DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Sudan’s prime minister and Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince met Wednesday to discuss Saudi investment opportunities in the Red Sea, the Sudanese government said, as the kingdom seeks to boost its influence across the strategic Horn of Africa. The Red Sea features heavily in Saudi Arabia’s so-called Vision 2030 to diversify its economy away from oil with business zones along the coast. Following al-Bashir’s overthrow, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates pledged $3 billion in aid to Sudan’s military council, with half of the amount already delivered. Sudanese agricultural land remains a key interest for desert Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which import the majority of their food from abroad. Sudan’s economy has teetered on the brink in recent months, with inflation soaring past 300 percent in January.

Source: Egypt Independent March 10, 2021 13:41 UTC