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Saudi Fund for Development Provides Over $580 Million in Development Loans to African States

The signing ceremonies took place at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference held in Riyadh. SPA
The signing ceremonies took place at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference held in Riyadh. SPA
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Saudi Fund for Development Provides Over $580 Million in Development Loans to African States

The signing ceremonies took place at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference held in Riyadh. SPA
The signing ceremonies took place at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference held in Riyadh. SPA

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Chief Executive Officer Sultan Al-Marshad signed on Thursday 14 new development loan agreements with 12 African ministers, worth over $580 million to fund projects in healthcare, water, education, and transportation sectors.

The 12 countries are Angola, Burkina Faso, Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania. The signing ceremony took place at the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference held in Riyadh.

In conjunction with the loan agreements signing, the SFD CEO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Finance Corporation's CEO, Samaila Zubairu. This MoU will enable SFD to collaborate with AFC to identify, develop, and co-finance infrastructure and industrial projects across the continent.

The 14 development loan agreements signed Thursday include the Construction and Equipping of a Mother and Child Referral Hospital in Guinea for $75 million, a Riyadh Referral hospital in Sierra Leone for $50 million, Boarding Secondary Schools for Girls in Several Regions of Niger for $28 million, and the Construction of Higher College For Teacher Preparation And The Scientific Secondary School Project in Benin for $40 million.

In addition, the agreements include the Rehabilitation of the King Khalid University Hospital in Bujumbura, Burundi for $50 million, the Manga Regional Hospital (Phase 2) in Burkina Faso for $17 million, and Watersheds in the Islands of Santiago, Saint Antao, and Boavista, Cabo Verde for $17 million.

The SFD will fund the Catumbela Industrial Development Project (Phase 1) in Angola for $100 million, the Expansion of the Transmission and Distribution Water System in the East of Kigali, Rwanda for $20 million, and the Construction and Rehabilitation of the Mangochi-Makanjira Road in Malawi for $20 million.

Other agreements include the Construction and Equipping of Five Hospitals in different regions of Mozambique for $50 million, the Construction of the Muera Dam in Mozambique for $50 million, the Rehabilitation and Upgrade of Two parts of National Road No. 1 in Mozambique for $50 million and lastly the Benaco to Kyaka Transmission Line Project in Tanzania for $13 million.

These agreements and the MoU will have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people in different regions across Africa by improving access to healthcare, education, water, transportation, and economic opportunities, stimulating economic growth, and creating jobs.

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Local Content in Saudi Government Projects Rises to 47% by Q3

Al-Falih said that local content policies are integral to the state’s strategy. (SPA)
Al-Falih said that local content policies are integral to the state’s strategy. (SPA)
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Local Content in Saudi Government Projects Rises to 47% by Q3

Al-Falih said that local content policies are integral to the state’s strategy. (SPA)
Al-Falih said that local content policies are integral to the state’s strategy. (SPA)

The proportion of local content in Saudi government projects has grown significantly, rising from 33% in 2020 to approximately 47% by the end of the third quarter of this year. This progress was announced by Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef during a ministerial session titled, Future Trends in Light of Vision 2030, at the second edition of the Local Content Forum 2024.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb emphasized that tourism is a cornerstone of Vision 2030, stating: “We aim to localize investment spending with the support of national institutions.”

He also outlined plans to increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy from 3% in 2019 to 10%.

Al-Khateeb underscored the collaborative efforts underway with the private sector to develop the tourism industry.

For his part, Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih highlighted that local content policies have been integral to the state’s strategy since its founding. He stressed that enhancing the competitiveness of local companies plays a vital role in advancing localization efforts.

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majed Al-Hogail stated that increasing local content is part of a long-term plan, noting that 70% of home construction technologies are now manufactured locally.

In turn, Economy and Planning Minister Faisal Al-Ibrahim explained that boosting local content helps drive economic growth. He emphasized that import substitution presents a valuable opportunity to support domestic products and balance trade.