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Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has arrived in the United Arab Emirates’s Dubai to attend the World Governments Summit 2025, a global platform for policy and governance discussions.
His Emirates Airlines flight landed at Dubai International Airport around 1:30am Bangladesh time on Thursday, his press secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed.
UAE’s Minister of Sports, Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, welcomed Yunus upon arrival.
The minister thanked him for attending the summit and briefed him on the significance of the international conference, which has been a key event in Dubai for the past decade.
A statement from the Chief Advisor’s Office highlighted discussions on strengthening cooperation in sports and culture between Bangladesh and the UAE, alongside other bilateral matters.
Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh’s Ambassador to the UAE Tareq Ahmed, and UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Ali Khaseif Al Hamoudi were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, Yunus departed Dhaka at 7:45pm on the same day, bound for Dubai.
The World Governments Summit 2025 will be held from Feb 11 to 13, with heads of state and government from nearly 30 countries expected to participate.
The chief advisor is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on Friday after a two-day visit.
In a briefing on Sunday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Rafiqul Alam said that, in addition to attending the summit, the chief advisor is expected to hold bilateral meetings with different heads of state and government.
He also said there might be courtesy meetings with political and business leaders attending the event.
Yunus was invited to the summit on Jan 13 by UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Rafiqul Alam noted that this year's summit will focus on enhancing partnerships between governments, global dialogue, and cooperation, aimed at building bridges between governments and their people.
BANGLADESHI EXPATRIATES IN THE UAE EXPRESS EXCITEMENT OVER THE VISIT
The visit has generated excitement among Bangladeshi expatriates in the UAE.
They hope that discussions with the UAE government will address visa issues, open doors for skilled labour export, and create new investment opportunities.
Salah Uddin, an engineer, believes that resolving the worker visa issue could significantly increase remittances from the UAE to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, many who had been detained during the July protests and were later released by an interim government are hoping that Yunus' visit will help address these complexities, as they were forced to return home after becoming unemployed.
Bangladeshi businessman Shahadat Hossain said that nearly 1.5 million Bangladeshis in the UAE have faced a visa freeze, preventing him from relocating his company.
He also highlighted the potential for Bangladesh in different sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry.