14 May, 2023
The Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBI) hosted a launching ceremony of the book that documents the historical evolution and major accomplishments of the IsDB Group over a period of four decades.
The book launch was performed by current and former IsDB Presidents, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser and H.E. Dr. Ahmad Mohammad Ali, during the 17th IsDB Global Forum on Islamic Finance held on 12 May 2023 in conjunction with the IsDB Group Annual Meetings in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This book, published by the IsDB Institute, was authored by two ex-senior IsDB staff members, Dr. Marwan Seifeddine and Mr. El Mansour Ben Feten. It covers the remarkable history of IsDB since its establishment in 1975, from a nascent idea into a world-class multilateral development institution until Dr. Ali’s retirement in 2016.
In his speech, Dr. Al Jasser praised Dr. Ahmad Ali for being the legendary champion of development and for leading the IsDB to become a remarkably successful institution.
Dr. Ahmad Ali acknowledged the confidence of the member countries and the faith of employees in the mission of the IsDB Group.
“The confidence of the member countries in this institution, and the faith of its employees in its mission and duty towards the member countries, is one of the most important things the bank is proud to achieve because it is the basis for all development projects,” Dr. Ali said.
The former president noted that the Bank has transformed into a great institution and is leading development projects in 57 Member Countries, in addition to 78 non-Member Countries with total financial approvals amounting to more than US$ 170 billion until the end of 2022. “The bank succeeded in obtaining the highest credit rating 20 years ago and it still deserves this rating to this moment,” he added.
Dr. Ali thanked Dr. Al Jasser for his outstanding efforts in supporting development projects in various parts of the world. He also appreciated the IsDB Institute and the authors for their valuable efforts in producing the book.
In his remarks, Acting Director General of IsDB Institute, Dr. Sami Al-Suwailem, thanked Dr. Al Jasser and Dr. Ali for their inspirational leadership and tireless dedication to making the IsDB Group a world-class organization.
The book was first published in Arabic language in 2020. The English language version was released in 2022, while the French language version is due to be published in 2023.
The English version of the book is available for purchase on IsDBI website here.
A recording of the session is available on YouTube here.
