Gambia is set to receive US $12m from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to upgrade and modernize the Banjul International Airport to meet the required standard in the Aviation Industry. This is after the President of Gambia Adama Barrow presided over the signing of the funding agreement between the head of the Saudi delegation, Mr. Yousef I. Albassam as Advisor to the Managing Director of the SFD, who doubles as Chairman of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and Gambia’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Mamboury Njie.
According to Mr. Albassam Saudi Arabia and The Gambia have an excellent relationship which makes it possible for such agreements happen. “The current state of strengthened cooperation between the two brotherly countries is at the height thanks to His Excellency, President Adama Barrow’s perceptive foreign policy. We assured His Excellency of the strong support of both the Saudi Fund and BADEA towards The Gambia’s success,” he said.
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On the hand President Adama Barrow expressed gratitude and appreciation to the King and the Crown Prince of the Saudi Kingdom for their continued support to his government and the people of The Gambia.
OIC Summit 2022
The project will further improve the infrastructural facilities of The Gambia in preparation for the upcoming OIC Summit in 2022. Therefore, the signing was followed by discussions with The Gambia OIC Secretariat on the ongoing SFD’s funding for the OIC 2022 Islamic Summit in Banjul. Mr. Yousef Al-Bassam further expressed delight at the progress made on the on-going rehabilitation of the airport.
