Saudi Arabia and Caribbean countries: Strengthening relations at the CARICOM summit

On behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Excellency Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Cabinet, and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, participated in the 50th session of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference, held in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. This high-level participation reflects the growing importance that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia attaches to strengthening its relations with various regional blocs around the world, particularly the Caribbean nations.

Historical background and diplomatic context

This participation represents a further step in the growing relationship between Saudi Arabia and the Caribbean nations, a relationship that reached a historic turning point with the inaugural Saudi-Caribbean Summit held in Riyadh in November 2023. That summit laid a solid foundation for a comprehensive strategic partnership, where leaders explored avenues for cooperation in vital areas such as investment, energy, climate change, and sustainable development. Al-Jubeir's attendance at the 50th CARICOM Summit serves as a mechanism to follow up on and build upon the outcomes of the Riyadh Summit, translating the understandings reached into practical initiatives and joint projects.

The importance of the event and its expected impact

On the sidelines of the summit, His Excellency Mr. Adel Al-Jubeir held extensive discussions with the leaders and heads of government of the CARICOM member states. The talks focused on ways to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations across all sectors. These meetings are expected to have positive impacts on several levels

• On the economic front: This partnership opens new horizons for Saudi investments in the Caribbean region, especially in the tourism and hospitality, renewable energy, infrastructure, and logistics sectors, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the economy and global investments.
• On the diplomatic front: The Saudi-Caribbean rapprochement enhances joint coordination in international forums, such as the United Nations, on issues of mutual interest such as climate change, energy security and sustainable development, giving both parties greater political weight.
• Regionally and internationally, this proactive diplomatic move by the Kingdom demonstrates its foreign policy of building bridges and partnerships with various countries around the world, and strengthening its role as an influential force striving for global stability and prosperity. For Caribbean nations, cooperation with a leading economy like Saudi Arabia represents a valuable opportunity to attract investment and support their development plans.

The Kingdom’s participation in this important forum confirms its commitment to developing sustainable and fruitful relations with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) , in a way that serves common interests and contributes to collectively addressing global challenges.