OFID Director-General meets Queen Rania of Jordan: Signs grant agreement in support of Madrasati Initiative

Vienna, Austria, April 22, 2015. The Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Mr Suleiman J Al-Herbish, has met with Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan. The meeting took place following signature by the Director-General of an agreement awarding US$700,000 in grant funding to the Madrasati Initiative, a scheme launched by Her Majesty in 2008 and implemented by the Jordan River Foundation. The initiative aims at supporting the Jordanian public school system, which is unable to accommodate increasing numbers of Syrian refugee pupils.

During the meeting, Queen Rania Al Abdullah commended OFID’s role in supporting sustainable development through its programs and activities, including in education, implemented in developing countries and in line with the priorities of those countries.

Al-Herbish expressed his appreciation to Queen Rania for receiving the OFID delegation. He praised the Queen’s passion for education and her continued efforts to support and improve the public school system in Jordan. He also lauded the noble mandate of the Jordan River Foundation, and recognized the considerable burden that Jordan faced as a result of the Syrian crisis and reaffirmed OFID’s financial assistance to the Madrasati Initiative.

Al-Herbish went on to emphasize the pivotal role of education and capacity building in development and pointed out that both aspects were central to OFID’s mandate. He cited several examples of OFID’s support to undertakings that addressed youth inclusiveness and capacity building, most notably the OFID Scholarship Award.

Al-Herbish also mentioned some of the projects supported by OFID in Jordan; including—among others—the King Hussein Cancer Foundation and the University of Jordan, along with humanitarian activities to assist Syrian refugees.

OFID’s cooperation with Jordan began in 1977. To date, OFID has approved over US$68m for ten public sector projects. A further US$178m has been delivered in private sector and trade financing. The bulk of these resources has supported the energy, agriculture, health and education sectors. Other projects funded by OFID include the Queen Rania Children’s Hospital at the King Hussein Medical City, the Queen Alia International Airport and the King Abdullah Hospital in Irbid, among others.