Saudi Arabia has announced that it will offer 500 scholarships annually to Bangladeshi students, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening educational cooperation with Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Abdullah Zafer H. bin Abiyah made the announcement when he called on Prime Minister’s Adviser and his office Spokesperson Dr Mahdi Amin at the Prime Minister’s Office here today.

During the meeting, the Saudi envoy expressed his country’s keen interest in working closely with Bangladesh’s new government in various fields, including politics and the economy. 

The two sides also held detailed discussions on Saudi Arabia’s possible support for the development of Bangladesh’s education sector, said an official hand out here.

The envoy said the Saudi government had confirmed the allocation of 500 scholarships every year for Bangladeshi students and added that he had already informed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman about the initiative.

The meeting also discussed expanding opportunities for exporting skilled Bangladeshi manpower to Saudi Arabia, making access to the Saudi labour market easier and removing existing procedural complexities in the recruitment process.

In addition, the two sides exchanged views on Hajj and Umrah, strengthening people-to-people contacts and exploring new avenues of bilateral cooperation.

It was noted that around 3.8 million Bangladeshis currently living in Saudi Arabia are making significant contributions to the Kingdom’s economy and development. 

At the same time, the remittances they send home continue to play a vital role in Bangladesh’s economic progress.

Both sides underscored the importance of further strengthening the partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Members of the Saudi delegation including Vice Ambassador Khalid Saeed M. Al Hadal and Deputy Head of the Consular Section Mohammed Fahad Dhi Al Suhaimi were present on the occasion.