Saudi government’s flagship initiative Nusuk organised its first roadshow in Bangladesh at the capital’s BICC on August 24 to promote its official integrated digital platform (nusuk.sa) for Bangladeshis planning to visit the kingdom for spiritual and tourism purposes.
Nusuk was inaugurated during the roadshow in the presence of a high level Saudi delegation team which included Dr Tawfig Al-Rabiah, Minister for Hajj and Umrah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Alhasan Aldabbagh, President—Asia Pacific, Nusuk.
The roadshow was attended by several Bangladeshi business organisations including Umrah companies, tour operators, travel agencies and trade associations, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tawfig Al-Rabiah, Minister for Hajj and Umrah and the Chairman of the Pilgrimage Experience Programme, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said, “Our brotherly relation with Bangladesh is tested and proven over time. We want to take it to new heights. Hence, we are currently working on new areas of bilateral cooperation.”
“As the custodian of Two Holy Mosques, it is a great honour and privilege for us to host the guests of Allah from across the world. It is our holy responsibility and we are committed to do everything possible to make the spiritual journey of the pilgrims safe, accessible, hassle-free and comfortable. We are constantly working on enriching your pilgrimage experience.”
In his speech, Alhasan Aldabbagh, President—Asia Pacific, Nusuk, said, “With Nusuk.sa, our aim is to increase the ease and accessibility for Bangladeshi travellers, especially with the growing numbers of Umrah pilgrims. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken multiple steps to drive this mission forward, Muslim visitors can apply for online Umrah visas.”
Dr Tawfig Al-Rabiah, Minister for Hajj and Umrah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Alhasan Aldabbagh, President—APAC, Nusuk, along with the rest of the high level Saudi delegation team, visiting the roadshow premise where B2B meetings were held—Photo: Monitor
“We have streamlined the visa process with issuance in under 24 hours and are offering Visa-On-Arrival services to UK/US/Schengen passport holders allowing them to freely perform Umrah and explore the country’s unique cultural diversity.”
“Besides, we have increased the duration of Umrah visa to 90 days, reduced the insurance costs for Umrah pilgrims and have made Zamzam water available with any type of visa.”
“Bangladesh is also eligible for the 96-hour Stopover Visa that enables Muslims to add Umrah as an itinerary stop,” further mentioned Alhasan Aldabbagh, President—Asia Pacific, Nusuk, in his address.
With Bangladesh being a key strategic market, Saudi is deepening relations with partners and working closely with local players to ensure experiences being offered are relevant and appealing to the Bangladesh market to encourage pilgrims to explore Saudi’s diverse offerings and experiences beyond Makkah and Madinah through their Umrah+ packages.
It may be mentioned here, so far, in 2023, Saudi Arabia has already welcomed over 332,000 Bangladeshi travellers and the Kingdom looks forward to growing this number to three million by 2030.
