Minister of Planning chairs meeting of government delegation with World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa

[18/04/2026 08:46]
Washington – Saba

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Yemen’s Governor at the World Bank Group, Dr Afrah Al-Zuba, chaired a meeting of the government delegation with the World Bank Group Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Othman Dion, today in the US capital, Washington.

During the meeting, which was attended by Finance Minister Marwan Bin Faraj, Minister of Water and Environment Engineer Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen Ahmed Ghalib, and a team from the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, Minister Al-Zuba reviewed a summary of the intensive discussions held by the government delegation over the past week with various teams from the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the International Monetary Fund and partners, emphasising that Yemen is continuing on the path of reform despite exceptional challenges.

The Minister of Planning noted that the government is working on preparing the National Development Plan and will share its concept note with the World Bank to develop it in a joint partnership. She called for Yemen to be included in the World Bank’s Global Water Initiative, as it is one of the countries most affected by the water crisis. She emphasised the importance of accelerating the activation of the Public-Private Partnership Policy Unit, which has been approved by the Cabinet, and of strengthening integration between the education, health, nutrition and social protection sectors to achieve maximum development impact, as well as including trade and transport projects among the priorities of the new partnership framework, as well as continuing to support public institutions and empowering Yemeni national institutions to play a greater role in project implementation.

Dr Afrah Al-Zuba affirmed that what Yemen is asking of the World Bank Group is coherence in tools, programmes and partnerships, noting that Yemen is taking the necessary political decisions and looks forward to the Bank responding to these decisions with appropriate support,.. She expressed the hope that Yemen would be presented at the upcoming annual meetings in October as a success story in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen emphasised the importance of cooperation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding the follow-up to the Article IV discussions with the IMF.. He commended the support provided by the World Bank through the Financial Market Infrastructure and Financial Inclusion Project, which supports the Central Bank of Yemen in advancing its reforms and building its institutional capacity.

For his part, the World Bank Group Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa expressed his deep appreciation for the Yemeni delegation and the government’s commitment to the reform process.. He affirmed the World Bank Group’s readiness to support Yemen in preparing its National Development Plan, working to include Yemen in the Global Water Initiative, and ensuring the Board of Directors’ smooth approval of the first phase of the multi-phase water programme next May.

He also reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to strengthening its presence in the city of Aden and continuing field visits. He noted that the Bank’s legal team had completed most of the legal requirements necessary to ensure the continued flow of projects to Yemen.

The International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Country Manager for Yemen, Aftaab, highlighted the IFC’s recent approval of a major investment in Yemen’s private sector, which received the highest rating on the IFC’s Internal Development Impact Scale. He emphasised the IFC’s commitment to continuing to expand its engagement in Yemen across the energy, manufacturing and blended finance sectors, and through partnerships with the private sector.