Date: 21 Oct, 2025
As part of an official working visit to Washington, D.C., H.E. Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Board of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID), held a meeting with a high-level delegation from the World Bank, headed by Dr. Rabah H. Karaky, Practice Manager Agriculture & Food Global Practice Middle East & North Africa Region. The meeting was attended by Dr. Manivannan Pathy, Senior Agribusiness Specialist SMNAG – Agriculture and Food PG MNA SMN-MNA Regional Director, and Dr. Svetlana Edmeades, Lead Agriculture Economist, PhD Agriculture and Food Global Practice Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region.
Mr. Ayman El Henawy, Director of the Communication and International Relations Department at AAAID, also attended the meeting, which took place at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in sustainable agriculture, financing agricultural value chains, and supporting innovation and modern agricultural technologies. The two sides also explored mechanisms to enhance regional efforts toward food security and economic development in Arab countries.
H.E. Dr. Al Zaabi emphasized AAAID’s commitment to building strategic partnerships with the World Bank, describing it as a key partner in development financing and food security initiatives. He noted that this collaboration represents a significant step toward establishing an integrated framework for achieving sustainable agricultural and economic development across the Arab region.
World Bank representatives expressed interest in expanding technical and investment cooperation with AAAID, exploring potential areas for joint financing and advisory programs that could advance agricultural projects and shared investments in the Arab world.
The meeting forms part of AAAID’s broader efforts to strengthen engagement with international institutions and reinforce its role as a leading partner in achieving Arab food security and supporting sustainable development initiatives through global collaboration.
