Minister of Defense Dominic Nitiwul was in Saudi Arabia on Saturday to represent President Akufo-Addo at the Saudi-Africa Summit in the Gulf Kingdom.

Several African Heads of States participated in the first Saudi-Africa Summit which aimed to forge stronger strategic partnership between the Middle East country and Africa to boost economic growth, trade and investment opportunities.

Mr. Nitiwul led a Ghanaian delegation to participate in the summit which tool place in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabia capital.

A number of African heads and ministers of state including from Ghana were expected to attend the conference but Akufo-Addo was unable to make it, sources told MyNewsGh.com.

The 5th Arab-Africa summit was also expected to take place in Riyadh but had been cancelled due to the development in Gaza.

Related to the Saudi-Africa Summit, the Saudi Fund for Development signed various agreements worth 2 billion riyals ($533 million) with African countries.

“We are working with partners to support Ghana and other countries regarding their debt,” Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan had said ahead of the event.

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih later said at the same conference the kingdom’s more than $700 billion wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, will make some “game changing” investments in Africa.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, also at the conference, signed preliminary agreements with African countries including Nigeria, Senegal, Chad and Ethiopia on energy-related cooperation.

Mozambique’s finance ministry issued a statement later in the day saying it had signed a financing agreement of $158 million with the Saudi Development Fund for infrastructure projects including the construction of hospitals and a dam.