DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Air Force chief began a multi-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Sunday, a trip expected to strengthen Dhaka’s defense ties with the Gulf states.

Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan arrived in Riyadh on Sunday, where he is due to hold talks with top officials at the Royal Saudi Air Force, including his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz.

Khan will also visit RSAF’s bases and establishments as part of his trip to the Kingdom, according to the public relations division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, ISPR.

“The visit of our air chief marshal will strengthen defense cooperation between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia,” ISPR Director Lt. Col. Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury told Arab News.

“Khan will discuss opportunities for increasing collaboration in the area of joint exercise and training. The visit will definitely pave the way for closer cooperation between the two air forces in the coming days.”

Dhaka and Riyadh signed in 2019 an agreement to further their military cooperation, which has served as a basis for their collaborations in the field.

From Saudi Arabia, Khan will continue his Gulf trip to the UAE on Feb. 14 to meet his Emirati counterpart, Maj. Gen. Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Mohamed Al-Alawi, and discuss “various bilateral issues of mutual interest.”

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are “very important countries” in the Gulf region, Chowdhury said.

“We have been enjoying excellent relationships with both countries. With this visit, we can say our defense cooperation will be further enhanced.”