Diplomatic Desk:
Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in expanding investment in the transport, logistics and maritime sectors in Bangladesh. To this end, a fruitful meeting was held between the Saudi delegation and the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) at the Investment Building in the capital on Wednesday (July 15, 2026) morning.
A high-level delegation led by Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister for Transport and Logistics Dr. Rumaih Mohammad Al-Rumaih participated in the meeting. On behalf of Bangladesh, the discussions were led by BIDA Executive Chairman and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Authority Chief Executive Officer Ashiq Chowdhury. Senior officials of PPPA, BIDA and Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) were present at the meeting.
In the meeting, the Saudi Deputy Minister welcomed the government’s initiatives to increase private sector participation in Bangladesh and ease of doing business. He said that these priorities are also in line with Saudi Arabia’s own economic strategy and investment plan.
He said that Saudi Arabia is working to establish itself as a global logistics hub and is supporting leading Saudi companies to invest abroad in various priority sectors. He assured of creating more investment and business opportunities for Saudi companies in Bangladesh as well as necessary support for Bangladeshi companies interested in doing business in Saudi Arabia.
The discussion also brought up the activities of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) at the Patenga Container Terminal of Chittagong Port. The Saudi Deputy Minister said that more than 98 percent of the employees in the company’s Bangladesh operations are Bangladeshis. RSGT is exploring opportunities for more investment in Bangladesh’s maritime logistics sector through the creation of skilled manpower, use of technology and modern terminal management.
He said that it is possible to further strengthen investment cooperation between the two countries by leveraging the current positive relationship to implement mutually beneficial projects.
After the meeting, BIDA Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury said that the discussion identified several sectors in which the Saudi side has deep interest and which are directly aligned with the development priorities of Bangladesh. Of these, logistics and supply chain networks, cold storage infrastructure, port development and the financial services sector are particularly notable.
He added, “We are already working with several Saudi institutions so that they can get a clear idea of the investment potential of Bangladesh and move forward with the implementation of important investment discussions.”
In the meeting, both sides expressed their determination to work together to further expand investment, trade and infrastructure cooperation between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.
