Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is heading to Saudi Arabia for a 10-day visit to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. He was invited by the Kingdom’s leadership. Shahabuddin will travel from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia along with his wife and three other family members. He will be joined by 23 other members of his entourage who will stay at the Kingdom’s official guest house and be considered royal guests.
Shahabuddin will be received by a high-profile delegation headed by a prince, who will escort him to the VIP terminal upon arrival. He is not scheduled to hold any bilateral meetings during his visit as the trip is specifically planned for Hajj.
Shahabuddin will join over 125,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh for the annual Hajj pilgrimage which is expected to start on June 26. The pilgrimage is back to its pre-pandemic arrangements this year, and more than 1.3 million pilgrims from around the world have already arrived in Saudi Arabia for this Hajj season. The Kingdom has organized its largest-ever Hajj operation to cater to the pilgrims’ needs, with over 14,000 staff members and 8,000 volunteers providing their services.
The visit by the Bangladesh President is seen as another example of the strong bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are expected to perform it at least once in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.
