Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer H. bin Abiyah has said they expect greater emphasis on strategic investments, industrial partnerships and technology transfer, noting that the next five years could represent a "transformative phase" in Bangladesh-Saudi economic relations.
"Bangladesh offers one of the most dynamic investment destinations in South Asia, with a market of more than 170 million people and a strategic location connecting South and Southeast Asia," said the Ambassador in an exclusive interview with UNB.
Traditionally, the partnership has been driven by manpower cooperation and energy trade.
Particularly promising sectors include energy infrastructure, LNG, oil refining, healthcare services, pharmaceuticals, and food security initiatives, said Ambassador Dr Abdullah.
He said recent financing and energy cooperation initiatives demonstrate the strong potential for expanding economic collaboration.
"Our shared objective should be to elevate economic relations to a level that matches the strength of our political and people-to-people ties," said the Ambassador while responding to a question.
He said they see significant opportunities for Saudi investment in energy, petrochemicals, oil refining, logistics, ports, special economic zones, renewable energy, agriculture, food processing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and infrastructure development.
Bangladesh has maintained strong economic growth over the past decade and continues to implement investment-friendly reforms, said the Saudi Ambassador, noting that they welcome the growing interest of Saudi investors and are actively facilitating business-to-business engagement between the two countries.
Vision 2030
Responding to a question, Dr Abdullah said Saudi Vision 2030 is creating unprecedented opportunities across multiple sectors beyond traditional construction and domestic services.
Bangladeshi workers have already established a strong reputation for dedication, adaptability, and professionalism, he said.
"We believe there is growing demand for skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi professionals in information technology, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, logistics, renewable energy, manufacturing, transportation, and infrastructure development," said the Saudi envoy.
The Embassy is encouraging closer collaboration between Bangladeshi training institutions and Saudi employers to align workforce skills with emerging labour market needs.
"Our goal is to increase the proportion of skilled workers migrating to the Kingdom and thereby enhance productivity, wages, and long-term career prospects," the Ambassador said.
Reducing Migration Costs
Ambassador Dr Abdullah said the welfare of Bangladeshi workers remains one of the highest priorities of their government.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts one of the largest Bangladeshi expatriate communities in the world, with approximately three million Bangladeshi nationals living and working in the Kingdom.
"Their contributions play a vital role in supporting both the Saudi economy and the economic development of Bangladesh through remittance flows and human resource cooperation," said the Saudi envoy.
According to data from the Bangladesh Bank, official remittances from the Kingdom exceeded USD 2.7 billion during the most recent fiscal year.
Recent months have witnessed notable growth in remittance inflows, underscoring the strength of the economic partnership and the deep people-to-people ties that unite our two friendly countries.
"Our objective is to significantly reduce migration costs, enhance skills certification, and ensure that workers arrive in the Kingdom fully informed about their rights and responsibilities," said Ambassador Dr Abdullah.
The Embassy and Consulate General maintain regular engagement with Saudi institutions to assist workers in resolving employment-related issues and to facilitate access to legal and consular support when required.
"We also welcome the continuous labour market reforms undertaken by Saudi Arabia, which contribute to improving mobility, transparency, and protection for expatriate workers," said the Ambassador.
Broader Strategic Cooperation
Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia enjoy an ""exceptional relationship" founded on shared Islamic values, mutual respect, and decades of close people-to-people ties.
Over the years, Ambassador Dr Abdullah said, the partnership has evolved from a traditional labour and development relationship into a "broader strategic cooperation" encompassing trade, investment, energy, education, and multilateral diplomacy.
Today, he said, Saudi Arabia remains one of Bangladesh’s most important partners in the Muslim world.
The Kingdom is the largest destination for Bangladeshi overseas workers and one of the principal sources of remittances to Bangladesh.
"Saudi Arabia also plays an important role in supporting Bangladesh’s energy security and economic development," said the envoy while responding to a question.
Looking ahead, he said, priority areas include investment promotion, energy cooperation, food security, logistics, digital economy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and human resource development.
"We also see significant opportunities to strengthen institutional cooperation under Saudi Vision 2030 and Bangladesh’s development agenda," said Ambassador Dr Abdullah.
Irregular Migrants in KSA
Bangladesh encourages all its nationals to comply fully with Saudi laws and regulations concerning residency, employment, and immigration.
The Kingdom has periodically introduced initiatives that allow individuals to regularise their status or return home through established legal procedures, said Ambassador Dr Abdullah.
The Embassy continues to provide consular assistance to Bangladeshi nationals and works closely with Saudi authorities to facilitate lawful and humane solutions whenever necessary, he said.
At the same time, the Ambassador said, they strongly discourage irregular migration and continue to raise awareness about the risks associated with unauthorized employment and residency.
Hajj and Umrah
Dr Abdullah said the Hajj and Umrah relationship represents one of the most important dimensions of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia cooperation.
"We highly appreciate the remarkable efforts undertaken by the Kingdom to modernize pilgrimage management through digital platforms, smart services, improved transportation networks, crowd management systems, and enhanced healthcare facilities," he said.
The Ambassador said they look forward to continued cooperation in expanding digital services, improving coordination mechanisms, facilitating visa and travel procedures, and enhancing the overall pilgrimage experience for Bangladeshi pilgrims.
He said the transformation witnessed under Saudi Vision 2030 has significantly improved the efficiency and quality of services available to pilgrims from around the world.
Promoting Stability
Ambassador Dr Abdullah said Bangladesh has consistently pursued a foreign policy based on peace, moderation, dialogue, and constructive international engagement.
As a leading Muslim-majority country with a long tradition of religious tolerance and commitment to multilateralism, Bangladesh contributes positively to regional and international stability, he said.
"Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh share common interests in promoting peace, combating extremism, fostering economic development, and strengthening cooperation across the Islamic world," said the Saudi Ambassador.
"Our countries can work together to support dialogue, sustainable development, humanitarian action, and conflict prevention," he added.
The Ambassador said both countries have a strong record of cooperation within the OIC, the United Nations, and other multilateral platforms.
In the coming years, he said greater joint attention could be directed toward sustainable development, climate resilience, food security, energy transition, humanitarian assistance, migration governance, public health, digital transformation, and reform of international institutions.
"Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia can also work together to amplify the voice of developing countries and promote solutions to global challenges through dialogue, cooperation, and collective action," he said.
The partnership between the two countries demonstrates how nations of the Islamic world can contribute positively to international peace, the Ambassador said.
Rohingya Refugees
Saudi Arabia, as a leading voice in the Islamic world, can continue to play a vital role through humanitarian assistance, diplomatic engagement, advocacy within international forums, and support for international efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of the crisis, said the Ambassador.
"The wider Islamic world can also help sustain international attention on the issue and support initiatives that create conditions conducive to voluntary repatriation," he said while responding to a question.
The envoy said Bangladesh deeply appreciates Saudi Arabia’s longstanding humanitarian support for displaced Rohingya populations.
The Rohingya crisis, he said, remains one of the world’s most significant humanitarian challenges, and a sustainable solution ultimately requires the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland in Myanmar.