The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has signed a $75 million loan agreement with the Republic of Cameroon to rehabilitate the Sorawel-Dourbeye road corridor, a key trade artery linking Cameroon with Nigeria and Chad that has suffered significant deterioration over the years.
The agreement was signed in Yaoundé by SFD Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sultan Abdulrahman Al Marshad and Cameroon’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to Cameroon Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi and senior officials from both sides.
The road project aligns with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy 2030 and is intended to reduce the isolation of communities in northern Cameroon while expanding access to markets, healthcare, and education. By restoring the corridor’s functionality, the project is expected to strengthen cross-border trade flows and support regional economic integration across Central and West Africa.
The Sorawel to Dourbeye road spans 78 kilometres and connects directly to Nigeria, with analysts noting its potential to bolster cross-border trade, enhance tax revenues, and contribute to increased port receipts for Cameroon.
Al Marshad said the agreement reflects the fund’s commitment to financing infrastructure that improves daily life and creates long-term economic opportunity across the region.
SFD’s engagement with Cameroon spans more than four decades. The fund has now backed 10 development projects in the country totalling more than $180 million, covering infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Among earlier partnerships, SFD co-financed the construction of the Mbalmayo Regional Hospital alongside the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
Across the African continent, SFD has financed more than 800 development projects in over 100 countries, with total contributions exceeding $20 billion since its establishment in 1974. The fund prioritises soft loan financing for least developed and low-income countries in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda.
