Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Governor of Yemen to the World Bank Group, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, chaired a high-level meeting today in Washington, D.C., between the Yemeni government delegation and Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa.

The meeting brought together Minister of Finance Marwan Bin Faraj, Minister of Water and Environment Eng. Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen Ahmed Ghaleb, and representatives of the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

Dr. Al-Zouba presented a summary of the intensive discussions held by the government delegation throughout the week with teams from the World Bank, the IFC, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other development partners. She reaffirmed that Yemen remains committed to advancing its reform agenda despite the country’s exceptional challenges.

The Minister noted that the government is currently preparing a National Development Plan and will share its concept note with the World Bank for further development through a collaborative partnership.

She also called for Yemen’s inclusion in the World Bank’s Global Water Initiative, noting that Yemen is among the countries most severely affected by water scarcity. Dr. Al-Zouba further emphasized the importance of accelerating the operationalization of the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy Unit, recently approved by the Council of Ministers, while strengthening integration across the education, health, nutrition, and social protection sectors to maximize development impact.

She also urged the inclusion of trade and transport infrastructure projects among the priorities of the new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) and called for continued support to public institutions while expanding the role of national institutions in implementing development projects.

Dr. Al-Zouba stressed that what Yemen seeks from the World Bank Group is consistency in its financing instruments, programmes, and partnership approach. She noted that while Yemen is taking the necessary political decisions and advancing reforms, it looks to the Bank to match these efforts with appropriate support. She expressed her hope that, by the World Bank Group’s Annual Meetings in October, Yemen would be presented as a success story in addressing development challenges in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

Governor of the Central Bank of Yemen Ahmed Ghaleb highlighted the importance of continued cooperation with the World Bank and the IMF, particularly in relation to the ongoing IMF Article IV Consultations. He also commended the World Bank’s support through the Financial Market Infrastructure and Financial Inclusion Project, which is helping strengthen the Central Bank’s institutional capacity and reform programme.

For his part, World Bank Vice President Ousmane Dione expressed his appreciation for the Yemeni delegation and the government’s commitment to its reform agenda. He reaffirmed the World Bank Group’s readiness to support the preparation of Yemen’s National Development Plan, work toward including Yemen in the Global Water Initiative, and facilitate Board approval of the first phase of the Multi-Phase Water Program scheduled for May.

He also confirmed the Bank’s commitment to strengthening its presence in Aden and continuing field missions to Yemen, noting that the Bank’s legal team has completed most of the legal requirements necessary to ensure the continued implementation of projects in the country.

Meanwhile, Aftab, the IFC official responsible for Yemen, announced that the Corporation had recently approved a major investment in Yemen’s private sector that received the highest rating under the IFC’s internal development impact assessment framework. He reaffirmed the IFC’s commitment to expanding its engagement in Yemen, particularly in the areas of energy, manufacturing, blended finance, and private sector partnerships.