Caribbean Review: Saba’s Development in The Shadow Of Bonaire

Bonaire has recently developed further in GDP and construction on the island, but Saba remains further behind. Though both islands pull in a good deal of revenue from tourist industries, the slower development could be a sign of a lack of public service development on Saba.

The average GDP value in Bonaire between 2021 and 2023 was 656 million USD, while in Saba it was just 49 million USD. Furthermore, the average GDP volume change from 2021 and 2023 in Bonaire was 8.9% while only reaching 0.9% in Saba. This large deficit of development and production is partially due to the population difference, with Bonaire’s 26,552 permanent residents to 2,158 in Saba as of January 1, 2025; however, it is also a display of Saba’s slowing economy. 

Bonaire’s economy grew by 6.3% in 2023, largely driven by strong performance in construction, energy, and hospitality. Construction projects, the energy and utilities sector, hospitality, and a growing population have contributed to this boom. The total cruise ship arrival numbers have also risen from 285,000 to 392,000. 

Saba’s economy, in contrast, grew by 1.6% and the island has experienced fewer students in education and a 4% drop in public administration jobs. Tourism arrivals rose from 4,900 to 5,700 but remained far below pre-pandemic levels. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Saba averaged between 10 thousand and 15 thousand tourist visitors each year. After the pandemic, however, the amount of visitors dropped substantially. Tourist arrivals by air to Bonaire have already surpassed COVID-19 levels. The slight rises in hospitality and trade do not outweigh the losses regarding public administrative jobs and education.

Though the numbers tell a different story, there are big developments happening on Saba. On October 8, 2024, Public Entity Saba signed a construction contract for the Black Rocks Harbor Project with Ballast Nedam International Projects. Since then, significant progress has been made, and they are on track to finish constructing the harbor before the targeted deadline of December 2026. 

The construction site in Giles Quarter has been transformed with dormitories, a canteen, among other facilities designed to withstand strong tropical storms. The project has been taking input from local fishermen, yacht owners, and other stakeholders. They have also had a focus on preserving the environment, relocating one thousand corals with the assistance of the Saba Construction Foundation and Coral Vita, a world-leading commercial reef restoration platform. The workers on this project are temporarily employed, and thus will not be permanent contributions to Saba’s struggle with unemployment.

In 2023, the Social Housing and Spatial Planning for the Caribbean Netherlands foundation began striving to increase the number of homes, improve affordability, increase the standard of living, and eradicate poverty in the Caribbean Netherlands. These investments varied across Bonaire, Saba, and St. Eustatius. 

In Bonaire, the local government signed a housing agreement that includes the construction of 2,125 new affordable homes by 2030. They also plan to reduce the cost of housing for the social housing sector and the private rental sector. The Netherlands supplied Bonaire with 990,000 euros to install solar panels and battery storage on 118 new social homes.

In Saba, the local government signed an agreement that involved the development of 50 affordable rental and private homes, and 1.2 million euros for the accelerated construction of 18 social homes. 

Saba has a tradition of people building their own homes; this new regulation was assigned to help people receive a contribution for constructing their own home, as costs are otherwise steep. Rental costs have been reduced for social housing to an average of 158 USD per month per household. Also, 360,000 euros have been made available to reduce housing costs. The money is also meant to help alleviate energy poverty through providing energy-saving appliances like fridges, stoves, and freezers to people with the lowest incomes. 

These improvements, if achieved by the December 2030 goal, have the potential to achieve wonders for the development of Saba and provide permanent residents with affordable housing and amenities. There have not been any large public moves to combat the dwindling employment for public administrative jobs, but hopefully, through the Black Rock Harbor project and the Social Housing and Spatial Planning for the Caribbean Netherlands foundation’s contributions, Saba’s economy can heal. In the early 2010’s Saba rivaled and sometimes surpassed Bonaire in some GDP value and volume percent increases.

Hopefully, all the islands within the Caribbean Netherlands can develop, providing hope for their residents’ futures. Saba remains beautiful and holds a spot in tourism magazines, as well as in the hearts of its rich communities striving for a better future on this small jewel in the Caribbean.