Planning Minister Discusses with Islamic Development Bank Ways to Strengthen Cooperation and Support Yemen’s Development

[08/04/2026 02:19]
Jeddah - Saba

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr Afrah Al-Zuba, today discussed with the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Dr Mohammed Al-Jasser, ways to strengthen joint development cooperation and support development priorities in Yemen.

The meeting addressed a number of development cooperation issues, including a discussion of the current portfolio of projects funded by the Bank, and the importance of supporting Yemen in developing a joint country strategy between Yemen and the Bank, comprising a package of priority projects in the fields of energy, agriculture, fisheries and education.

The meeting also addressed the Bank’s outstanding debts, which have accumulated since 2016, and ways to address them by seeking support from Yemen’s partners to repay part of the debt, as well as examining rescheduling scenarios in line with Yemen’s limited financial resources and difficult economic conditions, and drawing on the experiences of other countries in this field.

During the meeting, the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Islamic Development Bank for its efforts in supporting Yemen, particularly in financing infrastructure, human development, agriculture and fisheries projects, noting that the Bank has been a strategic partner to Yemen for more than four decades.

For his part, the President of the Islamic Development Bank affirmed the Bank’s understanding of the difficult financial circumstances Yemen is facing, emphasising its continued support whilst stressing the importance of finding solutions to the debt issue, given the role this plays in opening up broader prospects for accessing concessional financing in the areas of reconstruction and development.

The meeting was attended by Dr Mohammed Al-Hawari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation for Economic Studies and Forecasting, and Ahmed Al-Saadi, Deputy Consul in Jeddah.