At least 937 students from China have benefited from the scholarships provided by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) through the Community Outreach programme of the bank. IsDB has also approved 27 community development projects at the cost of US $11.8 million through the Special Assistance Programme in education, vocational training, and heath sector in various provinces such as Beijing, Ningxia, Yuan, Tianjin, Hubei and others.

IsDB President, Dr. Bandar Hajjar disclosed this when he received the Consul-General of China in Jeddah Mr. Tan Banglin. Dr. Hajjar told Mr. Banglin that IsDB looks forward to strengthening its ties with China, and he lauded the effort of the Chinese government in driving the global development agenda through technological innovation and implementation of various infrastructure projects across the globe.

“Strengthening economic ties through projects is important for IsDB. 70% of our projects are in infrastructure, especially the construction of roads. China works a lot in Africa where we have several member countries. We welcome the partnership with China for the benefit of our 57 member states.” Dr. Hajjar stated.

In his remarks, the Chinese Consul-General, Mr. Tan Banglin stated that China is keen to work with IsDB on the Silk Road which is important in promoting economic and bilateral relations. He added that IsDB can partner with China and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to implement various development projects in countries of common interest in the Middle East and other parts of the World.

Mr. Banglin highlighted how China is leading the way by using Artificial Intelligence and other innovative uses of technology to address development Challenges. He then extended an invitation to Dr. Bandar Hajjar to visit China in order to cement the ties with his country.

The relationship between China and IsDB dates back to 1986 when the bank began the implementation of projects in the country through the Community Outreach Programme. In 1992, IsDB partnered with NGOs in Gansu, Shanxi, Beijing, Yunnan, Yinchuan, Shanghai and Qinghai provinces to provide scholarships in such fields like medicine, agriculture, pharmacy, engineering and ICT.