The Supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, Ambassador Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, met today in a video call with the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Dr. Bandar Hajjar. The meeting comes as part of the cooperation on setting up, in collaboration with the Yemeni Government and development partners, a roadmap for a joint development vision aiming at achieving rapid impact and converging development efforts. The meeting is also an endeavour to further reinforce relations between the two parties in favour of enhanced economic and social development in Yemen. 

At the outset, the Supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, Ambassador Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jaber, greeted the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, and commended the excellent ties which bring together the Program and the Bank. He underlined the Bank’s keenness to supporting Yemen and said that the already implemented and on-going various programs and projects of the Bank in Yemen are cogent evidence of the importance the institution attaches to the country’s economic and social development.

The delegation of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen presented a detailed report on the economic and social efforts deployed by the Program in Yemen. The report broached also the Program and Bank’s joint efforts under the programs completed and the initiatives the parties intend to launch in favour of post-war reconstruction of the country.

Dr. Bandar Hajjar commended the great role the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia plays in support of economic and social development and achieving stability in Yemen through the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen. The Program’s interventions include development and modernisation of education, health, water, energy, agriculture, fisheries, transportation and government buildings. 

The Program’s team made a presentation on the Program’s development efforts and projects in Yemen. Also, both parties, the Program and the Bank, reviewed the joint efforts and the pipeline of programs and projects to be implemented as well.

Both parties expressed their readiness to further collaborate, whether by expanding on-going joint projects or by launching new projects under short and medium-term programs in close coordination with the Yemeni Government. These projects would be in the areas of youth development, rural development, women empowerment, rural roads serving densely populated zones, literacy, Covid-19-related assistance, supporting and raising the efficiency and quality of local agricultural production, and enhancing the country’s agricultural exports.

Towards the end of the meeting, the two parties agreed on several important axes that will enhance their cooperation. To ensure effectiveness, it was agreed to set up a unified and comprehensive development strategy with the Yemeni Government – a strategy which will bring together the Bank, the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen and all international donors. It will help converge and coordinate efforts in support of the various development sectors in Yemen in order to achieve a balanced approach which guarantees efforts saving, transparency, governance and optimal utilisation of available local, regional and international resources. The ultimate objective is to contribute to enhancing the security, stability and development of the brother Yemeni people. The Islamic Development Bank and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen have announced the setting up of technical working groups to operationalise their cooperation.