Premier Meade Wants to Re-Engage Dubai on Montserrat’s Port Development

Premier Reuben T. Meade says he is hoping to reopen discussions with Dubai Ports more than a decade after the collapse of a proposed port development deal.

Speaking at Friday’s press conference concluding the 2026 Budget Support Mission, the premier confirmed that preliminary contact had already been made with Dubai officials during the recent CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis.

“We’ve waited 12 years. We’re hoping to go back to Dubai,” Meade said. “I had contact in St Kitts at the CARICOM heads meeting with the Dubai authorities who are visiting for that meeting and I’m hoping that by mid year we should have further discussions to see whether or not we can re-engage them on developments in Montserrat.”

He described a previous arrangement during his earlier tenure in office.

“Back in 2014 we had an arrangement with Dubai ports… The design was fully designed and paid for. We were ready to rock and roll on it,” he said. “It was not a loan. It was a special project funded by Dubai ports which would have brought money into Montserrat.”

Meade stated that the proposal had involved the equivalent of US$100 million and would have delivered a fully designed port facility. He said the arrangement was ultimately rejected by the [PDM] government that followed his administration.

When asked about the current status of the ongoing port project and whether consideration had been given to revisiting the original design, including a separate breakwater and longer pier better suited to Little Bay’s wave action, the Premier declined to go into detail.

“There are certain aspects of the port which we can’t discuss publicly because of legal issues other than to say that we are trying our very best to get the project going and that’s as far as I’ll go on the port,” he said.

Also read Minister Acknowledges Further Uncertainty in Montserrat Port Project

Pressed further on whether there was scope to “go back to the drawing table” on the design, Meade reiterated that contractual obligations limited what could be discussed.

“Well, there are contractual obligations and as I said, I will not go further than to say we’re trying our very best with the current contractors and I’m not at liberty to speak about any legal matters which may come up or which may be in train.”

FCDO Deputy Director Nicholas Wareham added that the UK, Government of Montserrat and the Caribbean Development Bank were working together.

“We’re all team Montserrat… we’re all trying to push forward to make as much progress as we can,” Wareham told the media.

The Premier maintained that long-term economic independence remains the broader goal.

“We’re hoping to at least get back to where we were many years ago when we were self-sufficient and we did not need budgetary aid.”