Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, met today with Dr. Mohammed Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), to discuss ways to strengthen development cooperation and support Yemen’s national development priorities.

The meeting covered a number of key development issues, including a review of the Bank’s current portfolio of projects in Yemen and the importance of developing a joint country strategy between Yemen and the Islamic Development Bank. The proposed strategy would include a package of priority projects in the energy, agriculture, fisheries, and educationsectors.

The two sides also discussed Yemen’s outstanding debt obligations to the Bank, which have accumulated since 2016, and explored possible approaches to addressing them. These included seeking support from Yemen’s international partners to help settle part of the outstanding debt, examining options for debt rescheduling that take into account Yemen’s limited fiscal capacity and difficult economic conditions, and drawing on relevant international experiences.

During the meeting, Dr. Al-Zouba expressed her appreciation for the Islamic Development Bank’s longstanding support to Yemen, particularly its financing of projects in infrastructure, human development, agriculture, and fisheries. She noted that the Bank has been a strategic development partner for Yemen for more than four decades.

For his part, Dr. Mohammed Al Jasser acknowledged the difficult financial circumstances facing Yemen and reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to continuing its support. He stressed the importance of finding sustainable solutions to Yemen’s debt obligations, noting that resolving this issue would create broader opportunities for concessional financing to support reconstruction and long-term development.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Mohammed Al-Hawari, Deputy Minister of Planning and International Cooperation for Studies and Economic Forecasting, and Ahmed Al-Saadi, Deputy Consul in Jeddah.