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, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 18 December 2024 – The Independent Evaluation Department (IEvD), as per its Annual Work Plan for 2024, launched the thematic evaluation of IsDB Group’s Women’s Empowerment Policy and Youth Development Strategy. The launch meeting brought together over 50 participants, including from the Women Empowerment and Youth Development Division and the Group entities. The objective was to share the evaluation Approach Paper with key stakeholders to facilitate collective understanding and gather valuable feedback, with a view to enhancing the evaluation approach and process.
Approved and launched in 2019, the Women’s Empowerment Policy and the Youth Development Strategy aim to integrate women’s empowerment and youth development into the Bank’s operations and foster inclusive human capital development by harnessing the capabilities of women and youth. The portfolio review identified 93 active and completed projects across IsDB Group, with a total approved amount of USD 1.23 billion, which demonstrates the Group's significant commitment to women's empowerment and youth development.
The evaluation will assess the achievements of WEYD interventions, and the extent to which women's empowerment and youth development instruments have been mainstreamed in IsDB Group’s initiatives and operational procedures. The lessons and recommendations will inform future WEYD policies and strategies while also influencing the strategic direction of IsDB Group's initiatives in women's empowerment and youth development.
The evaluation team will conduct field visits from December 15 to January 10 in several countries hosting WEYD projects, including Bangladesh, Morocco, and Cameroon, as part of the data collection phase. The final evaluation report will be shared with all relevant stakeholders in a subsequent dissemination event and on IEvD’s platform LEARN.
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