Saudi Arabia an important friend of Bangladesh: Chief Adviser

Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Tuesday.

The Ambassador praised the leadership of Professor Muhammad Yunus, saying that he is capable of leading the country to prosperity, said a spokesperson of the CA office.

The Chief Adviser described Saudi Arabia as a “very important friend of Bangladesh” and recalled his visit to the country last year for World Football Summit, where he addressed the Saudi Arabian women’s football team and spoke about sports’ incredible power to transform the world.

The Ambassador noted that some 3.2 million Bangladeshis are currently working in Saudi Arabia, making a vital contribution to their country. The Bangladeshi migrant workers send annually $5 billion in remittance through official channels and another $5 billion through unofficial channels.

If the money can be sent through official channels, they could significantly help bolster the economic growth of Bangladesh, said the Ambassador.

“They are hard-working people and very religious,” said the ambassador.

The Ambassador raised the issue for the renewal of passports of 69,000 undocumented people who had been living in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s.

The Ambassador called for increased economic relations between the two countries and mentioned that the Saudi Arabian businesspeople, including RSGT International and Acqwa Power, are interested in expanding investments in Bangladesh, particularly in logistics, services, and renewable energy sectors.

He also informed the Chief Adviser about the introduction of the Makkah Road Initiative, designed to ease immigration procedures for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

Last year, nearly half a million Bangladeshis performed Umrah, he added.

Chief Advisor Yunus appreciated the Saudi leadership's efforts in strengthening the bilateral engagements with Bangladesh and expressed his government’s commitment to continued cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

mirmostafiz@yahoi.com