Bartlett drives tourism cooperation with Jamaica and Saudi Fund for Development
Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (L) with Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad following a meeting to explore various areas in Tourism Cooperation at the SFD office in Riyadh on Tuesday September 8, 2026 . Image Courtesy: Saudi Fund for Development (SFD)
Push for post Hurricane Melissa reconstruction and new tourism development
Press Release
RIYADH; Saudi Arabia: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has spearheaded discussions with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to explore new avenues of development cooperation, with a focus on strengthening tourism training, education and health infrastructure across the island. Discussions included post Hurricane Melissa reconstruction under the Minister’s Tourism 3.0 strategic reimagining of the sector.
The Saudi Fund for Development is a Saudi Arabian government agency that provides development assistance to developing countries by financing social and infrastructure projects. The global agency has supported over USD20 billion in funding across 741 projects. The talks form part of Jamaica’s ongoing strategy to attract more partnerships that support human capital development and critical infrastructure, in keeping with the country’s broader tourism linkages and sustainable development agenda.
The Minister welcomed the exploratory discussions, noting that they reflect Jamaica’s commitment to building diverse, mutually beneficial partnerships that extend beyond tourism to touch the everyday lives of Jamaicans and communities.
“Jamaica continues to seek partnerships that translate tourism’s success into tangible benefits for our people — in the classrooms where our children learn, in the hospitals where our families are cared for, and in the training institutions that prepare our workforce for the future. Our proposed engagement with the Saudi Fund for Development represents exactly this kind of forward-looking cooperation.”
The discussions, led by Minister Bartlett alongside Jamaican tourism officials and representatives of the Saudi Fund for Development, centred on identifying priority areas where SFD’s financing model — historically focused on infrastructure, education, health and productive sectors across developing economies — could align with Jamaica’s national development priorities.
A key pillar of this proposed cooperation is human capital development within Jamaica’s tourism sector, the largest contributor to the island’s foreign exchange earnings and employment. “Jamaica’s tourism thrives on the creativity and passion of our workforce and so we must invest in our human capital as we continue to future proof the sector,” added the Minister.
Director of Tourism, Donovan White, noted that the potential collaboration underscores the interconnected nature of tourism development and national wellbeing that places a focus on a well-trained workforce and strong supporting social infrastructure.
Following the Minister’s push for expanded cooperation, both parties have agreed to continue high level technical discussions to further scope areas of collaboration. This will include meetings with Saudi Eskab, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and proposed technical visit with Senior members of the SDF to Jamaica to identify and assess gaps and opportunities.
ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.
Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.
Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.
For details on upcoming special events, attractions, and accommodations in Jamaica, go to the JTB’s Website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.visitjamaica.com/blog/.
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