In an effort to bolster Arab capital and technical support in Africa, Sid Ould Tah, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), has been confirmed as a speaker at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum in Paris scheduled for May 14-15.

Headquartered in Khartoum, BADEA aims to strengthen economic, financial and technical cooperation between Arab and African regions through investment and trade. Its lending strategy targets four critical areas: infrastructure, agricultural value chains, private sector development and trade financing, and SMEs, with an emphasis on female and youth entrepreneurship.

Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2024 is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 14-15, 2024 in Paris, the event is organized by Energy Capital & Power and offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com.

In recent months, the multilateral development bank has accelerated activities in West Africa, from issuing an $100-million sovereign loan agreement to address climate change, improve food security and boost the private sector in Benin, to stating plans to strengthen its investment portfolio in Togo. In Senegal, BADEA holds one of the largest and best-performing project portfolios in the region, with commitments amounting to nearly $700 million as of last March. Given BADEA’s focus on infrastructure, Ould Tah is expected to discuss bridging Africa’s financing gap and leveraging infrastructure to enable diversified growth.

“BADEA is committed to financing Africa’s development agenda and represents a leading authority on Africa’s investment needs. On behalf of IAE 2024, we invite MENA region investors, developers, technology and service providers to participate at the upcoming forum, with the goal of establishing mutually beneficial partnerships and unlocking new finance,” says Sandra Jeque, Event and Project Director at Energy Capital & Power, organizers of IAE 2024.

As a member of the Arab Coordination Group, BADEA was also part of a $50-million grant issued last November to help build resilient infrastructure and inclusive societies in Africa. The financing will support projects in energy security and transition, regional integration and connectivity, trade finance and facilitation, private sector development and gender and youth initiatives, among other strategic areas.