Decoding the news. The Gulf Region’s interest strengthens the geopolitical and financial profile of the Mattei Plan, initially launched by the Italian government and now integrated into the EU’s Global Gateway framework.
- Requests for cooperation from key Arab actors confirm Italy’s emerging role as a strategic partner for the African continent, as Ambassador Saggio underlined during a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday dedicated to Italy’s Africa strategy.
- Saggio serves as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s diplomatic advisor and heads the dedicated task force for the Mattei Plan, a position established by decree-law in November 2023 to manage the strategy.
Agreements with the Gulf. In the first half of 2025, Saggio reported €500 million in new investments.
- The Mattei Plan was pivotal in securing multi-billion-euro agreements between Italy and Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, signed during recent diplomatic and economic missions led by Prime Minister Meloni.
- These efforts are backed by a strategic partnership with the World Bank and the African Development Bank, deemed “essential and invaluable,” and by alignment with the EU’s Global Gateway.
- This international dimension of the Italian plan is a key factor attracting Gulf attention, as these countries pursue similar Africa-focused ambitions.
- As Decode39 has previously reported, this shared outlook is one of the main drivers behind strengthening relations between Italy and Qatar.
By the numbers. The Mattei Plan currently involves 14 African partner countries.
- €265 million: the value of projects implemented by the task force as of June 30.
- Two additional initiatives — worth nearly €100 million — are expected to be finalised soon.
Flagship Projects. The Italian initiative spans multiple sectors and priorities:
- Energy: Electrification programs in Mozambique and Tanzania; startup incubation in Tunisia in anticipation of the Elmed submarine power cable (Tunisia–Italy).
- Water: Recovery of non-conventional water basins in Tunisia and Ethiopia.
- Healthcare: Reduction of neonatal mortality in Côte d’Ivoire through hospital infrastructure upgrades.
- Agriculture: 7,000 hectares already cultivated in Algeria; comparable initiatives underway in Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Training: Agricultural skills centres in Algeria and Tunisia; local workforce training for Italian SMEs, with support from Confindustria.
The Plan’s Philosophy. “We operate only at the request of our African partners. Our strength lies in listening and the credibility of the Italian system,” said Ambassador Saggio
What We’re Watching. Triangular cooperation with the Gulf is viewed as strategically vital to reinforcing the industrial and financial dimensions of the Mattei Plan.
- Three flagship initiatives were announced at the recent Rome summit between Prime Minister Meloni, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and global financial institutions:
- The Lobito Corridor: a major railway linking central Africa to Europe;
- The Ethiopian coffee value chain: supporting sustainable agriculture and exports;
- The Blue & Raman subsea cable: a digital infrastructure project (with Sparkle) connecting East Africa to Europe.
