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 underscores the growing importance the Kingdom attaches to strengthening its relations with various regional blocs around the world.
Historical context and new strategic direction
This diplomatic move reflects a strategic shift in the Kingdom’s foreign policy, which aims to diversify its partnerships in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. After decades of focusing on traditional partners, the Kingdom is now moving towards building new bridges of cooperation with promising geographic regions such as the Caribbean. This engagement builds upon the momentum generated by the first Saudi-Caribbean Summit, hosted by Riyadh in November 2013, which laid the foundation for a long-term institutional partnership between the two sides, based on mutual respect and shared interests.
The importance of the event and its expected impact
The Kingdom's participation in the CARICOM summit is of paramount importance on several levels. Economically, this partnership opens up vast opportunities for mutual investments, particularly in vital sectors such as tourism, renewable energy, logistics, and food security. Through the Public Investment Fund and the Saudi Fund for Development, the Kingdom seeks to explore promising investment opportunities in Caribbean nations, while the group's member states can benefit from Saudi expertise and financing to develop their infrastructure and strengthen their economies.
On the political and diplomatic front, strengthening relations with CARICOM countries (which constitute a significant voting bloc in international forums such as the United Nations) enhances the Kingdom's standing as a globally influential power. This rapprochement also facilitates coordination on international issues of common interest, most notably climate change, which poses an existential challenge to Caribbean island nations and is a top priority for the Kingdom, as reflected in Mr. Al-Jubeir's role as Special Envoy for Climate Action. During the discussions, His Excellency explored with the leaders of the participating countries ways to implement the outcomes of the first summit and develop cooperation mechanisms across all sectors, serving the interests of both sides and contributing to global stability and prosperity.
