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Program

08:00 - 09:30 
Arrivals, Registration and Breakfast

09:30 – 10:00 | Festsaal
Opening Session
The Opening Session will highlight the vital role of sustainable, inclusive, and equitable transitions in global development, exploring how strategic finance, innovative policy, and global collaboration—especially through South-South partnerships—can drive progress within key global frameworks. The President of the OPEC Fund will outline the institution’s unique role in this landscape, followed by remarks from other distinguished guests highlighting the importance of collective action and the need for a resilient, flexible framework for global action.

  • Welcome Remarks: HE Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, President, OPEC Fund
  • Keynote Address: HE Mohammed Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Guest of Honor: HE Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President, Mauritania
  • Moderator: Ms. Lerato Natasha Mbele, Broadcaster and Journalist 

10:00 – 11:00 | Festsaal
High-Level Plenary: Transforming Tomorrow, Today
The High-Level plenary will bring together development leaders to exchange perspectives on energy transition, resource sustainability and development financing in the context of evolving global economic challenges, climate crisis and states of fragility. The discussion will explore innovative strategies to accelerate inclusive transitions while ensuring long-term development impact and debt sustainability.

  • Moderator: Ms. Nour Amache, Business News Anchor, Bloomberg Asharq
  • Opening Remarks: HE Ghada Fathi Waly, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
  • Speakers:
    • HE Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Chairman, Islamic Development Bank Group
    • HE Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President, BADEA and President-Elect, African Development Bank
    • Ms. Gisela Sanchez, Executive President, Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI)

11:00 – 11:30
Coffee and Tea Break
 

11:30 – 12:30 | Zeremoniensaal
Parallel Session 1: Scaling Solutions for Vulnerable Economies
This session will highlight the importance of achieving a sustainable transition for Fragile-States and, in particular, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who face unique challenges due to geographic isolation, climate vulnerability and economic constraints. The discussion will examine solutions for building resilience, enhancing economic stability and ensuring sustainable access to essential services such as energy, water, education and health.

  • Moderator: Ms. Malak Draz, Country Manager, Public Sector Operations, OPEC Fund for International Development
  • Keynote Speaker: HE Jeremiah Manele, Prime Minister, Solomon Islands
  • Speakers:
    • HE Dennis Cornwall, Minister of Finance, Grenada
    • Hon. Ryan R. Straughn, Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, Barbados
    • Mr. Daniel Best, President, Caribbean Development Bank
    • Ms. Shaimaa Al-Sheiby, Vice President, Public Sector Operations, OPEC Fund for International Development
  • Closing Remarks: HE Américo d'Oliveira dos Ramos,  Prime Minister, São Tomé and Príncipe

11:30 – 12:30 | Hofburg Galerie
Parallel Session 2: Driving Resource Resilience
This session will examine how integrated approaches to energy, water, and food systems can drive resource efficiency, climate resilience, and sustainable development amid escalating global challenges.

  • Moderator: Ms. Melinda Crane, Chief Political Correspondent, Deutsche Welle TV
  • Keynote Speaker: HE Mikayil Jabbarov,  Minister of Economy, Azerbaijan
  • Speakers:
    • HE Ismaël Nabé, Minister of Planning & International Cooperation, Republic of Guinea 
    • HE Yusuf Murangwa, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Rwanda
    • Ms. Luciana Botafogo Brito, Executive President, FONPLATA
    • Mr. Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, Secretary of Finance, Nepal

12:30 - 13:30
Lunch

13:30 - 14:30 | Zeremoniensaal
Parallel Session 3: Financing the Future

This session will explore innovative financing strategies, policy actions and collaborative mechanisms that can unlock the capital necessary to meet global development needs. It will highlight progress made so far, ongoing efforts and the key challenges that remain in scaling up sustainable finance, improving financial sustainability and driving greater development impact.

  • Moderator: Mr. Jacob Young, Head of Development Finance, Cygnum Capital Group
  • Keynote Speaker: Mr. Tarek Sherlala, Vice President, Finance, OPEC Fund for International Development
  • Speakers:
    • Mr. Andrew Cross, Chief Financial Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
    • Mr. Søren Elbech, Chief Risk Officer, Inter-American Development Bank
    • Mr. Monale Ratsoma, Vice-President and CFO, New Development Bank
    • Ms. Hassatou Diop N'Sele, Vice President for Finance and CFO, African Development Bank
    • Mr. Yang Shaolin, Director General, Ministry of Finance, People’s Republic of China


13:30 - 14:30 | Hofburg Galerie
Parallel Session 4: Digital Acceleration for Growth & Inclusion
This session will explore both the “green core” and human-centered dimensions of digital acceleration. This session will explore how digital enablers and technology are driving efficiency at the project level through real-world case studies, focusing on infrastructure, access, affordability and the role of enabling policies. It will also consider how digital transformation can enable countries to leapfrog traditional pathways, accelerate progress, and mitigate environmental impacts by bypassing legacy systems with newer, greener solutions.

  • Moderator: Mr. Adebayo Babalola, Director, Strategic Planning, OPEC Fund
  • Keynote Speaker: HE Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe,  Vice-President and Minister of Finance, Republic of Botswana
  • Speakers:
    • Hon. Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Finance, Eswatini
    • HE Fatima Acyl, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, Chad
    • Mr. Rajit Nanda, Chief Executive Officer, Datavolt
    • Mr. Faisal bin Mohammed Al Qahtani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Fund for Development

14:30 – 15:00 | Zeremoniensaal
Closing Session - Forging a Green-Blue Future: Rethinking Infrastructure Through Nature
The Closing Session will provide a summary of the key insights and outcomes from the day and reflect on transformative ideas and solutions. It will also serve as a call to action, linking Forum discussions to long-term development efforts and setting the stage for the OPEC Fund’s 50th Anniversary in 2026.

  • Moderator: Ms. Lerato Natasha Mbele, Broadcaster and Journalist
  • Speakers:
    • Mr. Woochong Um, Chief Executive Officer, The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
    • Mr. Choro Seitov, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economy and Commerce, Kyrgyz Republic
    • Mr. Rajat Misra, Chief Investment Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
    • Mr. Musab Alomar, Vice President, Strategy, OPEC Fund for International Development
       

15:00
Forum Program Concludes
 

18:15 – 21:30 | Festsaal, Hofburg
Gala Dinner

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