Saudi Arabia has expressed strong interest in expanding its investment in Bangladesh and recruiting more skilled Bangladeshi workers, officials said following high-level bilateral talks in Dhaka.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed Abdul Karim Al-Khuraiji, currently on an official visit to Bangladesh, held separate meetings on Tuesday with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at the State Guest House Padma. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam was also present.

Briefing reporters after the meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed said the visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. She noted that Saudi Arabia expressed confidence in Bangladesh’s democratic government and described the discussions as highly productive.

According to the state minister, Saudi Arabia is interested in investing in several sectors in Bangladesh, including fisheries, food processing, energy, renewable energy, solar power, information technology (IT), and artificial intelligence (AI), leveraging its expertise in these fields.

She also announced that a joint investment meeting is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia, with participation from the Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and other officials. In addition, a Political Consultation Meeting and a Joint Working Group meeting between the two countries are expected to take place later this year.

Highlighting labour cooperation, Shama Obaed said Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in recruiting more skilled workers from Bangladesh, and the issue was discussed during the bilateral meetings.

She further said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has already invited Bangladesh’s Prime Minister to visit Saudi Arabia. Bangladesh has also extended an invitation to the Saudi Crown Prince to visit Dhaka. The Prime Minister’s visit will take place at a mutually convenient time following consultations between the two countries.

Responding to a question regarding passport-related issues involving Rohingya refugees residing in Saudi Arabia, the state minister said the matter was not a major focus of the discussions. She added that the Bangladesh missions in Jeddah and Riyadh are already working closely with Saudi authorities to resolve such issues.

Shama Obaed emphasized that Saudi Arabia is interested in broadening cooperation beyond a single sector and seeks to deepen its partnership with Bangladesh across multiple areas. She said the Saudi delegation’s visit reflected its commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations in the coming years.