Established Pursuant to the Resolution of the
6th Arab Summit Conference held
in Algiers on 28 November 1973

BADEA Timeline

A brief history of BADEA

Celebrating 50 Years of Dedication to African Development

28 NOV 1973
Sixth Arab Summit Resolution no. 49, Algiers The establishment of an Arab African financial institution to contribute to socioeconomic development projects and provide technical assistance to African countries.
18 FEBRUARY1974
18 Arab countries signed the Establishment Agreement of the Arab Bank for Economic development Africa (BADEA), with an initial capital of US$ 231 million.
11 JANUARY 1975
H.E. Dr. Chedly AYARI Chairman & Director General of BADEA, appointed by BADEA Board of Governors
11 JANUARY 1975
BADEA took officially residence in KHARTOUM - SUDAN
28 NOVEMBER 1975
BADEA announced its first development operations to Africa Having established provisional offices in new premises in Baladia Road, BADEA announced its first operations: 12 loans totaling US$ 85.5 million being approved by the Board of Directors during its third meeting (28-29 November 1975)
27 DECEMBER 1978
The Inauguration of BADEA’s 1st project Cement Factory in Cotonou, Benin BADEA contributed US$ 8 million to fund this project (80% of the total cost), 20% of the cost was provided by the Government of Benin.
5 MARCH 1981
The official inauguration of the BADEA’s Headquarters Building, Khartoum, Sudan. H.E. Gaafar Mohamed Nimeiri, President of the Democratic Republic of the Sudan, launched BADEA premises on 5th of March 1981.
MARCH 1984
Dr Ayari receives Dr A.W. Clausen, President of the World Bank, who visited BADEA Headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan. The visit made by Dr. A. W. Clausen created a new milestone in coordination between BADEA and the International Financial Institution, World Bank, for Africa development.
1973 - 1986
Boosting ARAB-AFRICA COOPERATION BADEA strengthened co-financing of projects with Arab financial institutions, the total flows of Arab funds to Africa 1973 - 1986 reached US$ 10,243 million.
APRIL 1988
Appointment of H.E. Ahmed Harti El Wardi, as the Director General of BADEA.
JUNE 1988
Election of His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Ibn ABDALLA AHMED AL AKEIL as the chairman of the BADEA Board
1989
BADEA’s 15th Anniversary On its 15th Anniversary, BADEA's total commitments reached US$ 912 million, covering operations in 37 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
1990-1996
BADEA has diversified its portfolio across different sectors. Samples projects executed in this time frame: Connecting Seychelles to the World (Infrastructure) Project name : Modernization of Seychelles International Airport Total cost : US$9.84 million, to which BADEA contributed US$ 7.73 million. Connecting Mozambique to the World (Infrastructure) Project name : Roads and Coastal Shipping Total cost : US$ 3.33 million, to which BADEA contributed US$ 1.35 million Supporting Social Development in BURKINA FASO (Education) Project name : Establishment of Technical Institute for Training of Secondary School Teachers in Ouagadougou. Total cost : US$ 3.7 million, to which BADEA contributed US$ 2.8 million. Strengthening Chad Economy (Agriculture ) Project name: Cotton Cultivation Development Total cost : US$ 19.51 million, to which BADEA contributed US$ 7.71 million
MAY 1997
Appointment of H.E. Medhat Sami Lotfy as Director General of BADEA.
1998-2005
BADEA initiated various interventions in the social sector within Africa. Quality Education and Lifelong Learning (1998) A regional course on quality training in the African continent. Poverty Reduction and Women’s Empowerment (2000) A loan of US$ 6.73 million to develop fishing in Gambia to increase rural women’s participation. Water and Sanitation Focus A loan of US$ 1.750 million to finance a potable water bottling project in Santiago Island.
APRIL 2006
Appointment of H.E. Dr. Abdel Aziz Khalef as Director General of BADEA.
2006 - 2008
BADEA continued concentrating on the basic needs of Africa’s population Education A loan of US$ 6.00 million to fund the Construction and Equipping of a High Institute project in Mozambique. of Geology and Mining in Mozambique. Energy & Dams US$ 166.52 million to finance several projects in energy sector, due to its major role in achieving sustainable development, environment protection and poverty reduction. Energy and Electricity BADEA assigned great importance to projects that have direct impacts on improve the quality life of the population. Therefore, about US$ 185 million were provided to support energy sector in Africa, with special focus on rural electricity.
JUNE 2008
Election of H.E Eng. Yousef Bin Ibrahim Al-Bassam as the Chairman of BADEA’s Board of Directors.
2010
Year of Energy and Electricity BADEA contributed US$10 million (40.57% of the total cost) to Uganda's Rural Electrification Project that covering 112 villages across eight areas. The project involved installing 658 km of transmission lines.
2011
Year of Infrastructure Impact Infrastructure projects, including roads, airports, ports, bridges, water supply and sanitation, play a crucial role in development. BADEA has allocated approximately US$ 1791 million for infrastructure investments, which accounts for 55% of its net commitments. The photo is for Kayes Dag Dag Airport in Mali.
2012
Year of Agriculture Impact BADEA focused on agriculture, through funding land reclamation and irrigation projects and training in this areas . A loan of US$ 10 million (89.3% of total cost) was provided to Senegal’s Integrated Agricultural Development Project. A grant of US$ 142,000 was extended to regional agricultural management and IT training.
2013
Improving Transportation In AFRICA BADEA contributed US$ 10 million to build the "Ouagadougou-Donsin" International Airport in Burkina Faso. The project aimed to enhance safety and traffic conditions in the city centre while promoting development in peripheral areas.
2014
Year of Educational Impact Supporting quality of education, especially for young women and girls, is vital to BADEA. A loan of US$5 million (about 44.17% of the total project cost) was extended to enhance basic and secondary schools in Gambia, through constructing 220 classrooms (each accommodating 45 students) with necessary facilities for teachers and utilities.
2014
Water and Sanitation A loan of US$ 12 million (40% of the total project cost) was extended to fund the Water Supply & Sewerage Project in the city of Praia, Cape Verde. This project facilitated the expansion and enhancement of water services in the capital city, Praia.
2014
Adoption of the “Private Sector Financing Program” The BADEA’s Board of Governors approved the “Private Sector Financing Program”. Allocations for the Program amounted to US$ 450 million.
APRIL 2015
Appointment of H.E. Dr. Sidi Ould TAH as Director General of BADEA.
2016
Private Sector And Trade Finance Market Launching Allocations for the African private sector reached US$ 86, while 10 credit lines of US$ million were extended to finance trade operations used to import fertilizers and agricultural inputs from Arab countries to African countries within the Arab Export Program.
2017
A Year of Excellence In 2017, total commitments reached approximately US$530 million, which was nearly 99.9% of the approved allocations for the year.
NOVEMBER 2018
ISO A new organizational structure was adopted including the establishment of the Risk Management and the Institutional Development Office. BADEA developed the quality culture and adopted new working methods. This enabled it to obtain certificates in Overall Quality (ISO 9001), Information Systems Security (ISO 27001), and Information Quality (ISO 20000).
2019
Introduction of BADEA’s 2030 Strategy ( 2020 - 2030 ) BADEA developed its new long-term strategy through focus on five specific development areas: infrastructure; agriculture value-chains; trade and private sector; entrepreneurship and SMEs and capacity development.
JUNE 2020
Election of H. E. Dr. Fahad Aldossari as the chairman of the BADEA’s Board of Directors.
2020
Covid-19 Urgent Response Program US$ 700 million were earmarked to help Africa facing the Covid-19 pandemic negative impacts.
2021
Funding in the First Year of the 2030 Strategy BADEAfinanced 61 operations of about US$ 820 million, benefiting 20 African countries and covering all the strategic focusing areas as follows: Trade and private sector development : US$ 336.3 million Investment in infrastructure : US$ 325 million. Agriculture value chains development: :US$ 105 million. Entrepreneurship and SMEs development: US$ 43.9 million. Capacity development : 9.9 million dollars
FEBRUARY 2022
Aa2 & AA Credit Ratings BADEA achieved an excellent credit rating of Aa2 with positive outlook from Moody's Investors Service, and a credit rating of AA with positive outlook from S&P Global Ratings. This reflects BADEA’s solid financial position and high liquidity, and the strong support it receives from the shareholders.
APRIL 2022
Historical Increase in BADEA’s Capital BADEA’s esteemed Board of Governors decided on April 7, 2022, during its annual meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to increase BADEA’s capital o from US$ 4.2 billion to US$20 billion; a 367% increase. This substantial capital increase enables expansion and diversification of the development operations.
OCTOBER 2022
ISO 26000, 14001 & 37000 Certificates Through the improvements implemented in compliance and integrity, BADEA was able to obtain ISO 26000 certification (Social Responsibility), ISO 14001 certification (Environmental System Management) and ISO 37000 certification (Governance of organisation & Guidance).
OCTOBER 2022
AA Credit rating from S&P Global Ratings. BADEA achieved an excellent credit rating of a 'AA' long-term and 'A-1+' short-term from S&P Global Ratings, also with a positive outlook. This reflects the Fund's solid financial position, high liquidity, and strong support from its member countries.
APRIL 2023
Reallocation to Riyadh Due to the special circumstances in Sudan (BADEA’s host country), the 47th Meeting of the esteemed Board of Governors, held in Rabat on April 29, 2023, has decided to temporarily reallocate BADEA headquarters to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
AUGUST 2023
BADEA AAA Credit Rating Performance : Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) has today assigned a "AAA" foreign currency long-term issuer rating to the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) with a Stable outlook.
NOVEMBER 2023
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BADEA historical 50 US$ Billion Commitment with the Arab Coordination Group ACG to AFRICA During the Saudi-Arab-African Economic Conference, the Arab Coordination Group ACG announced a US$50 billion initiative to stimulate development in Africa. This pledge is a reflection of the Arab coordination group strong commitment to contribute to sustainable development in Africa towards a prosperous future for the continent.
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DECEMBER 2023
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Adoption of the New BADEA Corporate Identity The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) has adopted a new corporate identity inspired by a set of core values that underpin its operations and demonstrate its dedication to fostering economic development in Africa.
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JANUARY 2024
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BADEA celebrates historic capital market debut with EUR 500 Mn benchmark social bond This was a 3-year EUR 500 million Reg-S only social bond, issued at a yield of 3.806% and a coupon of 3.75%. This issuance marks a significant milestone in the Bank’s 50-year history.
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May 2024
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50 Years of Arab Africa Cooperation BADEA celebrated its 5th Years Anniversary in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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MAY 2024
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Aa1 Credit Rating Moody’s Ratings upgraded BADEA to Aa1 (from Aa2) reflecting an enhanced capital position, improving asset performance, strengthening liquidity profile & extraordinary shareholder support
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