JEDDAH, August 27, 2026 – Sierra Leone’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, took advantage of the 23rd Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, in Jeddah, to advocate for stronger economic ties with Saudi Arabia, calling on the Kingdom’s private sector to explore investment opportunities in Sierra Leone and the wider West African market, less than one month into his tenure.
On the side-lines of the OIC session, Minister Swaray held discussions with H.E. Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to map out Sierra Leone’s economic diplomacy priorities and to invite Saudi business community to the upcoming West Africa Integration and Investment Summit (WAIIS) 2026 ECOWAS Investment Forum. The summit, led by President Julius Maada Bio, and conceived during his chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is scheduled to be held in Sierra Leone from November 16 to 18, 2026.
During the meeting, Minister Swaray identified priority areas for Saudi investment with immediate and long-term impact including energy, digital transformation and skills development, as well as trade, investment facilitation and market access. He observed Sierra Leone’s role as a gateway to the West African market, and the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to drive trade expansion and regional integration through focused private-sector partnerships.
Minister Swaray emphasised the need not just to have good diplomatic relations but also pragmatic economic cooperation that benefits both countries in job creation. He assured the Saudis that Sierra Leone will formally invite the Kingdom and its business leaders to the ECOWAS investment forum that he said is a critical platform for direct engagement between Saudi investors, West African governments and commercial stakeholders.
Deputy Minister Al-Khuraiji welcomed the outreach from Sierra Leone and said he was ready to convey the country’s invitation and investment priorities to the relevant Saudi authorities and the private sector. He promised to encourage Saudi businessmen and investors to attend the November forum and explore specific opportunities in Sierra Leone. Both ministers agreed on the importance of promoting business-to-business relations and identifying concrete, actionable areas of cooperation in investment.
The two countries have enjoyed friendly relations for decades, and both sides were desirous of converting the diplomatic goodwill into economic gains for all; it was agreed. Sierra Leone’s economic diplomacy is ramping up under the new minister, and officials on both sides have said they will pursue follow-up engagement to map investment projects, facilitate company contacts and lay the groundwork for Saudi participation in the upcoming WAIIS ECOWAS Investment Forum.
