Julia Alam :
Arab News, one of the most influential news and views outlets in the Middle East wrote it as the first political consultation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. It took place during a critical period, so last week’s Dhaka visit of the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is no way a simple or courtesy ministerial tour what usually takes place as a formality in bilateral relation.
It was Farhan’s less than 24 hours visit but it focused some fresh political and economic potential in bilateral relation of two countries.
One more important thing we must have to think that diplomatic analysts at home and abroad have started now searching multilateral aspects of Dhaka visit of the Saudi foreign minister. The visit took place during an untidy period when the whole world is heated by the tamper of Ukraine and Russian war. The Saudi minister during his visit assured Bangladesh to help her by keeping oil supply smooth in critical period.
Let us remember that even before the beginning of tension on possible war between Ukraine-Russia, it started pushing up price of fuel oil in global market and that pushed up inflations in the United States and across the world. Consequently, role of Saudi Arabia, as the largest oil exporting nation, became important again. Volatility in oil market escalated to such a level that it forced the US administration also to request the Saudi government to raise oil production, increase supply to market and help to reduce price of petroleum.
Faisal is not a mere member in Saudi cabinet. Foreign affair strategists across the world rate him as the most important strategist in planning of international relations of Saudi Arabia with world. So, he is a powerful man in center of the power of the most powerful country, in terms of military, economic and political strengths, in the Middle East.
In recent years the world is also observing that strategies in international relations of the Arab countries are changing fast, farsightedly and astonishingly. Specially, the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are restructuring their foreign affairs strategies. So, visit of such a high calibre Arab minister in Bangladesh, his comments and assurances carry high value economically and also politically.
Saudi Arabia is the number one destination of Bangladeshi expatriate workers. One of every three outbound Bangladeshi workers finds Saudi Arabia as their workplace. The country is number one contributor to our remittance economy which is major force in changing economy of Bangladesh in the past four and half decades.
Bangladesh now needs FDI and finds new market for diverse Made in Bangladesh products. Saudi is potential market for the both. The Saudi minister already said that many big Saudi investors are eying at Bangladesh. Recently, the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority also told me that his organisation was witnessing a big rush of Saudi investments to Bangladesh. He felt that amount of total annual Saudi investments in Bangladesh can be more than the total amount of investments by all other countries here.
Last not the least; definitely economic interests come first in bilateral relation but power politics also matter here. Saudis may have been weighing up Bangladesh’s geographical position, her strengthening position in world’s trade and investment map. So, this is high time to exploit valuable attention of the Saudies to Bangladesh and make KSA a partner and supporter of Bangladesh in various international forums.
(Julia Alam is a TV journalist).
