Dhaka:
Bangladesh’s commerce minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the government is ready to back exporters seeking to expand in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, with a target of US$1 billion in Saudi trade by 2027.
The minister, who also holds the textiles and jute portfolio, made the remarks Sunday after a delegation from the Saudi Arabia-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry met him at his office.
Bangladesh’s exports were still heavily dependent on ready-made garments, Muktadir said. But there were significant opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East for pharmaceuticals, leather goods, jute products, food and garments tailored to Saudi consumer demand, he said. Tapping those opportunities would require sector-specific plans that moved beyond the existing trade mix, the minister said.
Bangladeshi workers abroad made considerable sacrifices, Muktadir said. Proper training and skills development for them would benefit workers, their families and the country, he said. Foreign exchange earnings and a skilled workforce could become a major national asset, he said.
The minister asked the delegation to submit specific proposals on what kind of support was needed in each sector. The government would consider realistic proposals seriously, he said.
Ashraful Haque Chowdhury, the chamber’s president, said Bangladeshi goods and services had significant export and trade potential in the Saudi market. With coordinated government support, Bangladesh’s exports to Saudi Arabia could reach US$1 billion by 2027, Chowdhury said.
The delegation said Saudi Vision 2030, the World Expo and the football World Cup had opened new opportunities for Bangladesh in education, skills development, green technology, environmental protection, desert afforestation, agriculture and food, and microfinance.
The meeting also discussed broader trade, investment and sector-specific cooperation between the two countries.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report