Staff Reporter :
To boost Bangladesh’s economy, the Interim Government led by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has been actively encouraging foreign investment across various sectors. As part of this effort, Dr. Yunus has been meeting with diplomats and foreign envoys, urging their countries to invest in Bangladesh.
In a meeting on Monday with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan at his Tejgaon office in Dhaka, Dr. Yunus encouraged Saudi investors to consider extensive investment in Bangladesh’s diverse sectors.
He also appealed to the Saudi envoy to deepen cooperation in energy and economic partnerships to strengthen the bond between the two Muslim-majority countries. The Chief Adviser highlighted the unique nature of the Bangladesh-Saudi relationship, noting that this is an ideal time for the Kingdom to extend support to the Interim Government.
Professor Yunus additionally requested that the ambassador convey a proposal to the Saudi government to deposit funds into Bangladesh’s central bank to enhance liquidity as part of economic cooperation, describing this support as a “wonderful gesture” towards the Interim Government.
He advocated for concessional energy and petroleum supplies, expanded trade, and increased Saudi investment in training Bangladeshi youth to build a more skilled workforce that could contribute to the Kingdom’s economy.
In response, Ambassador Al Duhailan expressed Saudi Arabia’s willingness to expand investments in Bangladesh. He sought the Chief Adviser’s support to facilitate proposed investments in the port and logistics sectors, particularly at Matarbari Deep Sea Port, as well as in power and renewable energy projects through ACWA Power. The envoy acknowledged the contributions of the Bangladeshi diaspora in Saudi Arabia, noting that improved skills would lead to higher wages and greater remittances.
Currently, around three million Bangladeshis work in Saudi Arabia, remitting billions of dollars annually. The ambassador mentioned that Saudi Arabia issues an average of 5,000 visas daily to Bangladeshi migrants and Muslim pilgrims. In 2023 alone, approximately half a million Bangladeshis traveled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, a 37 per cent increase from the previous year.
During the meeting, the ambassador also delivered two congratulatory letters from King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Chief Adviser on the occasion of Saudi National Day. He presented Professor Yunus with a copy of the Holy Quran and a replica of the falcon, Saudi Arabia’s national bird.
