PM accorded warm reception in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a warm reception as she arrived here last night on a four-day official visit to Saudi Arabia to join the Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit at the invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the prime minister and members of her entourage landed at King Khalid International Airport at 11:15pm local time.

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Saudi State Minister for Shura Affairs Mohamed Faisal Bin Abu Saad and Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi received the premier at the airport.

From the airport, a ceremonial motorcade escorted Sheikh Hasina to Movenpick Hotel Riyadh, where she will be staying till Monday morning.

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During her visit, Sheikh Hasina will also perform holy umrah at the Haram Sharif in Makkah and offer ziarat at the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) in Madinah.

The Arab Islamic-American (AIA) Summit will begin at King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in the Saudi capital this afternoon.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, US President Donald Trump and 56 Arab and Muslim leaders will join the summit to discuss ways to combat extremism and illicit financing under the summit slogan "Together We Prevail".

Sheikh Hasina will also join the inauguration of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Thought.

The prime minister will also join a lunch to be hosted by the Saudi King.

On May 22 morning, Sheikh Hasina will leave Riyadh for Madinah by air to offer ziarat at the Rawza Mubarak of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). She will leave Madinah for Jeddah in the afternoon the same day.

On arrival at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, she will go to Makkah to perform holy umrah at the Haram Sharif.

The premier will return home in the early hours of May 24.

Sheikh Hasina is expected to put forward a number of proposals in the summit.

The main objective of the summit is to establish new partnership to face the challenges of global terrorism and militancy, expand values of tolerance and coexistence and strengthen efforts for ensuring peace and stability.