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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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Saudi Arabia Calls for Global Water Cooperation to Advance Integrated Management

The first preparatory meeting for the 11th World Water Forum 2027 kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (11th World Water Forum 2027 | Riyadh 2027 on X)
The first preparatory meeting for the 11th World Water Forum 2027 kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (11th World Water Forum 2027 | Riyadh 2027 on X)
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Saudi Arabia Calls for Global Water Cooperation to Advance Integrated Management

The first preparatory meeting for the 11th World Water Forum 2027 kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (11th World Water Forum 2027 | Riyadh 2027 on X)
The first preparatory meeting for the 11th World Water Forum 2027 kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (11th World Water Forum 2027 | Riyadh 2027 on X)

The first preparatory meeting for the 11th World Water Forum 2027 kicked off in Riyadh on Monday with the participation of top scientists, experts, decision-makers from around the world.

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, with the participation of World Water Council President Loïc Fauchon, inaugurated the official logo of the World Water Forum 2027.

In his remarks, Alfadley emphasized Saudi Arabia’s call for strengthened international cooperation and joint efforts among countries and organizations to tackle global water challenges. He underscored the importance of ensuring universal access to water and sanitation services as a key pillar in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).

“Saudi Arabia prioritizes the water sector through various measures, including the adoption of a national strategy encompassing water production, storage, transportation, distribution, treatment, and reuse, all within a comprehensive institutional framework,” Alfadley added.

He further stated that the Kingdom has implemented Integrated Water Resources Management and enhanced supply chain governance. This is supported by the release of a long-term supply and demand plan that extends to 2050, alongside a commitment to environmental, social, and economic considerations in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

Highlighting the Kingdom's leading role in supporting regional and international water issues, Alfadley pointed to the launching of the Global Water Organization, aimed at fostering international collaboration, and the establishment of an International Water Research Center focused on water economics, water security, advanced technologies, and digital transformation.

Fauchon said the council, in collaboration with Saudi authorities, has developed a comprehensive framework outlining the thematic, regional, and political components that will shape the roadmap for the 11th edition of the forum that is being held in the Middle East for the first time.

He stressed the need to make water a top global priority, adding that this gathering will lay the foundation for future water policies. “The way ahead is still long, but we are confident we’re on the right path toward real solutions—solutions that can change lives,” he said.

Deputy Minister for Water at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture Dr. Abdulaziz Alshaibani underscored the urgency of the current moment, describing the preparatory meeting as a call for serious and immediate action. Alshaibani emphasized the need to build upon existing progress in the water sector and to move decisively towards solidifying priorities.

He stressed the importance of greater coherence and integration across all sectors, along with the unification of all efforts, to achieve tangible solutions to global water challenges and to meet SDG 6. Alshaibani further noted that effective solutions must be anchored in several key pillars, including financing, innovation, diplomacy, and environmental considerations.

The World Water Forum 2027, organized by the World Water Council in Saudi Arabia, is a significant international platform for exchanging ideas and experiences in water management.