 and the people of the South will get a new facility. They will get a new facility. It's no longer, they might get, they will get a new facility. Thanks to our friends from Saudi Arabia. The government of St. Lucia, led by Prime Minister Hon. Philip J. Pierre, has achieved another significant milestone in the more than 13-year process to reconstruct the St. Jude Hospital, which was severely damaged by fire in 2009. I say this with the confidence that the government that I lead, we've kept one of our major promises to the people of St. Lucia. And I'm proud of that. I'm very proud of that. Prime Minister Pierre has prioritized sourcing the financing needed to complete the project and pursued bilateral negotiations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Within two years since Prime Minister Pierre assumed office in 2021, the Saudi Fund for Development has agreed to commit nearly 75 million US dollars for the purposes of completing construction works and procuring the necessary medical equipment, furniture and fixtures for the St. Jude Hospital. Today marks an exciting and bright chapter for the both of our countries with the signing of Development Loan Agreement worth 75 million US dollars for the reconstruction and rehabilitation for St. Jude Hospital. This project signifies Saudi Fund for Development committed to promoting sustainable development in St. Lucia. In May, Prime Minister Pierre, Senior Minister for Infrastructure, Honorable Stevenson King and senior government officials received His Excellency Ahmed Al Khatib, the Minister for Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Chair of the Saudi Fund for Development for an official tour of the construction site and the retrofitted George Audlem National Stadium which is where the St. Jude Hospital has been operating since 2010. And of course the people of St. Lucia are going to celebrate this moment. In the Creole language we say, It means that you have not even sweeten it, it's already sweet. And so today the signing ceremony is not just a symbolic thing but rather it is to put the St. Jude Hospital reconstruction project in overdrive. St. Lucia's sports fans, athletics and football fraternities will be pleased to know that the funding from the Saudi Government will also be used to rehabilitate the George Audlem National Stadium having successfully restarted construction on the original construction site in November 2022 and secured the funding to complete the remaining construction phases. Prime Minister Pierre has finally ensured the transfer of St. Jude Hospital operations from the George Audlem National Stadium to its original home is imminent. We cannot remain in the stadium for much longer and this government headed by Hon. Philip J. Pierre is determined to look for all collaborations and to hold hands with all men and women of goodwill from all countries and I'm so thankful that your country has stepped forth and your organization has stepped forth to say yes, we are going to be part of humanity and we are going to assist you to develop your hospital. Hon. Philip J. Pierre is now the fourth Prime Minister to oversee the morbidly delayed St. Jude Hospital reconstruction project. Various government audits and technical reviews on the reconstruction project have unanimously concluded continuing construction on the Phase 1 construction site which was stopped for three years from 2016 to 2019 was the most fiscally prudent option to pursue. Furthermore, part of the original construction site could have been completed from as early as 2018 which could have facilitated the earliest transfer of St. Jude Hospital operations from the George Audlem National Stadium to the East Medical Wing of the original construction site. Office over the Prime Minister.