Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer met with Sultan bin Abdul Rahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SDF), on Thursday to seek assistance in line with the Mohamed Muizzu administration’s development agenda.
Zameer, who on Friday concluded his official visit to Saudi Arabia, met with the CEO of the Fund and expressed gratitude for the continuing assistance provided to the Maldives.
The two further discussed expanding the Fund’s assistance to other areas, including developing infrastructure and health services as outlined in President Muizzu’s development agenda, according to the minister.
“I had a productive meeting with the CEO of @SaudiFund_Dev HE. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad. The CEO briefed the Maldives on current and future projects and discussed new areas where the Maldives could benefit from funding, such as infrastructure and healthcare,” Zameer said in a post to social media.
The Fund has always supported the Maldives’ sustainable development projects and has so far provided US$470 million (approximately MVR7.2 billion) across 16 projects; including major water and sewerage, as well as infrastructure development projects.
In addition, the Fund has recently provided loans for the development of Velana International Airport (VIA) — the Fund had, with a view to accelerate the project, allocated an additional US$100 million to the VIA project, formalised during Al-Marshad’s visit to the Maldives in May.
During the visit, Zameer also met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah bin Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and presented a letter from President Muizzu addressed to Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
