Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have launched an executive program for development cooperation in Yemen.

The program aims at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two sides, uniting development efforts, and building the future vision for development and reconstruction in Yemen in cooperation with the Yemeni government and development partners.

The executive program was signed by IsDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, and SDRPY General Supervisor, Ambassador Mohammad Bin Saeed Al Jaber. The signing ceremony was attended by a number of officials from both sides.

The president of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, expressed hope that the program will be a starting point for further joint cooperation between SDRPY and IsDB to support socio-economic development in the Republic of Yemen, especially, in light of these difficult circumstances that Yemen is going through.

“Several paths have been laid down by the program outlining areas of cooperation, and we are keen to translate them into jointly implementable programs and projects between the IsDB and the SDRPY in the short, medium, and long terms,” Dr. Hajjar stated.

He pointed out that the IsDB has developed a media plan to contribute to highlighting this cooperation in a way that would serve the goals of the program.

In order to activate this program, Dr. Hajjar called for the continuation of holding technical meetings between the two teams on all tracks that were agreed upon to exchange information and experiences, in addition to coming up with joint projects that could be implemented.

“We have to think about how to benefit from the experience of the country platform that the IsDB recently introduced to help its member countries respond to COVID-19 pandemic by developing a mechanism for monitoring and exchanging information on development projects and programs between various development partners,” he elaborated.

Dr. Hajjar also called on both teams to discuss a mechanism for setting up a unified and clear strategic plan for the support and development of Yemen, which brings together all development partners and supporters with the participation of the Yemeni legitimate government.

“The SDRPY can coordinate this scheme in order to unite efforts to achieve maximum benefit from international support and to prevent duplication and dispersion of efforts and resources” he concluded.

For his part, the General Supervisor of the SDPRY, Ambassador Mohammad Bin Saeed Al Jaber, said in a statement during the signing of the Executive Program that the signing of the Program comes within the framework of building a strategic partnership in support of the Yemeni government to serve the Yemeni people by strengthening the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to serve Yemen under the guidance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

“This occasion confirms the keenness of both SDRPY and IsDB to contribute to achieving comprehensive and sustainable development throughout Yemen,” he said.