Home minister urges stronger energy ties with Saudi Arabia

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday stressed the need to deepen energy cooperation with Saudi Arabia, describing the Kingdom as one of Bangladesh’s closest allies and highlighting opportunities for expanded investment.
He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah at the Secretariat, according to a home ministry press release.
The minister noted that, beyond manpower exports, there is significant scope for collaboration in the energy and tourism sectors. He urged relevant authorities to explore new avenues for partnership and investment.
During the meeting, Ambassador Abiyah called for faster issuance of Bangladeshi passports to around 69,000 Rohingyas living in Saudi Arabia. In response, Salahuddin said 22,000 passports had already been issued following proper verification of documents.
He added that a special team had been deployed to accelerate the process and warned that no corruption or irregularities would be tolerated. He also instructed officials to re-verify and finalise the list provided by Saudi authorities, ensuring that eligible individuals receive passports without delay.

The ambassador invited the home minister to lead a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia to further strengthen bilateral relations. Salahuddin welcomed the invitation and indicated he may visit the Kingdom in the first half of July.
Both sides discussed a range of bilateral issues, including law enforcement and security cooperation, tourism development, and increased Saudi investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector.
Ambassador Abiyah congratulated the minister on his new role and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing ties. 
Senior home ministry officials were also present at the meeting.