Bangladesh’s apex business body in Riyadh for trade, energy, infrastructure talks

Bangladesh’s apex business body in Riyadh for trade, energy, infrastructure talks
A Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry delegation meets Abdulrahman Al-Harbi, governor of the General Authority for Foreign Trade in Riyadh, Nov. 1, 2023. (FBCCI)
Short Url
Updated 02 November 2023
Follow

Bangladesh’s apex business body in Riyadh for trade, energy, infrastructure talks

Bangladesh’s apex business body in Riyadh for trade, energy, infrastructure talks
  • Saudi-Bangladesh Business Council holds first meetings in Riyadh
  • Cooperation on the rise since Kingdom’s commerce minister’s Dhaka visit in March

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s apex business body representatives will focus on trade, energy and infrastructure during talks with their Saudi Arabia counterparts starting on Thursday in Riyadh, according to the organization’s head.

Twenty-one members of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam.

Opportunities for cooperation have been on the rise since March, when a delegation led by Saudi Arabia’s Commerce Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi visited Dhaka.

With several investment agreements signed during the visit, Saudi Arabia entered Bangladesh’s energy, seaport and agriculture industries, while the two nations’ chambers of commerce established the Saudi-Bangladesh Business Council.

“Our visit to the Kingdom is the continuation of that spirit to enhance bilateral trade and investment,” Alam told Arab News.

“Our main focus is to bring bilateral trade and investment to the next level. We have selected a number of areas to increase trade and investment cooperation, which includes energy, petrochemical, banking, infrastructure, and training for skill development.”

The first meetings of the council begin in Riyadh on Thursday and will be followed by talks with various Saudi Arabia business stakeholders and authorities.

“Meetings are scheduled with the president of the Saudi Business Council and the governor of Riyadh,” Alam said, adding that the Bangladeshi government has prepared special incentives for investors from the Kingdom.

“For Saudi investors, the government has allotted 300 acres of land in the economic zone. One of our main discussions will be bringing Saudi investors into that economic zone,” he said.

“We want Saudi investment in Bangladesh. Saudi Arabia is investing in different countries around the world. In Bangladesh, we are also building 100 economic zones to attract foreign investment.”

The FBCCI’s visit takes place as another delegation of 53 top Bangladeshi business leaders arrived in the Kingdom on Sunday to explore investment and cooperation opportunities.

Led by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the delegation includes representatives from small and medium enterprises, as well as from some of the country’s largest conglomerates. This includes the United Group and IFAD Group, which are known for construction and healthcare, and automobile and consumer packaged goods, respectively.

The United Group has its eyes on “cutting-edge technologies” used in the Kingdom and hopes that Bangladesh can also adopt some of Saudi Arabia’s smart city technologies.

The delegation includes top players in the garment, logistics and pharmaceuticals sectors, with meetings set for various Saudi Arabia cities, including Makkah and Madinah.


Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants

Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants
Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants

Saudi hospital has become a global leader in organ transplants
  • Over 9,000 organ transplants since 1981 and 1,092 in 2023
  • World’s first fully robotic liver, heart replacement surgeries

RIYADH: has become a world-leading facility for organ transplantation.

KFSHRC’s Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence has garnered international acclaim for its expertise in solid-organ transplants, including liver, kidney and lung procedures, said the hospital in a statement on Monday.

In the past year, the hospital successfully conducted 1,092 transplants.

KFSHRC has performed a series of groundbreaking surgeries, most notably the world’s first liver transplant from a living donor using robotic technology in both organ retrieval and implantation.

Building on this success, the surgical team recently completed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant, further solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a global leader in healthcare innovation.

Since the program’s inception in 1981, the hospital has performed 9,000 successful transplants.

Recognizing the critical challenge of donor-patient compatibility, particularly in kidney transplants, KFSHRC established the pioneering Kidney Paired Donation program.

This program facilitates the exchange of living donors with incompatible blood types and tissues between multiple patients, significantly increasing the pool of available organs and reducing waiting times.

The KPD program has enabled KFSHRC to perform over 5,000 kidney transplants.

KFSHRC’s commitment extends beyond the transplant surgery itself. Understanding prevention’s crucial role in patient well-being, the hospital established a specialized vaccination clinic for solid-organ transplant recipients in 2023.

This clinically tailored vaccination plans for each patient’s unique immune status and type of transplant, minimizes the risk of infections that could compromise outcomes.

The clinic has already served over 150 patients, achieving a high compliance rate for the Shingrix vaccine.

For the second consecutive year, KFSHRC has secured the top spot in the Middle East and Africa, and ranks 20th among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers.

Brand Finance recognized the facility as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Middle East for 2024.

Newsweek magazine also included the facility among the world’s best 250 hospitals and in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025.


Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi

Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi
Updated 2 min 29 sec ago
Follow

Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi

Saudi crown prince departs for Egypt to meet President Sisi

RIYADH: The Saudi Royal Court announced on Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had departed for Egypt. 
During his visit, the Crown Prince will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The discussions will center on enhancing bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as addressing key issues of mutual concern.


Saudi art exhibition set for global debut

Saudi art exhibition set for global debut
Updated 15 October 2024
Follow

Saudi art exhibition set for global debut

Saudi art exhibition set for global debut

RIYADH: The Museums Commission has announced plans to launch a landmark exhibition on the art of the Kingdom to bring Saudi contemporary work to the global stage.

The exhibition will tour several countries, introducing international audiences to the vibrant art scene in Saudi Arabia and showcasing the nation’s most prominent contemporary artistic endeavors.

The exhibition is set to debut in Brazil this November to coincide with the G20 Summit. This will ensure that Saudi art is showcased to a global audience during one of the world’s most significant international events.

Following its inauguration in Brazil, the exhibition will return to Riyadh, where it will be hosted at the Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art in the Jax district in early 2025.

The exhibition will then travel to Beijing, where it will be presented at the National Museum of China toward the end of 2025.

The exhibition’s inaugural event in Brazil will feature works by about 15 Saudi artists, representing diverse genres and generations.

The artists will contribute installations, sculptures, oil paintings and drawings that reflect the richness and diversity of Saudi Arabia’s contemporary art scene.

By organizing the exhibition, the Museums Commission aims to empower and promote Saudi artists by providing them with an international platform to display their creativity.

The initiative also seeks to elevate the Kingdom’s cultural profile on the world stage and highlight its growing influence in the global arts and culture arena.


Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management

Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management
Updated 15 October 2024
Follow

Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management

Baha workshop explores ecotourism, forest management
  • The aim is to create a sustainable action plan for the Al-Khala and Al-Ghouqa forests
  • This effort is part of a broader study to assess and develop national forests

RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification held a workshop recently in Baha focused on plans to carry out a social and economic survey of communities living near forests.

The aim is to create a sustainable action plan for the Al-Khala and Al-Ghouqa forests and evaluate ecotourism opportunities in the areas. This effort is part of a broader study to assess and develop national forests.

The gathering was held in collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and local communities, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

During the workshop the center’s delegation met with tribal leaders, representatives, and members of environmental organizations to emphasize the community’s vital role in forest conservation.

The workshop included an explanation of the social and economic survey methodology and field visits to the targeted sites, the SPA reported.

The goal is to understand the perspectives of local communities on the surrounding forests and explore their potential contributions to sustainable management.

This includes identifying agricultural and pastoral practices to determine the most effective community involvement in the protection and rehabilitation of local forests.


KSrelief distributes food boxes, shelter kits in Syria and Gaza Strip

KSrelief distributes food boxes, shelter kits in Syria and Gaza Strip
Updated 15 October 2024
Follow

KSrelief distributes food boxes, shelter kits in Syria and Gaza Strip

KSrelief distributes food boxes, shelter kits in Syria and Gaza Strip

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has distributed 1,832 food boxes and hygiene kits in Salqin and Azmarin of Idlib Governorate in Syria, as well as 1,396 food parcels and hygiene kits in Jandairis of Aleppo Governorate

The assistance is part of the second phase of a project entailing providing aid to people affected by the earthquake in northern Syria in 2024, state news agency SPA reported.

At the Gaza Strip, shelter kits were handed out in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in cooperation with the UN’s refugee agency as part of Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the Palestinian people.