Considering Makkah pact for sake of Mideast peace

Bangladesh is positively considering the Makkah Defence Agreement in view of peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world, said Humaiun Kobir, the state minister for foreign affairs.

Besides, Bangladesh could deploy its peacekeeping expertise more effectively and extensively across the world, he told reporters yesterday after attending a seminar yesterday titled “From workforce to strategic partnership: reimagining Bangladesh-KSA relations”.

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The seminar was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies and the Centre for Migration Studies of North South University.

The next chapter of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations should therefore be defined by value creation rather than volume alone, he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has accepted an invitation from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit the kingdom.

Salman has also expressed interest in visiting Bangladesh, according to Humaiun.

The proposed visits reflected growing political ties between the two countries, he said, while describing Bangladesh as a strong partner of Saudi Arabia in maritime security.

Calling for a comprehensive economic and strategic partnership, he said bilateral relations should expand beyond their traditional focus on labour migration and remittances.

“While that foundation remains important, it cannot be the ceiling of our ambition.”

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Bangladesh’s economic transformation have created common interests in investment, human capital, technology and connectivity.

Discussions are underway on a possible investment fund to facilitate joint investments and partnerships in priority sectors, he said, while citing renewable energy, infrastructure, ports, logistics, agriculture, fisheries, food security, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology and AI as promising areas for Saudi investment.

“The days of dependency are over -- we are now placing emphasis on an equal partnership and on sustainable practices.”

Humaiun stressed the need to shift towards trained and certified professionals to meet the changing demands of Saudi Arabia’s labour market.

He called for stronger cooperation among training institutions, universities and industries to ensure skills certification aligned with Saudi market requirements.

The welfare, dignity and rights of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia would remain a government priority, he said.