Aug 04 (V7N) - State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam has said that Saudi Arabia has expressed strong interest in investing across a wide range of sectors in Bangladesh and recruiting more skilled Bangladeshi workers.

"Saudi Arabia is interested in investing in Bangladesh in sectors where it has significant expertise. These issues featured prominently in our discussions," she said after a meeting between visiting Saudi Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Eng. Waleed Abdul Karim Al-Khereiji and Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman at state guesthouse Padma in Dhaka. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir were also present.

Shama said the Saudi delegation reaffirmed its confidence in Bangladesh's democratic government and commitment to deepening bilateral ties. "The visit was aimed at taking Bangladesh-Saudi relations to a new height. We had a very successful and fruitful discussion," she added.

She noted that Saudi Arabia expressed interest in investing in fisheries, food processing, energy, renewable energy, solar power, IT, and artificial intelligence—sectors where it holds strong expertise. The two sides also discussed labour cooperation, with Saudi Arabia showing interest in recruiting a larger number of skilled Bangladeshi workers.

Bangladesh expects to hold a joint investment meeting in Saudi Arabia soon, with senior officials including BIDA's Executive Chairman expected to participate. A Bangladesh-Saudi Political Consultation Meeting and a Joint Working Group meeting are also planned for later this year.

Shama said high-level exchanges are underway, with the Saudi Crown Prince inviting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit the Kingdom, and Bangladesh extending an invitation to the Crown Prince to visit Dhaka.

On Rohingya passport-related issues in Saudi Arabia, she said these exist in several countries and were not a major focus of the talks. "Our missions in Jeddah and Riyadh are already working with Saudi authorities to resolve those issues," she added.

The Saudi delegation stressed that they want to broaden cooperation beyond a single sector and work together across many fields, which Shama described as the main focus of the discussions.

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