Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s recent declaration that Trinidad and Tobago is “open for business” has ignited interest from the Arab world, says Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John.
In an interview with the Sunday Express yesterday, she said Trinidad and Tobago’s ministerial delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was a success, with several entities now eyeing potential investments in T&T.
STRATEGIC COLLABORATION: Chief executive officer, Abu Dhabi Ports Group Ahmed Al Mutwaa, centre, speaks to Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers during a meeting. Looking at the model is Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John and UDeCOTT chairman Shankar Bidaisee.
Cabinet had approved a delegation to visit the UAE and Bahrain, led by Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers.
The delegation included John; Saddam Hosein—the Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and a minister in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; Randall Karim—permanent secretary and acting head of the Foreign Service, Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs; and Shankar Bidaisee—chairman of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT).
On November 6, 2025, the Prime Minister unveiled a multibillion-dollar vision at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, outlining plans to transform T&T through economic diversification and by positioning the country as a global logistics hub.
She emphasised that T&T was open for business, and that funding for these mega-projects would come through private partnerships and foreign investment.
John delivered a presentation entitled “Trinidad and Tobago’s Revitalisation Blueprint”, which is expected to trigger a decade-long construction boom, with 129 projects across 12 development nodes.
She outlined Government’s plan to diversify the economy and generate 50,000 jobs through boosting business and tourism.
Projects include the development of a Tamana prison campus and judicial complex, consolidation of all correctional facilities, conversion of Carrera Island into a resort, a comprehensive makeover of Port of Spain, expansion of the port, and the creation of an industrial, maritime, trade and free zone area in Sea Lots.
Further mega-projects are planned for San Fernando, Mayaro and other regions, featuring convention and business centres, hotels, hospitals, financial hubs, and housing developments.
With the Prime Minister’s directive to secure funding for these initiatives, the ministerial delegation embarked on its mission to attract foreign direct investment.
John said with respect to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, UDeCOTT, and the Revitalisation Blueprint, the trip focused on Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Sobers and Hosein were scheduled to continue on to Bahrain for additional meetings.
The minister said she and Bidaisee met representatives and nominees of the UAE Government to present the Revitalisation Blueprint, reinforce that T&T is open for business, and outline the Prime Minister’s vision.
“We also informed of the procurement process and the timelines,” she said.
She noted that meetings were held with UAE government nominees specialising in ports, hospital administration aimed at developing health tourism, and energy-sector representatives.
“The feedback has been largely positive. Certain sectors have expressed keen interest in considering investing in the key projects. UAE government nominees and the representatives of the business community of Abu Dhabi have all been directed to UDeCOTT’s e-portal to submit Expressions of Interest,” she said.
John said the UAE has shown interest in supporting the programme not only during implementation of the Revitalisation Blueprint, but also in other areas of mutual development between the two countries—including the Couva Children’s Hospital, Free Trade Zones, hotels, and ports.
Significant interest was also expressed in the International Financial Centre (IFC) and hotel/convention centre projects, given their transformative potential.
She confirmed that officials have sought further information to assist in a feasibility study, which includes sending a technical team to Trinidad.
Asked whether public–private partnership models were being explored, John said there was strong investor interest.
“However given that there is an active procurement process, all investors were informed that they must abide by the process by submitting their respective Expressions of Interest through the portal. UDeCOTT expects that the submissions would include public-private partnership arrangements,” she said.
Regarding the signing of agreements, John noted that the visit aimed to establish understanding of the partnership framework and sensitise UAE authorities to the Revitalisation Programme and the ease of doing business in T&T.
She stressed that the active procurement process must be respected.
“Upon the conclusion of the procurement process, depending on whether the developmental nodes are proceeding via PPP or government-to-government, there may be executions of MOU at a later stage,” she said.
John added that foreign site visits would most likely occur at the Request for Proposals (RFP) stage.
“There is, however, a clear interest in sending technical teams to T&T at the appropriate stage,” she noted.
High-level meetings
On November 24 and 26, 2025, the ministerial delegation met with Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, and Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
John said these meetings showcased T&T’s investment value, including its strategic geographic position, educated workforce, stable political environment, competitive utility rates, strong investment-protection framework, ethnic and religious diversity, and strong manufacturing and financial sectors.
Both UAE ministers expressed positive assessments of T&T’s investment potential and pledged to promote the Revitalisation Blueprint within the UAE investor community.
On November 25, 2025, the delegation met with Ahmed Al Mutwaa, chief executive officer of AD Ports, and senior executives in Abu Dhabi.
John highlighted that AD Ports Group oversees more than 50 ports worldwide, including the advanced Khalifa Port, one of the world’s leading logistics hubs.
During the meeting, John delivered a detailed presentation on the Revitalisation Blueprint, focusing on modernising port infrastructure, enhancing port management systems, and developing the proposed “Trinidad and Tobago Global Logistical Hub”.
Discussions centred on strategic collaboration, investment, and technical cooperation as Trinidad and Tobago seeks to strengthen its role as a premier transshipment and logistics centre for the Caribbean and the Americas.
The delegation also met with Burjeel Holdings, a leading provider of world-class healthcare services in the UAE and Oman with annual revenues of US$1.4 billion.
Discussions focused on hospital management and the development of a medical tourism industry, including projects at the Couva Children’s Hospital and the Central Block of the Port of Spain Hospital.
John said the company expressed keen interest in potentially managing hospital assets to support the development of medical tourism.
UDeCOTT has since exchanged correspondence with Burjeel Holdings, and the company will be invited to T&T to advance its assessment of promising investment opportunities.
The UAE ranks among the world’s top ten oil producers and holds one of the world’s largest reserves of proven oil and natural gas. Its economy is one of the strongest in the Gulf.
The Investment Corporation of Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority collectively manage US$1.5 trillion in assets.
John said the mission significantly advanced T&T’s commitment to expanding its global relations, while complementing the UAE’s strategy of building long-term international partnerships.
Both nations, she noted, recognise that sharing expertise across sectors could unlock major new avenues for growth.