Latest news with #SaudiFundForDevelopment
Arab News
a day ago
- Business
- Arab News
Maldives president receives Saudi fund chief
MALDIVES: Saudi Fund for Development CEO Sultan Al-Marshad was received by President of the Maldives Mohamed Muizzu in the Maldives. Al-Marshad congratulated the president on the 60th anniversary of his country's independence, the Saudi fund wrote in a post on X. The meeting highlighted the Saudi fund's 'development efforts that span nearly 47 years and explored ways to enhance development cooperation between both sides.'
Arab News
6 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi fund extends $32m in loans to Bosnia for education, innovation projects
JEDDAH: Social infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina is set to improve following two Saudi-funded development loans worth $32 million, targeting science, technology, and higher education facilities. The Saudi Fund for Development has allocated $19 million for the construction of a Science and Technology Park, and $13 million for the development and outfitting of a new student dormitory at the Borisa Starovic Public Institution Student Center in Foca, in the country's southeastern region. SFD CEO Sultan Al-Marshad signed the deals with Bosnia's Minister of Finance and Treasury Srdan Amidzic, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador Osama bin Dakhil Al-Ahmadi, according to an official release. The new funding builds on nearly three decades of Saudi-Bosnian cooperation, during which the SFD has financed 27 projects through nine concessional loans totaling over $163 million, along with $53 million in grants supporting post-war reconstruction and long-term development. The first loan agreement is to finance the Construction of Science and Technology Park Project worth $19 million. It includes a multidisciplinary center over 200,000 m² to support technology, economic growth, healthcare, and higher education—bringing together researchers,… — الصندوق السعودي للتنمية (@SaudiFund_Dev) July 21, 2025 'The Science and Technology Park Project aims to establish a multidisciplinary scientific center covering a total area of approximately 200,000 square meters, supporting technological advancement, economic development, health care, and higher education,' the SFD said. 'The center will serve as a collaborative hub for researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs across various fields,' it added. The student housing project is intended to strengthen the higher education sector by boosting student enrollment and providing improved accommodation to enhance learning opportunities and support broader community development. The agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina come amid the SFD's broader engagement in the Balkans. In October 2024, Serbia signed three loan agreements worth $205 million with the fund to support its agriculture, education, and energy sectors, underscoring Saudi Arabia's growing development partnerships across Southeastern Europe. Development support that fosters innovation and education.. #Infographic | #SFD signs two development loan agreements worth $32 million to support social infrastructure in #Bosnia_and_Herzegovina. Towards social and economic growth; #ProsperTogether#SFD50 — الصندوق السعودي للتنمية (@SaudiFund_Dev) July 21, 2025 The SFD's activity in Bosnia is part of a larger push across emerging economies. In a separate deal earlier this month, the fund signed a $30 million loan agreement with Tajikistan to finance the Kulob city ring road project. The project aims to enhance regional transit infrastructure by linking Central Asian countries with China and Indian Ocean markets via land routes. It includes the construction of a road and two bridges to improve traffic flow, road safety, and trade efficiency. An SFD delegation led by Al-Marshad also recently participated in the inauguration of the Wayamba University township development project in Sri Lanka. The $28 million initiative, located in the country's northwestern province, includes new construction, classroom renovations, and modern educational equipment to strengthen the higher education sector.
Gulf Business
13-06-2025
- Health
- Gulf Business
Tunisia's Health Minister on why the ‘One Health' agenda is key to MENA's health transformation
Image: Supplied Regional partnerships and integrated health strategies are playing a critical role in transforming public health systems across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, Tunisia's Minister of Health, Mustapha Ferjani, said in an interview with Gulf Business ahead of the upcoming 'One Health, One Future' regional In a wide-ranging discussion, Ferjani highlighted the impact of Saudi Arabia's development funding in Tunisia's underserved areas, lessons from intra-regional collaboration, and the importance of embedding the 'One Health' framework — linking human, animal, and environmental health — into national policies. He also outlined Tunisia's efforts in operationalising the approach through legislative reform, capacity building, and cross-sectoral coordination. As Tunisia prepares to host the summit co-organised with the World Bank and the Quadripartite, Ferjani called for deeper regional alignment, data sharing, and coordinated efforts to build resilient health systems and respond to emerging challenges. The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has recently deepened its healthcare engagement in Tunisia, funding key hospital projects in underserved regions. How do you view the broader role of such regional development partnerships in transforming public health infrastructure across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean? Regional partnerships in MENA are strategically vital for the development of different sectors including public health in countries such as Tunisia. Investments from high-income countries, such as Saudi Arabia, are particularly beneficial as they foster shared growth while leveraging a deep understanding of regional contexts and specific challenges in comparison to international investments. The SFD's funding of key hospital projects in underserved regions of Tunisia, such as Sbiba (Kasserine Governorate) and El Jem (Mahdia Governorate), with an overall commitment of over $1.23bn in soft loans and grants for various development projects, including significant contributions to healthcare, directly addresses critical needs and disparities in healthcare access. We see the broader role of such regional development partnerships as transformative for public health infrastructure across the MENA region by bridging critical infrastructure gaps and expanding healthcare capacity, particularly in underserved areas, thereby enhancing service quality through the integration of modern technologies and international best practices. These collaborations promote sustainable development by building resilient healthcare systems with long-term operational frameworks. Tunisia's collaboration with the SFD is part of a growing trend of intra-regional investment in health and development. What lessons can be drawn from Tunisia's experience that could be replicated in other MENA countries, especially those facing similar healthcare access challenges? Tunisia's collaboration with the SFD demonstrates how successful intra-regional development partnerships are, especially when built on targeted investment, long-term commitment, comprehensive capacity building, and most importantly local ownership. Among the key lessons that can be drawn from Tunisia's experience and that are highly replicable in other MENA countries facing similar public health challenges, is directing investments towards underserved regions to address geographical disparities in health and ensure an expanded equitable healthcare delivery. Our Tunisian Saudi partnership also highlights the value of a long-term commitment and sustainable funding mechanisms, as such financial support allows for comprehensive planning and greater project longevity. Strong local ownership and seamless alignment with national health strategies, is another key lesson to be considered by other countries to ensure that external funding complements existing national plans and capacities, accelerating the transformation of public health infrastructure and improving healthcare access for millions. With the upcoming 'One Health, One Future' conference for the North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean region, how do you see the 'One Health' framework shaping national health strategies across the region? Are there any current examples in Tunisia where this integrated approach has already been adopted or piloted? Tunisia Ministry of Health foresees the 'One Health' framework playing an increasingly central and transformative role in shaping national health strategies across North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Our upcoming 'One Health, One Future' conference for the region is meant to accelerate the adoption of comprehensive One Health national strategies and foster greater inter-sectoral collaboration, moving away from siloed approaches in public health, veterinary medicine, and environmental protection. Demonstrating a long-standing commitment to this integrated vision, Tunisia has prioritised efforts towards One Health. As early as 1994, well before the concept was formally established, the National Committee on Anthropozoonosis was created and then an early-warning system for avian influenza was established in 2000, combining border screening, farm testing, and wetland bird monitoring. Following the ratification of the Paris Agreement in 2016, Tunisia's ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC further integrated environmental protection, climate resilience, and public health. Our commitment to One Health was also evident in the finalisation of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in 2018, which led to scaled-up AMR monitoring to include fish, dairy, and meat. By 2019, cross-sectorial collaborations between the Ministries of Health, Commerce and Agriculture lead to Law 25 on the sanitary safety of food products. More recently, in 2022, Tunisia launched a new legislative project led by its national One Health committee and established the One Health Laboratory at Tunis Pasteur Institute. Later in December 2023, the Ministry of Health joined efforts again with other Ministries to draft the joint One Health national roadmap, setting clear objectives for improved surveillance and coordinated response. This commitment extends to capacity building, with Tunisian veterinarians completing FAO's One Health courses, and practical applications such as our successful rabies elimination campaigns, which achieved over 80 per cent canine vaccination coverage in 2024 through free, mandatory vaccination and nationwide educational campaigns. Most recently, in 2025, Tunisia partnered with the World Bank to develop a Budgetary Action Plan further anchoring One Health in national planning. Dr Tedros, the DG of WHO (left) with Mustapha Ferjani, Minister of Health of Tunisia (right). Photo credit – World Health Organization Given the interconnected nature of human, animal, and environmental health in the region — particularly in rural and agricultural communities — what are the key capacity-building priorities to make 'One Health' a functional and sustainable model in Tunisia and beyond? We aim to transform the 'One Health' approach into a dynamic driver for research, innovation, and resilience-building. To achieve this, regional platforms for collaborative research must be strengthened, and innovation encouraged by establishing effective networks that include researchers, physicians, veterinarians, agricultural engineers, environmental scientists, economists, and data experts. We also seek to enhance data sharing, jointly set regional priorities, and develop impactful collaborative projects. Furthermore, we call for launching master's and doctoral programmes in 'One Health' within regional universities, through the preparation of joint training modules covering human medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental sciences, and public health. In conclusion, we aspire to make 'One Health' a true lever for action, innovation, and resilience across our region. How do you envision regional collaboration evolving post-conference? Could we see more institutional alignment, cross-border initiatives, or even regional task forces to advance the 'One Health' agenda collectively across the Arab world? Hosted by the government of Tunisia and co-organised with the World Bank and the Quadripartite (WHO, FAO, UNEP, WOAH), we envision that our 'One Health, One Future' conference for the North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean region to provide a strong push towards greater institutional alignment and regional collaboration around the One Health agenda. With the anticipated 'Carthage Declaration ', this landmark event is designed to be a catalyst for deeper, more structured cooperation across the Arab world and aims to mainstream One Health from dialogue to action. This means fostering formal agreements and common operational frameworks among health, agriculture, and environment ministries and agencies across the countries in the region. We also foresee increased collaboration in tackling shared challenges, such as conducting joint disease surveillance activities along common borders, coordinated vaccination campaigns against transboundary zoonosis, collaborative research efforts into regional health determinants, as well as effective cross-border data sharing and risk assessments. Tunisia's past engagement with Libya on zoonotic disease prioritisation and participation in Africa CDC's One Health workshops are early examples of this trend, which we expect to intensify with our One Health MENA Conference. We also hope to see more countries in the region adopting national One Health roadmaps, similar to Tunisia's recent initiative, that are harmonized with regional priorities and international standards. Read:
Asharq Al-Awsat
28-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi-Funded Fisheries Project Set to Boost Maldives' Global Market Reach
The Maldives is preparing to launch a major fisheries development project focused on cold storage and export infrastructure with funding from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), according to the country's Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat during the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) meetings in Algiers, Shiyam said the project will enhance the competitiveness of Maldivian seafood in global markets by enabling better storage and higher-quality exports. 'We're working with Saudi funds on a cold storage project that will give our companies a global edge and help secure better prices,' Shiyam said. 'We're ready to begin implementation very soon.' The initiative is part of broader collaboration with the IsDB and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), which is already supporting a large-scale fisheries project aimed at improving community livelihoods. Shiyam noted that the project is halfway through and progressing well. A key feature is a seawater cooling system that reduces environmental impact and boosts operational efficiency. 'Fishermen are eager to install this system, which lowers costs, saves time, and increases profits,' he said. Shiyam stressed the Maldives' strong partnership with Saudi Arabia, calling it the country's most significant bilateral relationship. 'We're working closely with Saudi institutions, particularly the Saudi Fund for Development, on projects that directly improve our fisheries sector and the lives of our people,' he said. The minister acknowledged challenges such as limited storage and ice production, which currently force the Maldives to export raw fish without pricing leverage. 'Once these projects are complete, we'll be able to store fish until market conditions are favorable, giving us more control and better returns,' he added.
