By Salamatu Conteh.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Honourable Chernor Bah, paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Saud Al-Musa’ed, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Sierra Leone, at the Embassy in Freetown. The visit provided an opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding cordial relations between Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and explore avenues to expand bilateral cooperation in several areas.
During the meeting, the Minister thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its long-standing friendship and development assistance to Sierra Leone. He congratulated the Embassy on its participation in a number of partnership projects and development activities in the country, saying such engagements have benefited Sierra Leone’s national development agenda.
Minister Bah stressed Sierra Leone’s desire to enhance cooperation with Saudi Arabia in information, culture, technology, and investment. He suggested partnering with the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to publicise and disseminate stories of cultural heritage, including Islamic and non-Islamic aspects of Saudi culture. Such programming would promote cultural understanding, build relationships and enhance the cultural landscape of both countries, the Minister said.
Minister Bah pointed to the Kingdom’s rapid technological development, citing Artificial Intelligence and other new technologies as key areas where Sierra Leone could learn from Saudi expertise. He urged knowledge sharing and possible technical partnerships to build capacity and develop technology in Sierra Leone’s public and private sectors.
To institutionalise these aspirations, Minister Bah suggested signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and the Saudi Embassy. A memorandum of understanding, he said, was a practical instrument to institutionalise collaboration, establish priorities and create mechanisms for long-term engagement between the two parties.
The Minister also seized the opportunity to showcase the investment opportunities in Sierra Leone and whet the interest of Saudi investors. He pinpointed areas where the country’s economy could benefit from foreign investment and called on the Embassy to help Sierra Leonean authorities connect with prospective Saudi partners.
Ambassador Saud Al-Musa’ed welcomed the Minister Bah and reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to work closely with Sierra Leone. He emphasised the longstanding friendship between the two countries and highlighted the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s strategic role in shaping public communication and national development. The Ambassador congratulated Sierra Leone on its progress and expressed willingness to support mutually beneficial projects.
The two officials agreed to maintain regular dialogue and take concrete steps to explore partnerships in information sharing, cultural exchanges, technological cooperation and investment promotion. They agreed to continue working on translating the discussions into practical programs that will benefit the people of Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
