BANGLADESH has long-standing relations and burgeoning engagements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The government and the people of Bangladesh deeply appreciate the positive disposition of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman towards Bangladesh and its people. Bangladesh applauds the visionary role of the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, in adopting the Kingdom's Vision 2030, under the wise leadership of King Salman. The recent years have seen relations between the two brotherly countries expand further. In recent times, Saudi Arabia took two important decisions i.e. allowing Iqama transfer and regularization of nearly 0.8 million Bangladesh nationals in 2013. The Saudi government also decided to recruit Bangladesh workers in all categories beginning from February 2015. On the other hand, Bangladesh supported the Kingdom on the Yemen situation (March 2015). Bangladesh was also one of the fast countries to respond to the call to join the Saudi-led initiative to set up a ‘Center' in Riyadh on countering terrorism and extremism. These significant developments contribute to deeper understanding between Dhaka and Riyadh and contributed to the bilateral engagements. Yet, there are areas where the two brotherly countries can embark upon further in moving towards a result-oriented engagement driven by mutual trust and mutual benefit. Political relations Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is undertaking an official visit to the Kingdom during the first week of June 2016. This promises to mark a milestone within the Saudi-Bangladesh relations — contributing to bolster the multifarious interactions and engagements of the recent times between the actors in Riyadh and Dhaka. A key was the meeting of the two Foreign Ministers (January and April 2016 in Riyadh, March 2016 in Dhaka) when they particularly agreed to work on a number of instruments for mutual cooperation e.g. investment, culture, education, agriculture, standardization, etc. Some of those are expected to be signed during Bangladesh prime minister's visit. The MoU on Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) that the ministers agreed between the two countries, to be signed during the visit, would make the FOC a platform for regular political consultations between the two countries, particularly as Saudi Arabia remains a key actor in the Middle-East as also the leading economy in the Arabian Gulf. Cooperation in economic and social areas Both the countries increasingly recognize mutually beneficial potential to expand bilateral economic cooperation across a wider menu. In deepening bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and economic front, the last (11th) session of the Joint Commission (Dhaka, November 2015) agreed to expand cooperation in all areas e.g. in manpower, trade, investment, education, health, agriculture. For instance, in recent times, the Saudi Fund for Development has approved few projects e.g. construction of a bridge over Teesta River in northern Bangladesh district of Gaibandha, a Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit, ICT and Arabic Language training for Madrasa students. Subsequently, the Saudi side also agreed to encourage Saudi entrepreneurs to invest in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has requested Saudi Arabia to set up a flagship project i.e. establishing a diammonium phosphate fertilizer plant in Bangladesh with Saudi financing. Some private Saudi investors have affirmed their interest to invest in cargo business, IT Park and civil construction in Bangladesh. A Saudi real estate company – Al Bawani group – has shown interest on construction in KSA with Bangladesh Army Engineering Corps where the latter can bring in technical, material and human resources from Bangladesh. On ICT front, Bangladesh showcased its fast-growing ICT sector and wide ranging potentials in Bangladesh to the Saudi IT entrepreneurs; and the Saudi investors are expressing their interest to invest in IT Park in Bangladesh. Bilateral trade has increased significantly in the recent years though at a modest level as yet. By 2015, Bangladesh exports to KSA is around $200 million whereas Bangladesh import from KSA stands at around $550 million. The range of products and services are rather limited. In an encouraging move, last year, Saudi Arabia removed visa restrictions for Bangladesh businessmen, which allow them to obtain multiple business visas. This is expected to contribute to facilitating increased trade and investment between the two countries. In May 2016, a Trade Fair, under the aegis of OIC in Riyadh, will draw 33 private exporters from Bangladesh where key governmental and private stakeholders from Bangladesh will also join. Such interface is expected to boost up further business opportunities between the two countries. Given the rising business and economic opportunities between the two countries, some Bangladeshi private commercial banks are planning to open their branches in KSA. The banks will shortly submit their applications with business-plan to SAMA for issuance of the required licenses. While the Kingdom is focused to develop academic centers of excellence, Bangladesh on the other hand is keen to develop millions of her young men and women skilled and expose them to advanced knowledge streams compatible to international standards. To that end, some of the Saudi Universities e.g. King Saud University, Imam University (Riyadh), Jazan University, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dammam and Madinah Munawarah Islamic University are showing interest to explore collaboration with their Bangladeshi peers. These universities are open to admit increasing number of Bangladeshi students and academic faculty and offer scholarships. More recently, Bangladesh Agricultural University in Mymensingh has proposed to enter into collaborative arrangement with the Jazan University in KSA. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in Dammam has similarly expressed interest to offer scholarships to scientific officers of Petrobangla for post-graduate and doctoral degree. In order to situate such academic collaboration at higher level, Bangladesh has proposed an MoU on broader cooperation in education sector with KSA, which is now between the two sides. As recent as in March 2016, the two countries interacted at high political level, including with the Saudi Assistant Defense Minister, where the issues of defense cooperation between the two countries in non-combat areas e.g. construction were considered. Bangladesh Army Chief was in the Kingdom in March 2016 to join the Conference of Army Chief of "Islamic Alliance against terrorism" launched recently by Saudi Arabia. At that opportunity, he also had bilateral interactions with his Saudi counterpart. These interactions are shaping up future opportunities in defense cooperation between two brotherly countries. Cooperation in human resources For several decades, Bangladesh has been meeting the need of workers in several work streams in the Saudi labor market. The Bangladeshi migrant community has established their credentials in a longer term; and working with considerable appreciation of the Saudi peoples. In the process, they are also a part of contemporary Saudi economic growth. As of date, more than one million Bangladeshi migrant community is in KSA, spread across the Kingdom. Many of them have also moved along as entrepreneurs in the Kingdom. In moving cooperation in that front, in February 2015, Saudi Arabia signed an agreement with Bangladesh for bringing domestic service workers from Bangladesh. Restrictions on recruitment of male workers from Bangladesh was eased, which led to about 57,875 workers coming from Bangladesh in 2015 as against merely 11,000 coming from Bangladesh in 2014. Following up on that agreement, the Saudi Labor Minister and the Bangladesh Minister for Expatriates' Welfare & Overseas Employment agreed to open up Saudi labor market for Bangladesh male domestic service workers (Riyadh, Dec. 31, 2015). The first meeting of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) (Riyadh, April 2016) dealt with the important aspects of labor migration. Discussion with the Saudi recruitment companies at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry led to agreement to streamline the recruitment process of housemaids from Bangladesh when the Saudi counterparts agreed to recruit more male workers from Bangladesh. In a related development, Saudi Foreign Minister recently agreed with his Bangladesh counterpart to assess the institutions, curricula, related facilities, etc. in Bangladesh vis-à-vis academic and professional medical qualifications while proceeding on future recruitment of Bangladeshi health professionals e.g. doctors, nurses. As a follow up, a Saudi Health Ministry delegation will be visiting Bangladesh shortly to explore the possibilities of recruitment of qualified doctors and allied professionals. Moving forward In such an evolving context, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would be meeting King Salman. They are expected to explore newer areas, avenues and modalities to reap further opportunities in mutually beneficial terms. The recent interactions between the two countries should vindicate that the Kingdom is also considering to enter into a new phase of engagement with Bangladesh — much beyond engaging in terms of sourcing of migrant workers for Saudi labor market. The Kingdom now has the Saudi Vision 2030, which offers Bangladesh to look at new areas of engagement with Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Bangladesh's Vision 2021 (of emergence as a Middle Income Country) and the Vision 2041 (of emergence as a developed country) promises the Kingdom to consider Bangladesh as a fast-growing economic opportunity to invest in beneficial terms. Bangladesh's positioning within the global supply chains and some of the key global value chains, fulfilling incremental demand for quality infrastructure would merit consideration. Bangladesh's opening up to the region around through newer forms of connectivity and cooperation matrix is leading to newer economics as well which should also merit attention of the actors in government and private sector in the Kingdom. Clearly, it is a time when both countries are opting for transformation of respective economies. In spite of the diverse levels of economic development, there is yet room and opportunities in areas like trade, finance, investment, education, agriculture, defense where both countries can engage through so many new forms and modalities that many other countries are engaging. For instance it is time to consider new platforms or ways to get the range of private actors of the two countries e.g. much beyond conventional economic forum and see the possibilities of engagement in mutually beneficial terms. The ultimate objective is surely to strengthen the bonds between the two peoples further, which would elevate the bilateral relations to greater heights. Bangladesh stands ready to form deeper collaboration with the people and the government in the Kingdom beyond the existing matrix and to contribute to the other's transformative Vision.
