Bangladesh has sought stronger energy cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Qatar while exploring foreign investment opportunities in its renewable energy sector during a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 17th International Energy Forum held in Riyadh.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit held separate meetings with Saudi Assistant Minister of Energy for Electricity Nasser bin Hadi Al-Qahtani, Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Qatar Energy President and CEO Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and ACWA Power CEO Dr Samir J Serhan, according to a message received on Monday.
The discussions focused on strengthening Bangladesh's energy security, securing long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, expanding bilateral cooperation and attracting foreign investment in renewable energy.
During his meeting with Saudi Assistant Minister Nasser Al-Qahtani, Amit expressed condolences over the deaths caused by a Houthi rebel attack at Riyadh International Airport and condemned the attack.
He reaffirmed the solidarity of the government and people of Bangladesh with Saudi Arabia and briefed the Saudi official on the condolence message sent by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to the Saudi crown prince and prime minister.
The Bangladesh state minister also sought Saudi Arabia's assistance in repatriating the bodies of two Bangladeshi nationals killed in the attack and ensuring medical treatment for those injured.
On energy cooperation, Amit sought Saudi support to strengthen Bangladesh's energy security. In response, the Saudi official described Bangladesh as a brotherly country that holds special importance for the Saudi government and expressed optimism about further expanding ongoing cooperation in energy security and other development initiatives.
The two sides stressed exchanging delegations and establishing a framework for understanding to discuss areas of Saudi support for Bangladesh's efforts to achieve its energy targets by 2030.
The discussions also covered long-term energy cooperation, the development of floating LNG terminals, and offshore and onshore gas exploration.
In his meeting with Qatar's State Minister for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Amit discussed Bangladesh's growing demand for natural gas, its existing LNG import arrangements and the possibility of signing new long-term supply agreements.
The two sides also explored LNG supplies from Qatar Energy's international portfolio and the diversification of supply sources and routes to strengthen Bangladesh's energy security. Both ministers stressed the need for continuing commercial and technical discussions between the relevant organisations.
In a third meeting, ACWA Power CEO Dr Samir J Serhan discussed investment opportunities in Bangladesh's renewable energy sector with the state minister. ACWA Power expressed interest in investing in the country's renewable energy sector.
Officials from the Bangladesh delegation and the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh were present at the meetings.
