Africa: The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), a reliable development financier left in the shadows?
It is often said that good things are done in silence. However, there are certain exceptional good things that deserve to be showcased for their benevolence and contributions to the growth and development of societies. The investments of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) should be among these exceptional good things that require exposure.
Indeed, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is a major development fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, financing development projects in low-income countries, particularly in Africa, through grants and concessional loans.
The SFD has contributed to the development of several African countries with which it collaborates. It has also played a significant role in the implementation of various projects in the healthcare sector in African countries and beyond, including the construction of hospitals.
African countries have benefited and continue to benefit from the grants and investments of the SFD in various sectors, including education, water resources, electricity, transportation, housing, healthcare, energy, infrastructure, and rural development.
All this commitment to development embodies the willingness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assist small island developing states in overcoming economic, environmental, and developmental challenges.
It has always been a pleasure for the SFD to support and finance African countries in achieving their sustainable development goals and, most importantly, to contribute to promoting social growth and economic prosperity in developing countries. Several African states have indeed made the SFD an essential means of development for their countries and their governments.
However, despite all its investments and development assistance, the SFD remains in the shadows and is unfamiliar to the African community itself. The SFD’s investments in Africa are substantial, and it is appropriate to say that it should receive strong communication from the African community for its good financial support to the continent.
Since 1975, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has spared no effort to meet the needs of its African partners. Its financial Its financial interventions in various countries on other continents benefit from robust communications, unlike in Africa.
This needs to change. Today, Africa cannot do without the grants and investments of the SFD (…). It is essential for African statesmen who benefit from the high-quality financing of the SFD to bring this development partner out of the shadows and make it known to all, to receive recognition from the people towards Saudi Arabia.
Harouna Bafoussam
