The newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah, paid a courtesy call on chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna on Sunday.
The chief adviser extended his warmest greetings to the Saudi ambassador on assuming his duties in Bangladesh and expressed hope that the friendly relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia would reach new heights during his tenure, said a press release issued by the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing.
Professor Yunus also pledged cooperation of his government during the Saudi ambassador鈥檚 tenure in Bangladesh.
Referring to the depth of Saudi Arabia鈥檚 relations with Bangladesh, he said that there was an opportunity to further expand this relationship by increasing cooperation in various sectors.
He proposed that Saudi Arabia could consider establishing its production sector in Bangladesh by utilising Bangladesh鈥檚 geostrategic location, cheap labour, and the country鈥檚 resources.
In this regard, he called for Saudi investment in the energy sector, including oil refineries, the healthcare sector, the health education sector, and the pharmaceutical industry.
In response, the Saudi ambassador mentioned his country鈥檚 deep ties with Bangladesh.
He said that Saudi investment company Red Sea Gateway Terminal is engaged in the Patenga Container Terminal and Matarbari Deep Sea Port, according to the release.
He said that the Saudi Government had allocated 20 million US dollars for the construction of an Arabic Language Institute and 8 mosques in different cities in Bangladesh.
The Saudi ambassador handed over the invitation letter of the Saudi crown prince and prime minister to attend the 9th meeting of the Future Investment Initiative Forum to be held in Riyadh in October.
The chief adviser also expressed his gratitude to the Saudi crown prince for accepting the invitation to visit Bangladesh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations at a given date.
