DHAKA: Bangladesh is seeking to send more agriculturists and trained farmers to Saudi Arabia as the country wants to take part in the Kingdom’s green initiatives, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said on Monday.
Nearly 3 million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia, making them the largest expat group in the Kingdom and also the biggest Bangladeshi community outside of their origin country.
The South Asian nation is hoping to tap into green initiatives launched by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in 2021, which are focused on combating climate change and safeguarding the environment for future generations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East through emissions reduction, afforestation, and land and sea protection.
“During my meeting with the Saudi counterpart, I discussed the opportunity to take part in this initiative,” Mahmud told a presser in Dhaka.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud addresses a press conference in Dhaka on March 11, 2024. (AN Photo)
The Bangladesh foreign minister, who is a renowned ecologist and academic specializing in environmental sciences, was referring to his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Jeddah last week.
The planting of 50 billion trees across the Middle East is the equivalent of restoring 200 million hectares of degraded land. A fifth of the trees will be planted within the Kingdom’s borders, with the remaining 40 billion set to be planted across the broader region in the coming decades.
“I informed the Saudi foreign minister that the people of Bangladesh have much expertise in agriculture and that they are good farmers as well,” he said. “I urged him to take more agriculturists and trained farmers from Bangladesh. He regarded the matter with much importance.”
Mahmud and Prince Faisal discussed migrant welfare during their meeting, as well as potential Saudi investments in green energy and port management in Bangladesh.
The two officials also discussed the ongoing Rohingya crisis, as Bangladesh is struggling to support more than 1.2 million refugees fleeing death and persecution in Myanmar and spends an estimated $1.2 billion annually to support the group.
“We sought Saudi support for resolving the Rohingya crisis. Saudi FM promised to give all-out support in this regard,” Mahmud said.
