Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab state in Western Asia by land area (approximately 2,250,000 km2), and the second-largest in the Arab world after Algeria. The Kingdom was founded in 1932 and the governance system is based on constitutional monarchy. Its population is estimated at 31.4 million, of which 33% are registered expatriates. The per capita income of Saudi Arabia is US$ 55,125 (US$ at PPP) for 2016 (IMF). Saudi Arabia was ranked 38 out of 188 in the latest edition of UNDP’s Human Development Report (2016). The life expectancy at birth is estimated at 74.1 years while the mean schooling is estimated at 7.8 years (HDR 2016). Saudi Arabia has the world's largest oil reserves which are concentrated largely in the Eastern Province. It has also the world's sixth largest natural gas resources.
Jeddah, KSA, October 8-9, 2024 – The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) hosted the 6th IsDB Group Evaluation Symposium under the theme “Cherishing Learning and Charting out the Future: The Strategic Value of Evaluation in Decision-Making.” This two-day hybrid event brought together a diverse range of experts and stakeholders to explore how evaluation can enhance strategic programming and drive sustainable development.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Zamir Iqbal, VP Finance and CFO, representing H.E. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of IsDB Group, reflected on the institution's 50-year journey, stating: " Let us honor the progress we have made and the lessons we have learned while looking ahead with a shared sense of purpose and a renewed commitment to deliver meaningful, sustainable development for generations to come."
The symposium’s sessions covered key topics such as leveraging evaluation for strategic insights, responding to global shifts, and corporate evaluation learnings. A number of Panelists emphasized the importance of independence and rigor in evaluation. Dr. Sabine Bernabè from the World Bank Group said: “We must focus on harnessing new data, technology, and methods to improve the rigor, quality, and usefulness of evaluations, and most importantly, refocus on outcomes.”
Discussions also centered on the role of evaluations in addressing major international issues, including climate change. Discussants highlighted the importance of aligning operational strategies with evaluation recommendations to strengthen IsDB’s effectiveness and stressed the need to consider both intended and unintended impacts of development efforts.
Corporate evaluation was another focus area that enabled senior IsDB Group executives to shed light on how evaluations can influence organizational planning, improve risk management, and enhance development effectiveness. The discussions showed a growing need for more precise evaluations, particularly in corporate functions and ongoing operations.
On the second day dedicated to the private sector, insightful sessions explored adaptive evaluation strategies for the private sector to address global challenges and contribute to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. H.E. Eng. Hani Sonbol, CEO of ITFC and Acting CEO of ICD, emphasized the importance of using sound monitoring and evaluation data to guide decision-making and accurately measure the social and environmental impacts of the entities’ financing. He stated: "If we are serious about moving from strategic intention to effective impact, which I know we are, we need robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to guide our actions and measure their effectiveness. Reliable data and evidence are the lifeblood of impact management."
The sixth edition of the Symposium was intended to foster innovative ideas and establish evaluation as a critical tool for shaping the strategic direction of the IsDB Group. As Mr. Ahmed Ag Aboubacrine, Acting Director of IEvD, noted in his closing remarks: “One of the key takeaways from this Symposium is that Learning is not an endpoint but a continuous process. Our ability to embrace learning at every opportunity ensures we stay agile, resilient, and forward-thinking in an ever-changing world.”
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 7 October 2024 -The IsDB’s Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) hosted the International Program for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET) from October 3 to 7, 2024, in Jeddah. The training was conducted by Dr. Stefanie Krapp, Head of IPDET at the University of Bern, and Prof. Dr. Reinhard Stockmann, Director of the Center for Evaluation at Saarland University. A total of 26 participants from IsDB HQ, regional hubs, and partner institutions attended this comprehensive training focused on the fundamentals of evaluation.
The training covered five key modules, equipping participants with essential tools and methodologies for planning, conducting, and using evaluations. It enhanced participants’ understanding of evaluation theory and practice. The participants particularly appreciated the practical applications, and many expressed their intention to implement these newly acquired skills in their work.
Following this training, on October 9 and 10, an IPDET workshop on Evaluation Design was conducted by Dr. Jos Vaessen, Evaluation Advisor at the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group. The workshop equipped the 20 participants from IsDB and partner institutions with a greater understanding of ways to design evaluations that are both rigorous and useful for decision-making. Participants explored key principles of evaluation design such as reliability, validity, and methodological consistency. Real-world examples from development evaluations were used to allow participants to apply theoretical concepts to practical situations in their specific contexts.
The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Alathar Impact Center, the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Foundation (KAHF), and Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) were represented at both learning activities, reflecting IEvD's commitment to strengthening evaluation capacity not only within the IsDB Group but also among its partners.
The IPDET training and workshop form part of IEvD’s Evaluation Learning Week, which also included pre-symposium seminars and the 6th IsDB Group Evaluation Symposium.
Jeddah, KSA, September 25 2024 – The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD) hosted an insightful pre-symposium webinar on the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in promoting accountability and fostering a culture of learning through evaluation. The session attracted more than 250 participants and featured a distinguished panel, moderated by Br. Nur Abdi, with opening remarks from Br. Ahmed Ag Aboubacrine, Acting Director of IEvD. The discussion centered on how evaluations drive transparency, efficiency, and continuous improvement in global development efforts.
Panel discussant Dr. Daouda Sembene, CEO of AfriCatalyst, emphasized the critical role of independent evaluation departments in IFIs to ensure accountability and learning. He advocated for stronger stakeholder engagement and highlighted that "evaluation is too important to be left to evaluators only" stressing the need for broader involvement of all stakeholders in the evaluation process. Another Panel member, Dr. Dirk-Jan Koch, from Radboud University, addressed three boundaries to learning within IFIs—ideological, technical, and institutional—encouraging organizations to continuously challenge assumptions and adapt policies accordingly.
The panelists collectively underscored the importance of making project documents accessible and improving public disclosure policies to promote accountability. They discussed how such measures can enhance trust among stakeholders and support the development of better evaluation practices across institutions. “…regularly updating the public (both tax payers and people who are supposed to benefit from the projects) about the status of projects, including successes and challenges, would allow stakeholders to better assess the bank’s effectiveness and ensure accountability.” said Dr. Dirk-Jan Koch.
Closing the session, Dr. Areef Suleman, Group Chief Economist of IsDB, emphasized that cultivating a culture of learning is key to addressing global challenges. He called for IFIs to prioritize sharing and implementing evaluation findings. “As we look towards the future, we should continue to cultivate a culture of learning within our institutions. This means not only conducting evaluations but actively utilizing their findings to inform policy and practice.”