İstanbul, Türkiye, 10 April 2025 – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) first Emerging Markets Forum has convened in the metropolitan city of İstanbul, Türkiye.

The forum - hosted by the OECD İstanbul Center and Türkiye - served as a platform for cross-regional dialogue between OECD members and partner countries and aimed to bridge gaps in policy perspectives and contribute to solutions for major international challenges. 

Dr. Walid Abdelwahab, Director of Regional Hub Türkiye (RHT) of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, was a participant at a panel discussion on “The Rise of Multi-Modal Corridors: Enhancing Trade and Transport Connectivity.”

The session focused on strengthening regional trade and transport connectivity amid shifting global trade dynamics.

In his remarks, Dr. Walid Abdelwahab underlined that while tariff disputes dominate headlines, non-tariff barriers — including fragmented infrastructure, regulatory misalignment, and inefficient logistics — continue to be substantial obstacles to trade.

He then highlighted IsDB Group’s strategic investments in multi-modal trade and transport corridors, which are essential to accelerating regional economic integration and enabling seamless cross-border movement of goods and people.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Dr. Walid Abdelwahab outlined four key policy areas and tools necessary for building effective transport corridors namely: Regional Cooperation and Political Commitment: through shared infrastructure agreements and harmonized standards; Regulatory Harmonization: via simplifying cross-border procedures through digital customs systems and uniform regulations; Infrastructure Investment and Maintenance: by prioritizing resilient and sustainable physical infrastructure using Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs); and Technology Adoption: through leveraging digital solutions for real-time tracking, documentation, and integrated logistics platforms.

He also elaborated on the attributes that businesses seek in a corridor, comprising efficiency, cost-effectiveness, reliability, and strong connectivity to key markets.

According to the IsDB Group RHT Director, the flagship corridor projects co-financed by the AAA-rated Bank include:

•    The Eastern Türkiye Middle Corridor Railway — connecting Asia to Europe via modernized rail infrastructure.
•    The Trans-Saharan Road Corridor — a 4,500 km trade route linking Algeria and Nigeria.

In his comments, Dr. Walid Abdelwahab emphasized that IsDB has committed over US$15 billion to transport infrastructure, making it the top-financed sector among its economic development initiatives.

The investments financed by the IsDB not only support trade but also foster resilience, regional cooperation, and climate-friendly development.

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For more information, please visit: 
www.isdb.org/hub/Turkiye | X: @IsDBG_Turkiye

Or contact:

Mr. Cem Ozenen, Project Management Specialist, IsDB 
(COzenen@isdb.org)

Mr. M.A. DinMohammadi, Regional Communications Officer, IsDB 
(mdinmohammadi@isdb.org)

About the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group  
Rated AAA by the major rating agencies of the world, the Islamic Development Bank is the pioneering multilateral development bank (MDB) of the Global South that has been working for over 50 years to improve the lives of the people and communities it serves by delivering impact at scale. The Bank brings together 57 Member Countries across four continents, touching the lives of nearly 1 of 4 people worldwide. It is committed to addressing development challenges and promoting collaboration to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by equipping people to drive their own green economic and sustainable social progress, putting planet-friendly infrastructure in place, and enabling them to fulfill their potential. Headquartered in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, IsDB has 10 regional hubs and a center of excellence.  Over the years, the Bank has evolved from a single entity into a group comprising: the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI); the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC); the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD); the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC); and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD). 

About the OECD and the Emerging Markets Forum
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. It provides a platform for governments to share experiences and seek solutions to common challenges.
The Emerging Markets Forum (EMF), hosted by the OECD, is a high-level platform that brings together global leaders, policymakers, and development experts to address pressing economic and development issues facing emerging economies. The 2025 edition focused on rethinking connectivity, economic resilience, and sustainable growth.