The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group will hold its annual meetings for 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, from 1 to 4 June under the theme 'Beyond Recovery: Resilience and Sustainability.' In a Tuesday press statement, the bank said that the meetings will be held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in response to an official invitation by the government of Egypt. The meetings will be held this year in light of major economic and geopolitical developments characterised by the noticeable decline in the COVID-19 pandemic and the renewed hope that the world is on track for the recovery phase. On the occasion, Hala El-Said — Minister of Planning and Economic Development and IsDB Governor for Egypt — said that Egypt is employing all its capabilities to ensure the success of the IsDB Group annual meetings, adding that the country's long history and extended relationship with the bank since its inception in 1974 has resulted in a group cooperation portfolio of more than $16bn. El-Said also underlined that the last time an IsDB annual meeting was held in her country was in 1991 and, this year, Egypt plans to make history again 30 years on. She noted that Egypt will present visions for cooperation and discuss common issues concerning member countries at all levels, highlighting that several important side events will be organised, including the Business Forum for the Private Sector, several events related to preparations for the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November 2022, the green economy, achieving sustainable growth and confronting climate change, and other important international issues. Meanwhile, IsDB President and Group Chairperson Muhammad Al-Jasser said that IsDB Group is looking forward to promoting successful cooperation with Egypt, noting that the country's initiative to host the IsDB Group annual meetings this year is an indication of its desire to continue playing its regional role at all levels, the foremost of which is achieving further socio-economic development. He also expressed his great confidence in the capabilities that Egypt possesses to ensure the meetings are a success. Ministers of economy, planning, and finance from 57 member countries of the bank will participate in these meetings. Representatives of international and regional financial institutions, as well as representatives of Islamic banks, national development finance institutions, and unions of contractors and consultants from OIC member countries will also attend the activities associated with these meetings. This year's meetings will also witness — for the first time over four days — the holding of a new edition of the IsDB Group Private Sector Forum, in which representatives of major companies and the business community at the local, regional, and international levels are expected to take part. The 2022 annual meetings of the IsDB Group will also feature the 47th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank, the 29th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, and the 22nd General Assembly of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector. In the same context, the 17th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation and the 15th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development will also be held.
