RIYADH: In a landmark development, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) convened for their inaugural summit in Riyadh on Thursday, marking the beginning of a strategic partnership.
The summit, hosted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, witnessed the convergence of leadership from Saudi Arabia and CARICOM nations.
Co-chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and His Excellency Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, the leaders engaged in extensive discussions on shared interests, fostering friendly relations, and exploring avenues for collaboration.
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Key highlights of the summit
Shared vision and values: The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity through mutual respect and cooperation. Their vision aligns with the principles embodied in the United Nations Charter.
Areas of cooperation: Education, health, maritime cooperation, connectivity, logistics, food security, energy security, tourism, and economic development were identified as key areas for collaboration. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were underscored as a guiding framework.
Bilateral and multilateral ties: Emphasising the need to strengthen ties at both bilateral and multilateral levels, the leaders focused on sustainable development, peace, security, and tourism infrastructure. Efforts to boost trade and investment were a central theme.
Trade and investment relations: Commitments were made to enhance trade and investment relations through public-private partnerships and the utilisation of physical and online platforms.
Expo 2030 Support: CARICOM supported Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030, recognising the significance of international exhibitions in facilitating economic and cultural exchanges.
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Cooperation in agriculture: The leaders pledged to cooperate in developing sustainable agriculture, emphasizing circular practices, sustainable food production, and responsible water resource management.
Cultural exchange: Both regions underscored the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding, and respect for diversity through cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and collaborative events.
Tourism cooperation: Collaboration in various tourism sectors, including heritage, cruise, sustainable, and eco-tourism, was highlighted, emphasising benchmarking, joint investments, and capacity-building.
Climate change mitigation: Leaders stressed the urgency of joint action to mitigate climate change, welcoming Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) and establishing an international water organisation.
Sporting events: Both regions expressed mutual support for hosting major sporting events, with CARICOM endorsing Saudi Arabia’s candidacy for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Future summits: Recognising the success of the inaugural summit, leaders agreed to hold the Second Saudi Arabia-CARICOM Summit in 2026.
*Infomation sourced from the Saudi Press Agency
