The Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dr Abdullah ibn Dhafer ibn Ubayya, paid a courtesy call on the Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam, MP, and the Civil Aviation and Tourism State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, MP, on Monday.
According to the press release, the meeting was held at 12pm at the minister’s office in the Bangladesh Secretariat. During the session, both parties emphasised the importance of further strengthening and expanding the existing friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia in a dynamic and multidimensional manner.
Detailed discussions took place regarding mutual cooperation, specifically focusing on civil aviation, tourism, and Hajj management.
Afroza sought the Saudi ambassador’s assistance in reducing taxes and charges imposed by the Saudi government on Hajj flights. She noted that such a reduction would be significantly beneficial to a large number of Bangladeshi pilgrims by lowering their overall costs.
In response, the ambassador assured that the matter would be considered positively and pledged to provide the necessary cooperation.
Rashiduzzaman pointed out that the current absence of “Category-D” accommodation for Bangladeshi pilgrims has led to a significant increase in housing expenses. He requested the support of the Saudi authorities to reinstate Category-D facilities to protect the interests of Bangladeshi pilgrims.
The ambassador said the Saudi government remains sincere in its efforts to improve service quality, increase facilities, and maintain Hajj costs at a reasonable level for Bangladeshi pilgrims.
He assured the ministers that he would work towards taking all necessary initiatives and providing full cooperation to achieve these objectives.
The meeting concluded with both sides expressing their commitment to working together to bolster the friendly ties between the two nations and to expand mutual cooperation in Hajj management, civil aviation, and tourism.
