Chaired by HRH Prince Abdul Aziz bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz, AGFUND’s Board approves financing of pioneering development projects

Riyadh - Thursday, June 15, 2023

The Board of Directors of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) held its semi-annual meeting this afternoon, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz, President of AGFUND.

During the meeting, the Board members reviewed AGFUND’s remarkable achievements marking the first half of 2023, including financial and technical reports. In addition, the winning projects of the 2022 Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development were presented. The prize was focused on “Decent Work and Economic Growth,” which corresponds with Goal 8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The meeting also entailed a discussion of the projects proposed to AGFUND for the current cycle. The Board approved a selection of development projects on the agenda, which will be granted funding from the organization. These projects include: “Psychological and Social Support for Children Affected by the Earthquake” in Syria, “Improving Early Childhood Services for Children” in Morocco, “Fostering Early Education of Science, Technology and Innovation for Preschooler to 12th graders” in Arab Countries, “Towards Worldwide Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation” in Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, Egypt, and Somalia, “Empowering Vulnerable Children and Adolescents: Comprehensive Social and Financial Education Program for Ages 12-16” in Yemen and Palestine, “Lifesaving Obstetric Fistula Response to Women and Girls in Afghanistan during the Humanitarian Crisis” in Afghanistan, “Empowering and Capacity Building of Persons with Disabilities” in Gulf Countries, “Promoting Digital Financial Literacy” in Arab Countries, and “Supporting Small Farmers to Mitigate the Effects of the Economic Crisis” in Lebanon and Sudan.

All of the projects showcase diversity in the development sectors and are selected based on their alignment with AGFUND’s mission for human development, especially in relation to its key focus areas: women’s empowerment, civil society development, open education, financial inclusion, and early childhood development. These projects, moreover, take crucial steps towards contributing to achieving the SDGs, promising a significant positive impact for the targeted beneficiaries.

More than 73,360 beneficiaries, including students, women and girls, men, persons with disabilities, and smallholder farmers in 23 countries will benefit from these projects.

It is worth mentioning that since its establishment, AGFUND has implemented 1,688 projects across 133 countries in collaboration with its 450 development partners. AGFUND eagerly anticipates fostering further cooperation and collaboration and establishing effective partnerships to continue executing innovative and sustainable development projects.