South Sudan’s Minister of Finance and Planning, Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, met with the CEO of the Saudi Arabian Fund for Development, Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Murshid, on the sidelines of the 2026 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed opportunities for development cooperation, particularly in the area of financing development projects and programs, in order to enhance development efforts and support the partnership between the two sides.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and South Sudan

Relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Sudan have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, within the framework of a shared approach to enhance economic and investment cooperation, in addition to political coordination on regional issues.

Since South Sudan’s independence in 2011, Saudi Arabia has been keen to build balanced diplomatic relations with the newly formed state, with the two countries exchanging diplomatic representation and working to strengthen political communication in regional and international forums.

Riyadh supports efforts to stabilize South Sudan, especially in light of the security and political challenges the country has faced for years, while emphasizing the importance of peaceful solutions and national dialogue.

The economic aspect represents the most important pillar in the relations between the two countries, as Saudi Arabia seeks to expand its investments in South Sudan, especially in the sectors of agriculture and food security, oil and energy, infrastructure, and livestock.

In contrast, South Sudan has great potential, most notably its vast agricultural lands and natural resources, making it an attractive destination for Gulf investments.

Saudi Arabia pays special attention to the issue of food security, as it sees South Sudan as a strategic opportunity to secure its needs for agricultural products.

Potential areas of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and South Sudan include land reclamation for agriculture, production of strategic crops, and development of food supply chains.

The oil sector is also one of the most prominent areas of cooperation, as South Sudan’s economy depends heavily on oil exports, while Saudi Arabia has extensive experience in this field.

These moves come within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to diversify sources of income and promote foreign investments, especially in Africa.