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Sierra Leone’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, advancing the Government’s economic diplomacy agenda, made a strong call for increased Saudi private-sector investment and business engagement with Sierra Leone.
On the margins of the ongoing 23rd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah, Minister Swaray held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Central to the discussions was Minister Swaray’s invitation to the Saudi business community to participate in the forthcoming ECOWAS Investment Forum, scheduled to be held in Sierra Leone in November 2026, and to explore investment opportunities presented by Sierra Leone and the wider West African market.
Minister Swaray highlighted a number of priority areas for enhanced economic cooperation, including energy, digital transformation and skills development, and trade, investment and market access. He further underscored Sierra Leone’s strategic advantage as an entry point to the wider African market, particularly in light of the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He stressed the importance of moving beyond strong political relations towards practical economic partnerships that generate investment, jobs and shared prosperity.
On the upcoming West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS) 2026 ECOWAS Investment Forum, Minister Swaray assured the Saudi side that Sierra Leone would formally extend an invitation to Saudi Arabia and its business community to participate in the November Investment Forum, providing an important platform for direct engagement between Saudi investors and West African business and government stakeholders.
In response, Deputy Minister Al-Khuraiji welcomed Sierra Leone’s outreach and indicated his readiness to convey the invitation and Sierra Leone’s investment priorities to the relevant Saudi authorities and business community. He further undertook to encourage Saudi businessmen and investors to participate in the ECOWAS Investment Forum and explore opportunities in Sierra Leone. Both sides agreed on the importance of strengthening business-to-business engagement and identifying concrete areas for investment and cooperation.
The meeting between the two Ministers reaffirmed the longstanding and friendly relations between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia, with both sides expressing a shared commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation and translate existing goodwill into tangible economic opportunities for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.
