Public Entity Saba

What Public Entity Saba does

Public Entity Saba is the island government of Saba, a special municipality of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located 28 miles southwest of St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Formed on October 10, 2010, when Saba transitioned from a Netherlands Antilles constituent country to a Dutch special municipality, the entity operates under the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and serves the island's approximately 2,000 residents. The organization is structured around an Island Council (5 members), an Executive Council (Island Governor and Commissioners), and an Island Secretary, with a workforce of approximately 180-240 employees across departments covering infrastructure, public works, planning, solid waste, tourism, healthcare, agriculture, HRM, ICT, finance, communication, civil affairs, and policy.

Public Entity Saba operates a portfolio of physical infrastructure and utility services, including the Juancho E. Irausquin Airport (the world's shortest commercial runway at 400 meters), Fort Bay Harbor (the sole maritime entry point), and the Saba Splash bottled water company (operational since November 2021). Water services rely on AquaSab, a privately owned reverse osmosis desalination plant that supplies water through a public grid to government cisterns, with three water filling stations at Hells Gate, Windwardside, and The Bottom. Additional services include gray water distribution for agriculture, public health and sports programs, veterinarian and animal services, and tourism promotion under the Saba Tourism Plan 2023-2028.

The entity funds operations through a combination of Dutch government allocations (via the National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands), local levy collection, and transactional fees. Disclosed pricing includes $40.00 per 1,000 gallons for RO water (temporarily subsidized until end of 2025), $25 per first animal/$15 per additional for pet health certificates, $10 per checked airport bag, and harbor mooring fees. GTM is direct-to-government: services are delivered to residents, visitors, and businesses through the sabagov.nl portal, WhatsApp channels, social media, email newsletters, and physical offices. Customer segments are residents (primary), tourists, and local entrepreneurs, with key transportation partners including Winair, SXM Airways, Windward Express Airways, and ferry operators Makana and Edge.

Name

Public Entity Saba

Legal name

Public Entity Saba

Website

https://sabagov.nl

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Entity Saba is the island government of Saba, a Dutch Caribbean special municipality with ~2,000 residents. It delivers public services, infrastructure (airport, harbor), water (Saba Splash, RO desalination), tourism, and administration under Dutch Kingdom oversight.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Administration (Island Government Services)

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAD

Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIALAD

Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Transportation & Infrastructure Agencies (Roads, Transit, Public Works)

SECONDARYBPAIAMAE

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

Keywords

• Island government services
• Public administration
• Water desalination services
• Airport operations
• Harbor operations

Headquarters

HQ city

The Bottom

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Levy Collection: The Finance Department manages local levy collection and revenue generation activities, including processing payments for goods and services provided by the entity.
2. Harbor Fees and Services: Fort Bay Harbor serves as the island's sole maritime entry point, providing moorings, ferry services, and customs/immigration processing for vessels.
3. Government Services Fees: Fees collected for government services including health certificates for pet travel ($25 first animal, $15 each additional), airport baggage handling ($10 per bag), and other administrative services.
4. Water Supply Services: Reverse osmosis water supply services. As of May 2025, temporary rate of $40.00 per 1,000 gallons for trucked RO water, subsidized through the annual purchasing power package.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Public Entity Saba is the island government of Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) delivering public administration, infrastructure, utilities, and community services to its residents, visitors, and businesses. It operates transit infrastructure (Juancho E. Irausquin Airport and Fort Bay Harbor), water services through Saba Splash bottled water and reverse osmosis desalination, public health and veterinary programs, and general government services including finance, tourism, energy, and climate resilience.

Product overview

Public Entity Saba operates a comprehensive government services portal offering information and services across multiple domains including transportation infrastructure (Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport and Fort Bay Harbor), utilities (water services through Saba Splash and Reverse Osmosis systems), public health and sports, agriculture and animal services, and general government administration. The portal serves as the primary communication channel for news, public notices, events, and community information. Services are organized by department with dedicated pages for Finance, Tourism, Energy, Climate Resilience, and Island Ordinances. The government employs approximately 180-240 staff across various departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fort Bay Harbor: The sole maritime entry point to Saba, located on the south-west shore.
• Juancho E. Irausquin Airport
• Saba Splash

Products and services

• Saba Splash Bottled Drinking Water Bottled drinking water produced locally through a multi-step purification process including carbon filtration and minerals added, distributed to residents and businesses via local retailers such as Big Rock Supermarket, Unique Supermarket, Saba Greens, and the Receivers Office.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Supply Desalinated potable water produced by AquaSab using reverse osmosis to convert seawater into potable water, pumped to government cisterns through a public water grid. Available at three RO water filling stations at Hells Gate, Windwardside, and The Bottom at a temporary rate of $40.00 per 1,000 gallons (May-December 2025, subsidized).
• Gray Water Collection Service Gray water collection service using rainwater grates along roads, provided primarily for agricultural purposes at stations in Hells Gate, Windwardside, and The Bottom, free of charge.
• Juancho E. Irausquin Airport Operations Airport operations at Juancho E. Irausquin Airport, featuring the world's shortest commercial runway at 400 meters, providing air travel services connecting Saba to St. Maarten via Winair, SXM Airways, and Windward Express Airways. Operational hours 6:30am to sunset; air traffic service 7:00am to sunset.
• Fort Bay Harbor Operations Maritime port operations at Fort Bay Harbor (17.616N -63.252W), Saba's sole maritime entry point, providing moorings, ferry services (Makana, Edge), and customs/immigration processing for vessels. Harbor office open 6 AM to 6 PM.
• Agriculture, Fisheries & Animals Services Government department providing veterinarian services, animal health certificates (e.g., $25 for first animal for pet travel, $15 each additional), husbandry support, and agricultural development programs for residents and animal owners.
• Public Health & Sports Services Public health services including health alerts, youth health and baby clinic, and sports programs promoting community well-being for residents of Saba.
• Government Administration Services Comprehensive administrative services including Finance, Tourism, Climate Resilience, Energy, Island Ordinances, and organizational management for residents, businesses, and visitors.
• Island Vacancies Portal Job listings portal for Public Entity Saba vacancies and local private sector employment opportunities on the island, serving job seekers and employers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of survey respondents supported Saba becoming more self-sufficient
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Witteveen + BosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Dutch consultancy conducting investigation on primary and secondary climate change impacts for Saba. Report expected to examine impacts across nature, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism sectors.
• Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Published climate scenarios report in October 2023 forecasting possible future climate scenarios for the BES islands. Presented findings to Saba in March 2024.
• National Office for the Caribbean NetherlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Office for the Caribbean Netherlands (Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland) oversees critical services including taxation, policing, immigration, transport infrastructure, health, education, and social security on behalf of the Dutch Government.
• Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Saba Splash water company initiative and infrastructure projects. The Ministry provides policy guidance and funding for sustainable development projects on the island.
• Saba Park Foundation (Marine Park)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaba National Marine Park protects surrounding waters. All vessels must check in at Fort Bay Office as they are mooring within the protected marine area. Visitors pay moorings fees through Saba Park's Yachting and Mooring system.
• AquaSabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivately owned desalination plant producing high-quality reverse osmosis water. Connected to public water grid through pipeline to government cisterns across the island.
• Saba Comprehensive School Technical SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents and teachers designed and constructed new picnic tables for Cove Bay Playground, demonstrating community collaboration in infrastructure projects.
• Cove Bay FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided valuable input throughout playground design process and supported organization of reopening celebration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Government of Bermuda: Small Atlantic island government with comparable scale (~64k population) and similar challenges around sole-airport dependency, water supply self-sufficiency, and hurricane exposure. Relevant analog for small-island public administration.
• Government of Anguilla: British Overseas Territory and small Caribbean island government with comparable population scale, sole-airport/port dependency, and reliance on external (UK) funding for major infrastructure and services.
• Government of Aruba: Dutch Caribbean constituent country operating as a small island public administration with tourism-driven economy, utilities oversight, and similar dependence on a single international airport — relevant comparison for aviation and tourism-dependent governance.
• Government of Sint Maarten: Dutch Caribbean constituent country that serves as the primary air and sea connection hub for Saba (28 miles away). Comparable as a Dutch Caribbean public administration with tourism, port, and aviation functions.
• Government of Curaçao: Dutch Caribbean constituent country with a comparable island government structure, providing administrative services including utilities oversight, port management, and tourism promotion in the same Dutch Kingdom context.
• Government of the Cayman Islands: British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean operating as a small island government with comparable utilities, customs, immigration, and tourism infrastructure responsibilities under a parent-jurisdiction governance model.

Direct peers

• Public Entity Bonaire: The other BES-island special municipality of the Netherlands, operating under the same constitutional framework as Saba since October 2010. Directly comparable in legal status, Dutch government oversight, service mandate, and Caribbean operating environment.
• Public Entity Sint Eustatius: The third BES-island special municipality of the Netherlands. Closest administrative peer to Saba with shared governance structure, similar population scale, and overlapping service delivery responsibilities.

Others

• AquaSab: Privately owned Saba desalination plant that is the sole producer of reverse osmosis water for the public water grid. Critical infrastructure partner and supply-side counterpart to Public Entity Saba's water distribution role.
• Satel N.V. Saba's telecommunications provider, listed by Public Entity Saba as a primary island partner. Comparable as a regulated monopoly utility operating within the same small island regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicEntitySaba
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-entity-saba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Public Entity Saba