The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) will host its third Development Forum on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, in Vienna, Austria, focusing on delivering solutions for sustainable development.
TFG are proud to be official media partners of the OPEC Fund Forum.
The Development Forum will feature prominent speakers, including the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Al-Jadaan; OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa; the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Wonie Bio; the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, Kandeh Yumkella; China’s Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min; and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Baibazarov.
OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: “We are proud to convene our development partners from around the world and provide a South-South platform for the international development community. Our aim is to bridge the gap between promise and practice. I am confident that the OPEC Fund Development Forum 2024, in its third year, will again deliver solid outcomes with direct support for economies and communities and drive progress towards a sustainable future.”
After the opening session, the OPEC Fund Development Forum 2024 will address three key themes: enhancing institutional capacity, accelerating investment in smart infrastructure, and developing human capital.
The discussions and outcomes of the Forum aim to speed up progress towards achieving the global sustainable development agenda and tackling pressing global issues such as climate change and food security.
Confirmed speakers for the Development Forum include the State Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka, Shehan Semasinghe; the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan, Zeina Zeid Toukan; the Minister of Finance of Tajikistan, Faiziddin Qahhorzoda; the Deputy Minister of Finance of Armenia, Eduard Hakobyan; the Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser; the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Alvaro Lario; the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain; the CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Laura Frigenti; and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi.
One day prior to the Development Forum, on 24 June, the OPEC Fund will host an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its private sector operations. With over 600 projects amounting to a total commitment of more than $10.5 billion to date, its private sector operations have directly contributed to the OPEC Fund’s development impact in more than 70 countries globally.
OPEC Fund President Alkhalifa said, “The private sector drives economic growth, job creation, and wealth generation. Expanding into private sector operations a quarter century ago proved a watershed moment for the OPEC Fund that has significantly enhanced our development impact ever since.”
The private sector event will gather development partners from around the world and feature a roundtable discussion on “Private Sector: Shaping the Future of Development Finance.” Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, will deliver the keynote address. Confirmed speakers include OPEC Fund Vice President Private Sector, Tareq Alnassar; Regional Vice President, Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Hela Cheikhrouhou; ACWA Power CEO, Marco Arcelli; Standard Chartered Bank CEO for UK and Regional Head of Client Coverage for the UK & Türkiye, Saif Malik; Group President and Managing Director, Trade & Development Bank, Admassu Tadesse; Director General for Private Sector Operations, Asian Development Bank, Suzanne Gaboury; and Chief Strategy Officer, IDB Invest, Luiz Gabriel Todt de Azevedo. The roundtable will be moderated by Board Member & Executive Director Financial Services of Africa Finance Corporation, Sanjeev Gupta.
For a full list of speakers and a detailed programme of the OPEC Fund Development Forum 2024 and other events, please visit the official website.
