Banjul, The Gambia, 29 January 2023 – On the second day of his official visit to the capital City of Banjul, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) President and Group Chairman, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, met and conferred with H.E. Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia.

Congratulating H.E. President Barrow on winning his second term in office, H.E. Dr. Al Jasser expressed profound appreciation to the Government of the Gambia for continued support for the IsDB Group well demonstrating the excellent ongoing cooperation. He then voiced hope that relations between IsDB Group and The Gambia will grow even stronger.

The development cooperation portfolio between IsDB Group and The Gambia currently comprises US$1.06 billion.

At the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al Jasser referred to the ongoing global food crisis elaborating how in July 2022 IsDB adopted a US$10.34 billion comprehensive Food Security Response Program (FSRP) package. “Through this program, we seek to help our member countries address the food crisis and strengthen their resilience to food security shocks in the future,” he stated.

Dr. Al Jasser then encouraged the Government of The Gambia to benefit from this Program to help complement the national food security efforts, especially amid the current global food crisis.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the IsDB President invited the Government of The Gambia to encourage Gambian students to apply for IsDB Scholarships Program.

IsDB scholarships cover all academic fields. They are offered to male and female students pursuing Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. Degrees, Post-Doctoral Research Programs as well as Vocational Training degrees.

The two leaders also discussed other areas for expanding cooperation including the exchange of experience and know-how in several fields.