The Kuwait Fund for Development, in collaboration with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), concluded the Career and Business Opportunities Forum for Kuwaiti consulting firms, contractors, and suppliers yesterday, June 11, 2024, at the Kuwait Fund headquarters.

The two-day forum was attended by Acting Deputy Director General for Administration and Finance, Ms. Eman Bader Al Abdulrazzaq, along with Mr. Edmond Wega, Executive Director representing Kuwait at the AfDB, and Mr. Jacques Edjangue, Vice President for People & Talent Management at the AfDB, as well as other AfDB officials.

In her speech, Ms. Al Abdulrazzaq emphasized the Fund's commitment since its establishment to supporting sustainable development projects in the developing world, particularly in Africa, due to its vast developmental potential and diverse investment opportunities.

She added that Africa's growing economies need global expertise and high-quality services that Kuwaiti investors can provide through their participation in the African Bank's tendered projects, which will ultimately enhance their presence in the African market.

For his part, Mr. Wega explained that the event aimed to explore ways of cooperation between Kuwait and African countries by providing job opportunities to join the AfDB, in addition to strengthening partnership frameworks with the private sector, including consulting firms, contractors, and suppliers, to support various developmental projects in Africa.

The forum saw the attendance of many private sector companies in Kuwait, who expressed their keen interest in cooperating with the AfDB and leveraging the economic and investment opportunities available in the African Continent. A short documentary was also presented showcasing the Bank's contributions to the African market and its collaboration with various regional and international entities in the field of commercial investment, aiming to enhance all efforts towards the development of the African continent.

Moreover, the concluding session included an open Q&A session for attendees to clarify issues related to the challenges investors face in some African countries, such as security, health, and infrastructure, and ways to overcome these difficulties, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and tropical diseases.

It is noteworthy that the Kuwait Fund's first loan, granted shortly after its establishment in 1961, was to the Republic of Sudan in 1962 for a railway construction project, marking the beginning of its cooperation with the African continent.