State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today said Bangladesh was positively considering the Makkah Defence Agreement, with any decision to be guided by national interests and the potential contribution of the country's peacekeeping expertise to regional peace and stability.
“We are having positive discussions on the Makkah Defence Agreement. We are viewing it positively,” he said while addressing a national seminar at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital.
Kobir said Bangladesh could take a favourable decision if the agreement served its national interests and its peacekeeping expertise could contribute to the welfare of Muslim nations and help maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.
“If it falls within the national interests of Bangladesh and converges, and we feel that our peacekeeping expertise can add value in serving Muslim nations and keeping a stable, peaceful Middle East, then there is every scope to take a positive decision on the matter,” he said.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the Center for Migration Studies of North South University (NSU) jointly organised the seminar titled “From Workforce to Strategic Partnership: Reimagining Bangladesh-KSA Relations.”
The state minister also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had accepted an invitation from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince to visit the Kingdom.
“He has accepted and will do so at some point very soon,” Kobir said.
He said the Crown Prince had also expressed interest in visiting Bangladesh, adding that Dhaka would welcome him at a mutually convenient time.
Kobir said the proposed visits reflected growing political ties between the two countries. He also described 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,” he said.
He said Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and Bangladesh's economic transformation had created common interests in investment, human capital, technology and connectivity.
Discussions were underway on a possible investment fund to facilitate joint investments and partnerships in priority sectors, he added.
The state minister identified renewable energy, infrastructure, ports, logistics, agriculture, fisheries, food security, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology and artificial intelligence as promising areas for Saudi investment.
He said such investments required a predictable and transparent business environment, improved institutional coordination and timely decision-making.
Kobir 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.
Kobir also highlighted opportunities for knowledge and technology partnerships, alongside cooperation in ports, shipping, logistics, aviation and supply chains.
“The next chapter of Bangladesh-Saudi Arabia relations should therefore be defined by value creation rather than volume alone,” he said.
Foreign Ministry Secretary (Bilateral) Dr Md Nazrul Islam and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed spoke as special guests.
BIISS Director General Major General A S M Ridwanur Rahman and NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury also addressed the seminar.
Speaking to journalists after the event, Kobir reiterated that peace and stability in the Middle East and the Muslim world were central to Bangladesh's consideration of the Makkah Defence Agreement.
He said maintaining peace in the region encompassing Makkah and Madinah was a key objective, adding that Bangladesh could deploy its peacekeeping expertise more effectively and extensively across the world.
He said initiatives regarding participation in the agreement or association with the alliance were being considered positively, with regional peace and stability remaining the priority.
Kobir said regular high-level exchanges, including ministerial and official visits in both directions, were strengthening bilateral engagement.
He also stressed the need to diversify employment opportunities into energy, technology and other promising sectors while sending more highly skilled professionals to Saudi Arabia.
“We are also holding very positive discussions with Saudi Arabia and, God willing, many new opportunities will emerge between the two countries,” he said.
The state minister said there was scope for a broad investment partnership under which Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia could jointly invest in profitable sectors.
“The days of dependency are over. We are now placing emphasis on an equal partnership between the two countries and on sustainable policies,” he told journalists.