Presidential Security Advisor Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime (Center) and Foreign Minister Hon. Amb. Monday Semaya K. Kumba (left) hold bilateral talks with Saudi investment officials in Riyadh on Tuesday. The high-level meeting focused on securing strategic partnerships in infrastructure and energy to bolster South Sudan’s economic growth. — Photo Credit: [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

A high-level South Sudanese delegation led by Presidential Security Advisor Tut Gatluak Manime and Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba met with Saudi investment officials on Tuesday to secure new trade and development opportunities between the two nations.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the talks, held at the Saudi Ministry of Investment, focused on establishing strategic partnerships to bolster South Sudan’s infrastructure and catalyze economic growth.

As part of the diplomatic mission, the delegation is set to deliver a special message from President Salva Kiir to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, aimed at deepening bilateral relations.

The delegation also engaged with the Saudi Fund for Development to explore grants and loans for critical projects in education, health, and energy. These discussions are part of a broader effort to modernize South Sudan’s administrative and social infrastructure through international cooperation.

South Sudan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mayom Alier, described the mission as the most significant diplomatic engagement since President Kiir’s 2023 visit to Riyadh.

“This is one of the most important visits; it is the highest-level delegation since 2023,” Ambassador Alier told SSBC. “There is a lot of goodwill toward South Sudan in this country. We have agreed to exchange high-level visits and are currently discussing a range of issues from economic to development priorities.”

A central theme of the visit is the government’s strategy to use economic development as a tool for national stability. Ambassador Alier emphasized that expanding opportunities in the oil, agriculture, and mining sectors is essential for long-term peace.

“We want to expand economic opportunities so people can benefit from development,” Alier stated. “When people are given economic opportunities, they have no time to engage in trouble. This is what the government is doing—engaging humanitarian donors and identifying investment areas in agriculture and mining.”

Despite domestic challenges, the Ambassador noted that South Sudan remains proactive in engaging international partners. The renewed momentum in Juba-Riyadh relations signals a strategic shift toward attracting Gulf capital to support South Sudan’s post-war recovery and sustainable socio-economic growth.