Dakar, February 12, 2023 –  The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has laid the cornerstone for the first phase of the Dakar-Saint Louis Coastal Road Project – the Dakar-Tivaouane" stretch – in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. His Excellency the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, His Excellency the Saudi Ambassador to Senegal, Mr. Saad bin Abdullah Al-Nofaia, SFD representative, Mr. Yasser bin Munif Al-Otaibi, and several Senegalese officials attended the ceremony. Given the project’s impact on the people of Dakar, SFD financed the project with $63 million.
During the ceremony, President Sall thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and HRH the Crown Prince, for their development support, affirming the close relationship between the two nations. He highlighted the vital role of the Kingdom in supporting development projects in Senegal, praising the significant role played by the Saudi government through SFD to support development projects, including the transport and communications sector.

Through the various SFD-supported projects and initiatives worldwide, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia actively supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Dakar-Saint Louis Coastal Road Project is only one of the recently supported projects that will bring the achievement of the UN’s SDGs closer. The Fund’s CEO, Mr. Sultan Al Marshad, and Senegal's Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, Ms. Oulimata Sarr, signed the financing agreement in September 2022. The project features a 25 meters wide two-lane highway that is 12 kilometers in length. The project also includes a lane for emergency services, a median strip, a rainwater drainage system, overpasses, and streetlights. Not only will this project improve trade and economic exchanges, but it will also increase road safety and improve the lives of those in neighboring towns and villages.

Representing SFD, Mr. Al-Otaibi commented on the project’s positive impacts on Senegal, sharing that it will provide essential infrastructure services, create opportunities for the people of Senegal to reach all their regular needs, enhance the level of road safety, and improve socio-economic status. 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is committed to supporting development sectors in Senegal through SFD-financed projects and programs. Since 1978, the Fund has provided 27 development loans to help finance 26 development projects and programs worth approximately $447 million. Additionally, with the support of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, SFD provided four grants worth over $19 million to Senegal to help finance development projects and programs in various sectors, including transport and communications, infrastructure, health, housing, energy, education, and water and sanitation.