On July 1, 2025 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, a significant transition took place at the helm of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). After over a decade of leadership, Mauritanian Dr. Sidi Ould Tah handed over the reins to Kuwaiti Abdullah ALMUSAIBEEH. The decision was formalized last April at the annual meeting of the Board of Governors.
This handover comes at a time when BADEA is experiencing unprecedented momentum. Since taking office in 2015, Sidi Ould Tah has orchestrated a profound strategic transformation of the institution: tripling of capital, threefold increase in transaction volume, diversification of financing windows with enhanced openness to the private sector and increased involvement in infrastructure projects and budget support. Under his leadership, BADEA achieved an AAA rating (JCR) for the first time, thus reaching a major milestone in its international financial credibility, evidenced by Eurobond issuances well received by the markets.
His successor, Mr. Abdullah ALMUSAIBEEH, a mathematics graduate from the University of Kuwait, is an experienced figure in international development. Having joined the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in 1993, he has led several geographical departments, covering Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Arab region. More recently, he served as Director of Operations and sat on various international bodies, including the BADEA Board of Directors and the steering committees of the Al-Aqsa and Al-Quds funds. His appointment is seen as a guarantee of continuity and consolidation.
As for Sidi Ould Tah, elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in May, he will assume his duties in Abidjan on September 1. This institutional shift heralds a strategic rapprochement between BADEA and AfDB, in a context where South-South cooperation takes on a new geopolitical dimension. A structured dialogue is emerging between the Arab Coordination Group and the Alliance of African Financial Institutions – a convergence of capitals, instruments, and ambitions.
Thus, a new chapter opens in the architecture of development financing on the African continent, where the complementarity between Arab capital and African vision could reshape the balances and provide a more integrated response to the growing challenges of African economies.
