A group of 80 Saudi Arabian business interests will arrive in Jamaica on Friday (July 7) for discussions with government officials on local investment prospects.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who made the announcement, said it will be the largest and strongest group of investors from the Middle East to be hosted locally.

They will arrive after participating in the inaugural two-day Caribbean-Saudi Arabia Summit which gets underway in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday (July 5).

Mr. Bartlett, who was slated to depart Jamaica on Tuesday for the Summit, made the announcement during a media briefing at Gordon House in downtown Kingston Tuesday (July 5), where he provided an update of tourism developments.

He indicated that members of the delegation will be exploring potential investment options in several areas. These include logistics, agriculture, infrastructure and real estate, and tourism and hospitality.

“We are excited about the prospects of being able to show them the different investment options in the Corporate Area, in Montego Bay and elsewhere, and that out of it will come foreign direct investment… straight investment in the economy of Jamaica,” the Minister stated.

Mr. Bartlett said the visit to Jamaica was facilitated by his Ministry working in tandem with the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill.

“This, I think, is an exciting moment and I’m very pleased that Minister Aubyn Hill and myself have teamed together so well to create this opportunity for investment in Jamaica,” Mr. Bartlett stated

The Caribbean-Saudi Arabia Summit is being held to facilitate stakeholder discussions that forge and strengthen business relations between both regions.