating bilateral relations to a "Comprehensive Partnership" encompassing political, economic, security and people-to-people cooperation.
The Saudi vice minister highlighted the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries and stressed the need to expand cooperation, particularly in investment.
He expressed Saudi Arabia's interest in investing in Bangladesh's ports, infrastructure and renewable energy sectors, and emphasised the early convening of the third Foreign Office Consultations and the 15th Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia Joint Commission Meeting in Dhaka.
The foreign minister expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia's continued humanitarian and political support for the Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh and requested continued support for their safe, voluntary and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to further strengthening their longstanding friendship and expanding their strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of both countries.
Saudi Arabia looks beyond manpower
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has expressed strong interest in broadening its engagement with Bangladesh beyond the traditional manpower sector, with investment opportunities in fisheries, food, energy, renewable energy, information technology and artificial intelligence.
"They (KSA) have repeatedly said the same thing: they do not want to be in just one sector; they want to work with Bangladesh in many sectors," State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to the visiting Saudi delegation's message.
Shama Obaed said the Saudi side conveyed its confidence in Bangladesh's government following the country's democratic election and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral ties.
She said the discussions were "very successful and fruitful," with both sides focusing on expanding economic cooperation.
"The Saudi government is interested in investing in Bangladesh by utilizing its expertise in various sectors, including fisheries, food, energy, renewable energy, solar energy, information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence," Shama Obaed said.
She also said Saudi Arabia is interested in recruiting more skilled workers from Bangladesh, describing the issue as another important area of discussion.
"We thanked them because, with the full cooperation of the Saudi government, we were able to bring back our brothers who died there," she said, recalling that three Bangladeshi nationals were killed during the recent conflict in the region. The Saudi delegation paid tribute to them.
The Saudi crown prince has already invited Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Bangladesh has also invited the Saudi crown prince to visit Bangladesh.
Shama Obaed expressed hope that a joint Bangladesh-Saudi investment meeting would be held soon, with participation from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and other stakeholders.
She also announced that political consultations and a Joint Working Group meeting between the two countries are expected to take place in Bangladesh later this year. "This communication and exchange will continue," she said.
Describing the visit as highly productive, Shama Obaed said Saudi Arabia expressed confidence that bilateral relations would continue to grow stronger.
"This visit was very fruitful and, in the coming days, they have also expressed their strong belief that Saudi Arabia-Bangladesh relations will be further strengthened under the leadership of the prime minister," she said.
Responding to a question about a possible visit by the prime minister to Saudi Arabia, Shama Obaed said the visit would definitely take place at a suitable time, based on discussions between the two countries.
Asked whether issues related to Rohingya passport documentation in Saudi Arabia or the illegal stay of some Bangladeshi workers were discussed, she said those matters did not feature prominently in the talks.
"Look, we have the same passport-related problems in all countries," she said.
"Our Bangladesh missions in Jeddah and Riyadh are already working to resolve those problems by maintaining close contact with the Saudi authorities," she added.
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer H bin Abiyah recently said they expect greater emphasis on strategic investments, industrial partnerships and technology transfer, noting that the next five years could represent a "transformative phase" in Bangladesh-Saudi economic relations.
"Bangladesh offers one of the most dynamic investment destinations in South Asia, with a market of more than 170 million people and a strategic location connecting South and Southeast Asia," the ambassador said in an interview with UNB.
Traditionally, the partnership has been driven by manpower cooperation and energy trade.
Particularly promising sectors include energy infrastructure, LNG, oil refining, healthcare services, pharmaceuticals and food security initiatives, Ambassador Dr Abdullah said.