Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who also serves as the kingdom's prime minister, is set to embark on an official visit to Bangladesh later this year.

The anticipated visit signifies a milestone in the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, aimed at strengthening ties, particularly in trade, investment, and economic cooperation.

"The Saudi crown prince has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh to visit the country this year. However, the exact date is yet to be finalized," stated Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh, Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan.

Scheduled for the latter half of the year, it would mark the first visit by a Saudi crown prince to Bangladesh since 1985 when then-Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz visited Dhaka.

Both nations anticipate the signing of numerous bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) during the visit, fostering significant advancements in bilateral relations.

The visit aims to facilitate discussions on mutual interests and strategies to fortify the ties between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh.

Ambassador Al Duhailan made these remarks during a press briefing held after the launch of a food distribution program on Thursday.

Expressing optimism about the forthcoming visit, he highlighted the commitment of Saudi Arabia to furthering its engagement with Bangladesh, emphasizing the substantial economic cooperation witnessed over the past three years.

The ambassador revealed plans for a $1.2 billion investment in Bangladesh, with the Saudi company Red Sea Gateway Terminal slated to commence operations at the Patenga Bay Terminal in Chittagong next month.

In addition to discussing the upcoming visit, the Saudi envoy announced the distribution of 15,500 food baskets, each containing 24kg of food items, across 32 locations in Bangladesh, including among Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar.

The provision of food items underscores Saudi Arabia's solidarity with vulnerable populations, as directed by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Ambassador Al Duhailan also praised the substantial contributions of the approximately 2.8 million Bangladeshis working in Saudi Arabia to both economies.