Date: 11 Jul, 2023
Location: Rome-Italy
As AAAID seek to be abreast of the global, regional and Arab challenges facing the agricultural and food sector, as well as get acquainted with the policy and programs of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the field of enhancing food security in Arab countries, H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Obaid Al Mazrooei, President of AAAID, and an accompanying delegation have recently participated in the activities of the 43rd session of the FAO Conference, which was organized from 1-7 July, 2023 in the Italian capital of Rome under the slogan “Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life”.
During the event, H.E. AAAID’s President met with Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the FAO, in which H.E. Al Mazrooei congratulated Dr. Dongyu on his re-appointment as the Director General of the FAO for a second term, besides briefly introducing AAAID and its areas of work in sectors in which it operates. Also, the meeting discussed areas of join cooperation between the FAO and AAAID, especially in the field of lending to small-scale farmers and technical support, provision of seeds, and preparation of feasibility studies by the Investment Center of the FAO and others.
Moreover, a feasibility study preparation agreement was signed with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which aims to establish a fund for lending small-scale farmers in Arab countries, provided that several parties contribute to the fund, including AAAID. The agreement was signed by H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Obaid Al Mazrooei, President of AAAID, on behalf of AAAID, and by Mr. Leon Williams, Senior Partnership Officer of IFAD, on behalf of IFAD.
It is worth noting that multiple important meetings were carried out by H.E. AAAID’s President, including a meeting with H.E. Mohamed Badr, Senior Advisor to the World Food Programme, during which they discussed areas of collaboration between AAAID and the World Food Programme. Moreover, a decision was made for future communication with the programme to purchase products of the companies to which AAAID contributes, in addition to establishing cooperation in small-scale farmers’ lending field, and benefiting from the programme’s available database. It was also agreed to organize the signing of a memorandum of understanding between AAAID and the World Food Programme.
Additionally, H.E. AAAID’s President also met with Mrs. Katherine Meighan, Associate Vice-President and General Counsel of IFAD, and Mrs. Dina Saleh, Regional Director of Near East, North Africa, Central Asia and Europe Division at IFAD, in order to discuss avenues of cooperation and coordination between AAAID and IFAD. Besides meeting with Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Chief Scientist of the FAO, and Dr. Mohamed Mansouri, Director of the FAO Investment Centre, as well as H.E. Eng. Mohammed Hassan Qatana, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of the Syrian Arab Republic, during the activities of the conference.
