Technology & IT | Sunday 16 October, 2016 6:34 am |

 A high-powered Saudi delegation, headed by Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology Khalid bin Faris Al-Otaibi, will attend the World Digital Conference in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Announcing the Kingdom’s participation at the forthcoming conference, Information and Technology Minister Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel told Bangladeshi Ambassador Golam Moshi during a meeting at his office on Thursday that he admired the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh, particularly in the IT sector. 
The Minister said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on IT cooperation between the two countries has been finalized and would be signed soon depending on the convenience of the two parties. "It could be signed by next week when the deputy minister will be in Bangladesh, if the final authorization is given by the Saudi Council of Ministers,” he noted.
Al-Suwaiyel also underlined the importance of regular and increased interaction between IT professionals of both countries to enhance better understanding of the needs of IT sector and its services. 
Speaking to Arab News following the meeting, Moshi said that under the new agreement, there will be new areas of bilateral cooperation in the IT sector such as in the fields of expatriate welfare, telemedicine, immigration and labor recruitment.
Ambassador Moshi recalled that the last visit of Bangladeshi IT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak in October 2015 created a platform for further cooperation between the two countries in this growing sector. "During the meeting, there were extensive discussions about cooperation in the IT sector through the sharing of experiences, and through training and research collaboration among IT professionals of both countries for the benefit of the citizens of both nations," he noted.
Moshi enumerated the recent initiatives and measures taken for the improvement in the IT sector in Bangladesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and sought the support of the Kingdom for further improvement of the IT industry in Bangladesh. "This vision for a digitalized Bangladesh is being vigorously pursued by the IT affairs adviser to the prime minister, Sajeeb Wajed Joy,” he said. 
The ambassador said Bangladesh has earmarked a space for Saudi and GCC investors in the recently launched Hightech Park for IT industries in Bangladesh. During the discussions, Deputy Minister Al-Otaibi was also present on the Saudi side, while Maryland Nazrul Islam, deputy chief of the mission, and Abul Hassan, counsellor for economic affairs, represented the Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh.