Saudi Ambassador Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah met with Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed at the Secretariat. Photo : PID

DHAKA, Apr 20, 2026 (BSS) - Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in the energy sector with Saudi Arabia.

“Saudi Arabia is a brotherly nation, and there are vast opportunities to expand cooperation beyond manpower export, particularly in the energy and tourism sectors,” Salahuddin said, urging stakeholders to explore new avenues of collaboration and investment.

He made the call during a courtesy meeting with Saudi Ambassador Dr Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah at the Secretariat here.

During the meeting, both sides discussed a range of bilateral issues, including law enforcement and security cooperation, tourism development, and increasing Saudi investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector.

The home minister highlighted that Saudi Arabia remains one of Bangladesh’s closest allies and a trusted partner.

He also noted that Bangladesh has already sent a special team to accelerate related processes. He issued a stern warning that no corruption or irregularities in passport issuance would be tolerated.

Ambassador Abiyah congratulated the minister on his new role, reiterating Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

He invited the home minister to lead a high-level delegation to Saudi Arabia, to which the minister responded positively, indicating a possible visit in the first half of July.

Senior officials from the Home Ministry were also present at the meeting.