OPEC Fund President Alkhalifa joins global leaders at 2025 World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Washington, DC

October 13, 2025: The President of the OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund), Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, is leading the institution’s delegation to the 2025 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington, DC, from October 13–18.

At a time of fragile global recovery and rising development needs, the OPEC Fund is stepping up its engagement to help partner countries accelerate growth, resilience and job creation.  Throughout the week, the OPEC Fund delegation will hold a series of high-level discussions with global leaders, government ministers, and partner development institutions to advance cooperation and scale up financing for sustainable development.

President Alkhalifa said: 

“The OPEC Fund remains focused on delivering solutions that make a difference on the ground. Following a record year in 2024, we are mobilizing additional resources, deepening partnerships and innovating to respond quickly and decisively to the challenges of growth, job creation, climate and inclusion.”

During the meetings, the OPEC Fund will sign new sovereign and non-sovereign loan agreements with partner countries and institutions, including:

• Jordan: A policy-based loan supporting growth and job creation.
• Lesotho: Financing for road and bridge upgrades to strengthen climate-resilience and connectivity
• Saint Lucia: Support for climate resilient infrastructure and transport.
• Paraguay: An OPEC Fund–led syndicated facility with private sector partners to boost SME financing.

The OPEC Fund will also conclude new partnership agreements with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enhance cooperation on energy access, resilience and innovation.

President Alkhalifa’s agenda includes meetings with the World Bank leadership, and other multilateral partners such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), focusing on joint financing, co-investment in climate action and private sector mobilization.

Other highlights include:

• A High-Level Roundtable on Strengthening Arab–LAC Partnerships, co-hosted with regional development banks.
• The 50th Anniversary of the Arab Coordination Group (ACG) — a milestone celebrating five decades of South-South cooperation and shared impact across more than 160 countries. As a proud member of this strategic alliance, the OPEC Fund joined fellow ACG institutions in reaffirming their collective commitment to scale up development impact, leverage joint resources and expand collaboration across regions.
• A roundtable on education with the ACG and the Global Partnership for Education.

President Alkhalifa added: “Growth and jobs are at the heart of sustainable development. As we prepare to mark the OPEC Fund’s 50^th anniversary next year, we are more determined than ever to deliver impact that exceeds our size – by working in partnership, leveraging resources and ensuring every dollar we deploy helps transform lives.”

About the OPEC Fund

The OPEC Fund for International Development (the OPEC Fund) is the only globally mandated development institution that provides financing from member countries to non-member countries exclusively. The organization was established in 1976 with a distinct purpose: to drive development, strengthen communities and empower people in low- and middle-income countries around the world. Our work is people-centered, focusing on financing projects that meet essential needs, such as food, energy, infrastructure, employment (particularly relating to MSMEs), clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education. To date, the OPEC Fund has committed more than US$30 billion to development projects in over 125 countries with an estimated total project cost of more than US$200 billion. The OPEC Fund is rated AA+/Outlook Stable by Fitch and S&P Global Ratings. Our vision is a world where sustainable development is a reality for all.