Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh Essa Yusuf Essa Al Duhailan paid a courtesy call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Tuesday.
The press wing of the interim government’s chief adviser confirmed the matter.
The ambassador praised the leadership of Professor Muhammad Yunus and said that he is capable of leading the country to the path of prosperity.
The chief adviser called Saudi Arabia a ‘very important friend of Bangladesh’ and recalled his visit to the country last year to attend the World Football Summit, where he addressed the Saudi women’s football team and spoke of the incredible power of sport to transform the world.
The ambassador noted that currently around 3.2 million Bangladeshis are working in Saudi Arabia and making important contributions to the country. Bangladeshi migrant workers send remittances worth $5 billion annually through official channels and another $5 billion through unofficial channels.
The ambassador said that if money can be sent through official channels, it can significantly help the economic growth of Bangladesh. Ambassador said, they are hard working people and very religious.
The ambassador raised the issue of renewing the passports of 69,000 unregistered persons living in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s.
The ambassador called for increasing economic relations between the two countries and said that Saudi Arabia’s authorities are interested in more investments in Bangladesh, including investments in logistics, service sector, renewable energy by RSGT International and Aqua Power.
He said the country has launched Makkah Road to ease the immigration process for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.
He told the chief adviser that last year nearly five lakh Bangladeshis performed Umrah. The chief adviser praised the Saudi leadership for strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh and said that his government expects continued cooperation from Saudi Arabia.
