Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 27 August 2025 - The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) hosted a knowledge-sharing webinar, as part of its 2025 EvalTalks Series, on the evaluation of IsDB’s Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) Policy and Strategy implementation for the period 2019-2023.

IEvD’s Director, Mr. Mohameden Mohamed Sidiya, opened the session by emphasizing the critical importance of RCI and its evaluation: "RCI is one of the key priorities for IsDB Group new 10-Year Strategic Framework, and as stated under the Riyadh@50 Declaration, where Regional Cooperation and Integration was identified as one of the five key enablers of the Bank’s mission. And this evaluation will contribute to the achievement of this vision.”

Mr. Bashirullah Najimi, Evaluation Specialist at IEvD, presented the key findings of RCI evaluation, which revealed both successes and challenges. Completed transport and energy projects demonstrated strong results, particularly in establishing infrastructure linkages. IsDB’s RCI Policy and Strategy was also found to be relevant to Member Countries. However, its implementation faces significant challenges, including misalignment with certain sector strategies, insufficient monitoring systems, and minimal investment in critical areas such as cross-border trade, transboundary natural resource management, and Islamic financial market integration.

The webinar, moderated by Mr. Nur Abdi, featured valuable contributions from both African Development Bank and IsDB. Mr. Golam Mortaza, Senior Evaluation Specialist at IEvD and Mr. Kadir Basboga, Associate Manager, respectively emphasized key evaluation lessons and how the Cooperation and Capacity Development Department (CCDD) is bridging RCI strategy implementation gaps. Mr. Samson Houetohossou, Principal Evaluation Officer at AfDB’s Independent Development Evaluation Department (IDEV), shared insights from the ongoing evaluation of AfDB’s RCI initiatives.

The presentation and discussions highlighted the need for a more programmatic and systematic operational approach as well as enhanced partnerships with other development actors and regional stakeholders. In her closing remarks, the CCDD Director, Ms. May Ali Babiker Eltahir, stated: “We are committed to taking these recommendations forward. We are currently working closely with our colleagues across the Bank and its entities to ensure that RCI is mainstreamed into our operations, and that our interventions are better aligned with the needs of our Member Countries.”

The webinar was attended by about 60 participants from IsDB Group and AfDB. The EvalTalks webinar series aims to promote evaluation knowledge sharing and foster institutional learning. The next EvalTalks webinar, scheduled for 25 September 2025, will focus on the evaluation of the Agriculture and Rural Development sector.