By Haddy Touray
President Adama Barrow on Monday received the Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, and his delegation at State House in Banjul.
During the meeting, Al-Marshad briefed President Barrow on the signing of an agreement for the final phase of the 50-kilometre Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) road projects.
Recalling the SFD’s longstanding cooperation with The Gambia, dating back to 1977, Al-Marshad assured President Barrow of the Fund’s continued commitment to supporting the country’s development agenda.
He said his visits to The Gambia in 2021 and 2026 had enabled him to observe what he described as significant transformations in the country under the Barrow administration.
According to Al-Marshad, the developments had encouraged the SFD to consider proposals from The Gambia in areas including modern drainage systems, payment systems, submarine cables, telemedicine and sports infrastructure.
Welcoming the Saudi delegation, President Barrow described the SFD as a reliable development partner of The Gambia.
“The OIC meeting is over, but the legacy projects across The Gambia will outlive all of us,” Barrow said.
He noted that the impact of the OIC road projects was visible through increased investment and construction along the newly developed road corridors, including the construction of new hotels.
Beyond the investments, Barrow said the road projects had significantly reduced travel times for commuters, with some journeys reportedly reduced from about two hours to 25 minutes.
He also said the paved access roads had contributed to reducing traffic congestion and flooding in affected areas.
President Barrow said The Gambia had about 800 kilometres of paved roads before 2017, adding that at least 1,500 kilometres of paved roads had been constructed since his administration came to office.
He further said development approval had been granted for an additional 1,200 kilometres of roads across the country beyond 2026.
The Gambian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mambury Njie, Ministers of Finance Seedy Keita and Works Ebrima Sillah, as well as senior officials from their respective ministries, accompanied the Saudi delegation during the visit to State House.
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