Saudi Arabia rolls out red carpet for Hasina as she kicks off five-day visit

Saudia Arabia has rolled out the red carpet for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is on a five-day visit to the oil-rich kingdom.

Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz welcomed her when the Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft carrying the prime minister and her entourage touched down at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah at 7:50pm on Friday local time.

A smartly turned-out contingent of the Saudi Arabian armed forces presented a guard of honour when the Bangladesh leader got down from the aircraft.

The crown prince took her to a banquet in her honour at King Faysal Palace from the airport.

In a ceremonial motorcade, Hasina was later taken to Jeddah Royal Conference Palace, where she would stay during her stay in Jeddah.

Earlier, she left Dhaka for the five-day visit at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud around 4:15pm BdST.

This is Hasina’s first visit to Saudi Arabia since King Salman ascended to the throne.

She last visited the kingdom in November 2013 to perform Umrah.

The prime minister is accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and top government officials including Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque and her Principal Secretary Abul Kalam Azad, among others.

A 10-strong business delegation is also with her that includes Beximco Vice-Chairman Salman F Rahman, FBCCI President Abdul Matlub Ahmad, S Alam Group Chairman Md Saiful Alam and Meghna Group Director Mostofa Kamal, among others.

Hasina will perform Umrah at Makkah later on Friday night and say Fazr prayers there.

On Saturday afternoon, the prime minister will lay the foundation stone of Bangladesh Chancery Complex and Bangladesh House in Riyadh through a programme at Jeddah. 

Hasina will hold a bilateral meeting with the Saudi king on Sunday at the Al Salam Palace at Al Andalus in Jeddah.

At a press briefing on Thursday, the foreign minister said the two leaders will discuss the issues of bilateral and regional interests, as well as international, during this meeting.

Mahmood Ali has said the Saudi leaders including the deputy crown prince, deputy prime minister, defence minister, foreign minister, labour minister and finance minister will call on Hasina during her stay there.

Deals on foreign office consultancy, cultural cooperation and information and communication technology are also expected to be signed during the visit, according to Ali.

According to government data, 1.28 million Bangladeshis are currently in Saudi Arabia as workers, making the kingdom Bangladesh’s biggest labour market.

On Monday, the prime minister is scheduled to go to Madina and visit the shrine of Prophet Mohammad.

She will return from Medina to Dhaka on Tuesday evening.