After more than two years of waiting that has tested public and political anticipation, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica has formally confirmed that on-site physical construction for the transformative Roseau Enhancement Project will kick off before the end of 2026. Speaking to reporters at a recent press briefing, Skerrit laid out the current status of the long-awaited urban revitalization initiative, addressing the extended delays that have pushed back the project’s original timeline.
Skerrit explained that administrative hurdles tied to the project’s funding structure have been the primary driver of the hold-up. Unlike domestically funded infrastructure projects where all decision-making authority rests with the Dominican government, every key step in the approval process requires sign-off from the Saudi funding body backing the initiative. He compared this approval mechanism to that of multilateral development lenders such as the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank, noting that the layered review process inherent to this model has inevitably slowed progress.
The level of impatience around the project has even reached directly to the funding body, Skerrit revealed. The parliamentary representative for the Roseau constituency has grown so anxious over the delays that she reached out to Saudi officials directly to push for faster progress. In response, Saudi stakeholders gave formal assurances that they would prioritize moving the project through its remaining approval steps.
To keep urban improvement work moving in the interim, Skerrit noted that the Dominican government will launch preliminary upgrades on city streets that are not covered by the Saudi funding package in the near term. These early works will focus on high-priority public upgrades including sidewalk repairs, drainage system improvements, and general aesthetic enhancements to bring immediate improvements to Roseau while the main project moves through its final administrative steps. The end goal of the full initiative remains unchanged: to reshape Roseau into a modern, visually appealing capital city that meets the needs of residents and visitors alike.
Looking back at prior updates, Skerrit had cited the establishment of the project’s dedicated information management unit and final staffing decisions as the key hold-ups during an October 2025 press briefing. He confirmed that immediately after staffing was approved, the unit began full operations to advance the project.
Currently, the project unit is in active negotiations with a private firm that will serve as the supervisory contractor for the construction phase. Once these negotiations are finalized, a formal recommendation will be submitted to the Saudi fund for the required “no objection” approval. As soon as that green light is received, the government will immediately launch the tender process for the main construction contracts.
Skerrit added that based on current progress, the supervisory contract is on track to be awarded before the end of October 2026. All pre-tender documentation for the main construction phase has already been completed, meaning the invitation for construction bids can be released as soon as the final approval is secured from the fund.
The project’s origins date back to November 2023, when the Dominican Parliament approved a $41 million loan from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to fully fund the large-scale urban enhancement initiative. The comprehensive project scope includes full revitalization of existing roadways and bridges, construction of new pedestrian-friendly walkways, and a full upgrade of the city’s public lighting infrastructure, all designed to transform Roseau into a contemporary, welcoming urban center.