His Excellency Dr Bandar Hajjar and Mr. Bill Gates met today in Seattle, USA, to discuss new initiatives to drive positive change across IsDB member countries

His Excellency Dr Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, met today at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle to discuss the progress of their partnership to tackle poverty.

The IsDB, the largest development bank in the Muslim world, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest private foundation, plan to add a new dimension to their partnership focused on scientific research. During the IsDB President’s visit to Seattle, delegations from both sides discussed ways to support technology innovations that can radically improve the lives of the poorest people.

“Our partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has already shown that innovative partnerships can improve people’s lives in our member countries,” commented Dr Hajjar. “I believe that scientific research is the extra ingredient we need to change the model of how development is done.”

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “The Islamic Development Bank is an important strategic partner in our work on global health and poverty. We share a common belief that everyone should have the chance to live a healthy and productive life. I’m optimistic that by continuing to combine our skills, resources and expertise, we can do even more to create a better life for people with the greatest need.”

The Islamic Development Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have been working closely together since 2012. This collaboration started with polio eradication programs in Pakistan. In 2015, the IsDB and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation signed a commitment to launch the Lives & Livelihoods Fund, targeting $2.5 billion in grants and concessional loans to improve health, agriculture and basic infrastructure across the Muslim world, alongside other donors. Since Dr Bandar Hajjar joined the IsDB as President in 2016, the scale of the Bank’s cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has increased, with a range of joint projects now being implemented across Africa and Asia.

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About the Islamic Development Bank
The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development institution, established in July 1975 with Headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The IsDB provides Shari’ah-compatible funding and technical assistance to its 57 member countries and in line with its overall objective of fostering economic development and social progress, it finances projects and programs in both public and private sectors in member countries by investing in economic and social infrastructure, providing technical assistance, and promoting foreign trade. The IsDB also assists Muslim communities in non-member countries and undertakes research studies in Islamic economics and banking. For more information, visit www.isdb.org

© Press Release 2017