After successfully hosting COP27 in November 2022, the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh is bracing for the African Development Bank Group's Annual Meetings in May. A preparatory mission to Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh led by the Bank's Secretary General Vincent Nmehielle expressed satisfaction with the progress made to date towards the organization of the Annual Meetings to be held from 22 to 26 May 2023. Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, Hassan Abdalla- the current Chairperson of the Boards of Governors of the Bank Group- and Prof. Nmehielle met to review the general state of preparedness for the Annual Meetings. While concluding that Sharm El-Sheikh has quality infrastructure and the necessary facilities to host the Bank Group's Annual Meetings, Abdalla and Nmehielle encouraged the National Organizing Committee and the Bank team to spare no effort towards completing all pending organizational matters to ensure the success of the meetings. "Hosting the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank in Sharm El-Sheikh confirms the keenness of the Egyptian leadership to strengthen and deepen the cooperation with Africa across all fields, with a special focus on economic collaboration. Through my Egyptian Chairmanship of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank and through overseeing the ongoing preparations with African Development Bank, I can assure that Egypt will save no efforts to make this year's meetings a remarkable and unforgettable one," Abdalla said. "I am happy with the speed with which the beautification works of the city of Sharm El Sheikh have been accomplished since the Bank Group's first preparatory mission in September 2022," said Nmehielle. The Bank delegation also met officials from various Egyptian institutions, including the Governor of South Sinai Province, Major General Khaled Fouda, staff of the Central Bank of Egypt, along with all the Ministries involved in the organization of the Annual Meetings. The delegation noted that the city's infrastructure had benefited from hosting the COP27 Climate Change Summit in November last year. The capacity of Sharm el-Sheikh airport has doubled from 5 to 10 million passengers per year, while high-speed Internet and the introduction of charging stations for electric vehicles have created a first-class infrastructure. The Annual Meetings bring together Ministers of Finance from the Bank Group's eighty-one regional and non-regional member countries. The event is also attended by Governors of Central Banks, key private sector leaders, academics and development partners. In total, some 4,000 participants are expected to attend the 2023 Annual Meetings at the Sharm el-Sheikh International Conference Center.
