Push for Post-Hurricane Melissa Reconstruction and New Tourism Development
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia:Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. 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 traveling 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 on Tuesday, September 8, 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.
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 Bartlett said.
“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 centered on infrastructure, education, health and productive sectors across developing economies — could align with Jamaica’s national development priorities.
Human capital development within Jamaica’s tourism industry emerged as a key pillar of the proposed cooperation.
“Jamaica’s tourism thrives on the creativity and passion of our workforce, and so we must invest in our human capital as we continue to future-proof the sector,” Minister Bartlett added.
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.
The next phase of engagement is expected to include meetings with Saudi entities, including the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, 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.
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