Saudi issued 14 lac visas in 1 year: Ambassador

The Saudi government issued a total of 14 lac visas for Bangladeshi citizens in 2025, including 7,50,000 work visas, Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdullah Jafar H Bin Abiyyah said on Sunday.

The envoy shared the information during a courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman.

During the meeting, the ambassador reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations with Bangladesh. Welcoming the envoy, the foreign minister described Saudi Arabia as a trusted and long-standing partner of Bangladesh.

He recalled that diplomatic relations between the two countries began during the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, when Bangladesh established its embassy in Saudi Arabia in 1976. Ziaur Rahman also made a historic visit to the Kingdom in 1977, and both sides acknowledged his contribution to promoting Muslim unity.

The foreign minister praised Saudi leadership for its role in promoting peace and stability across the Middle East and the Muslim world. He expressed gratitude for providing employment opportunities to a large number of Bangladeshi workers and highlighted the strong potential to expand cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and other priority sectors by leveraging the two countries’ strategic locations.

He also recalled Saudi support in facilitating the repatriation of nearly 2,00,000 Rohingya refugees in 1979 and appreciated the Kingdom’s continued humanitarian assistance for around 12 lac Rohingya currently sheltered in Bangladesh, seeking Riyadh’s support for their sustainable repatriation to Myanmar.

The ambassador expressed support for Bangladesh’s current government and his willingness to work together to advance bilateral ties toward a broader partnership. He noted that ongoing development projects in Saudi Arabia are creating employment opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers from Bangladesh.

Separately, the ambassador met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam and congratulated her on her new role. The state minister praised reform initiatives led by the Saudi Crown Prince under Vision 2030, and both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.