Saudi to give 500 scholarships to BD students: Envoy

Saudi Arabia will provide 500 scholarships every year to Bangladeshi students following the assumption of office by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh has announced.

Saudi Ambassador Dr Abdullah Zafer H. bin Abiyah made the announcement during a meeting with Prime Minister’s Adviser and Office Spokesperson Dr Mahdi Amin at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.

During the meeting, the envoy expressed Saudi Arabia’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh’s new government in areas including politics, economy and education.

An official handout said the two sides discussed possible Saudi support for the development of Bangladesh’s education sector.

The ambassador said the Saudi government had approved the allocation of 500 scholarships annually for Bangladeshi students and that he had already informed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman about the initiative.

The meeting also discussed expanding opportunities for exporting skilled Bangladeshi manpower to Saudi Arabia, making access to the Saudi labour market easier and removing existing procedural complexities in the recruitment process.

In addition, the two sides exchanged views on Hajj and Umrah, strengthening people-to-people contacts and exploring new avenues of bilateral cooperation.

It was noted that around 3.8 million Bangladeshis currently living in Saudi Arabia are making significant contributions to the Kingdom’s economy and development.

At the same time, the remittances they send home continue to play a vital role in Bangladesh’s economic progress.

Both sides underscored the importance of further strengthening the partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Members of the Saudi delegation including Vice Ambassador Khalid Saeed M. Al Hadal and Deputy Head of the Consular Section Mohammed Fahad Dhi Al Suhaimi were present on the occasion.