Plans on tapping Saudi Fund  for development assistance 

Durrant Pate/Contributor 

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, is advancing efforts to deepen development cooperation with Saudi Arabia, spearheading discussions with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) aimed at unlocking support for post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction, tourism development and critical social infrastructure across the island.

The discussions come as Minister Bartlett undertakes engagements in Saudi Arabia before travelling to the United Arab Emirates next week to attend Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Dubai, where Jamaica will continue its push to strengthen tourism partnerships and investment opportunities in the Middle East.

Minister Bartlett met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, at the SFD’s offices in Riyadh yesterday to explore potential areas of cooperation spanning tourism training, education, health infrastructure and human capital development. The talks also included opportunities to support Jamaica’s post-Hurricane Melissa reconstruction efforts under the Minister’s Tourism 3.0 strategic reimagining of the sector.

The Saudi Fund for Development is a Saudi Arabian government development agency that finances social and infrastructure projects in developing countries. The agency has supported more than US$20 billion in funding across 741 projects.

Attracting international partnerships 

The latest discussions form part of Jamaica’s strategy to attract international partnerships that support human capital development and critical infrastructure, in keeping with the country’s broader tourism linkages and sustainable development agenda. Minister Bartlett welcomed the exploratory talks, saying they reflect Jamaica’s commitment to developing diverse, mutually beneficial partnerships that extend beyond visitor arrivals and tourism earnings to improve the lives of Jamaicans and strengthen communities.

“Jamaica continues to seek partnerships that translate tourism’s success into tangible benefits for our people — in the classrooms where our children learn, in the hospitals where our families are cared for, and in the training institutions that prepare our workforce for the future,” Minister told the Saudi official, adding, “our proposed engagement with the Saudi Fund for Development represents exactly this kind of forward-looking cooperation.”

The discussions, led by Minister Bartlett alongside Jamaican tourism officials and representatives of the SFD, focused on identifying priority areas where the Fund’s financing model — historically centred on infrastructure, education, health and productive sectors across developing economies — could align with Jamaica’s national development priorities.

Key pillar of the proposed cooperation 

Human capital development within Jamaica’s tourism industry emerged as a key pillar of the proposed cooperation. Director of Tourism, Donovan White, said the potential collaboration underscores the interconnected nature of tourism development and national wellbeing, particularly the importance of a highly trained workforce supported by strong social and physical infrastructure.

Following Minister Bartlett’s push for expanded cooperation, both sides agreed to continue high-level technical discussions to further define and scope potential areas of collaboration. He will be targeting the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, a Saudi government agency that implements humanitarian programs and initiatives to deliver relief aid to millions of beneficiaries around the world.

The next phase of engagement is expected to include meetings with Saudi entities, including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, as well as a proposed technical visit to Jamaica by senior SFD representatives to identify and assess infrastructure gaps and development opportunities. 

Minister Bartlett’s engagements in Saudi Arabia and his participation at ATM Dubai next week form part of Jamaica’s wider strategy to strengthen its presence in the Middle East, build new development and tourism partnerships, and position the sector to deliver broader economic and social benefits under the Tourism 3.0 framework.