Kuwait, El Salvador open a new chapter in bilateral ties
First-ever foreign ministers’ meeting since 1999 sets the stage for wider cooperation in trade, tourism and investment
Kuwait Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah met with El Salvador’s Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill Tinoco on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the headquarters of Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
The meeting reviewed bilateral relations between Kuwait and El Salvador and ways to strengthen and develop cooperation across various fields. The two ministers also discussed the latest regional and international developments. During the meeting, the two ministers signed an agreement between the Government of Kuwait and the Government of El Salvador on visa exemptions for holders of diplomatic, special and official passports.
The ministerial meeting provides fresh momentum to more than two decades of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and El Salvador, with the two countries identifying new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, food security, renewable energy and development. The meeting was the first official bilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Kuwait and El Salvador since the two countries established diplomatic relations in December 1999, a milestone that the Salvadoran Embassy described as an important new chapter in bilateral relations.
The talks also provided renewed momentum to political dialogue and opened greater scope for Kuwait’s engagement with Central America and Latin America. Diplomatic relations between Kuwait and El Salvador span more than 26 years. El Salvador further strengthened its diplomatic presence in Kuwait with the opening of its embassy in November 2024, headed by Ambassador H.E. Juan Carlos Staben Boillat. The move reflects San Salvador’s interest in deepening its relations with Kuwait and expanding engagement with the wider Gulf region.
The latest ministerial meeting comes against the backdrop of efforts by both sides to translate longstanding diplomatic friendship into more practical economic and development cooperation. According to the September 2026 World Tourism Barometer prepared by UN Tourism, El Salvador recorded a 37 percent increase in international tourist arrivals during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.
The country has increasingly gained international attention for the transformation of its tourism sector, with the Salvadoran Embassy highlighting the growth in visitor arrivals and the country’s changing international tourism profile. The Embassy also pointed to improvements in El Salvador’s security environment as an important factor in strengthening confidence among visitors, investors and international partners.
Kuwait Fund partnership marks another milestone
Economic and development cooperation has also entered a new phase with the signing of the first loan agreement between El Salvador and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED). The agreement provides a foundation for a longer-term development partnership between the two countries and adds an economic dimension to their growing diplomatic engagement.
The two countries have identified several areas with potential for expanded cooperation, including food security, tourism, coffee and agricultural products, renewable energy, education, trade and investment, and development cooperation. For Kuwait, stronger engagement with El Salvador could also provide opportunities to deepen economic links with Central America, while El Salvador sees Kuwait as an important partner for expanding its connections with the Gulf.
El Salvador is also presenting itself as a potential gateway to Central America and the wider Latin American market, offering international partners opportunities for commercial and investment engagement in the region. More than two decades after diplomatic relations were established, Kuwait and El Salvador are now looking to build a relationship that extends beyond political ties.
The latest ministerial talks, the opening of El Salvador’s resident embassy in Kuwait and the first KFAED loan agreement together point towards a broader framework of cooperation. The focus now is on turning diplomatic goodwill into practical partnerships in development, investment, trade, tourism and people-to-people relations.
