The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is strengthening its long-term commitment to Djibouti by financing several major projects in the water, housing, and transport sectors. Recently, SFD CEO Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad visited the country to inaugurate new initiatives and launch upcoming projects. Since 1982, the SFD’s cumulative financial support to Djibouti has reached $305 million, making a significant contribution to the nation’s economic and social development.
This visit was marked by several important announcements, totaling $137 million in investments:
- Access to drinking water in Obock: A $10 million project was inaugurated to provide clean water to 45,000 residents of the coastal province of Obock. The project, funded through a Saudi government grant via the SFD, includes the construction of 105 km of pipelines and eight water reservoirs.
- Rehabilitation of the Djibouti-Galafi road: The foundation stone was laid for a $120 million project to rehabilitate 60 km of the Djibouti-Galafi arterial road, a vital commercial and economic corridor linking Djibouti with its neighboring countries.
- Social housing: A project to build 120 housing units, financed through a $7 million grant, was also launched in partnership with the Ministry of Cities, Urban Planning, and Housing.
Djibouti’s Prime Minister, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia and the SFD for their longstanding friendship and investments, which he said have been essential to the country’s growth and stability.
For his part, Mr. Al-Marshad reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s pride in its close ties with Djibouti and emphasized the SFD’s commitment to supporting sustainable development initiatives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
