Kingston, 21 October 2022 (TDI): Foreign Minister of Jamaica, Kamina J Smith met with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Faisal Falah Alharbi. Faisal Falah Alharbi is a non-resident Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to Jamaica.
Both officials during their meeting discussed the ongoing efforts in areas of tourism, investment, and multilateral cooperation.
Foreign Minister Kamina J Smith also expressed Jamaica’s gratitude to her Saudi counterpart Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan for Kingdom’s support to CARICOM (Caribbean Community) countries during the pandemic.
Saudi Arabia-Jamaica Relations
Diplomatic relations between Jamaica and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were established in 1976. Since then both states have enjoyed friendly relations.
In 2021, both states signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the field of tourism. Under this agreement, Jamaica within the next three years would receive at least 100,000 Saudi tourists.
This new tourism agreement between both states would also elevate trade opportunities according to the Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.
In addition to the flow of tourists, there is also the opportunity for Jamaican products to enter the Saudi market and for Saudi products to come into the market of Jamaica.
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Moreover, to boost tourist activity between both states, a document of intent was signed to aid air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Jamaica.
The document was signed during the 66th meeting of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Regional Commission for the Americas.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb attended the meeting. This agreement is said to be a game changer for the Caribbean region and particularly Jamaica, as new markets will have direct connectivity to the region.
This is a way to enhance connectivity between the Caribbean and Middle Eastern regions. The partnership between both states in the tourism sector has facilitated countless opportunities for tourists and tourism enterprises on both sides.
