Ethiopia’s Finance Minister Convenes with Saudi Fund for Development CEO

Washington D.C.: Finance Minister of Ethiopia Ahmed Shide had a productive discussion with the CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, on the margins of the 2025 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, the discussion focused on Ethiopia’s recent economic reforms, as well as Ethiopia’s priority development areas, and ways to scale up SFD’s role in Ethiopia. Minister Ahmed Shide briefed the CEO on the Government’s macroeconomic reform implementation and shared Ethiopia’s development ambitions and priority areas, including private sector development, public investment in infrastructure, particularly in the energy and transport sectors, and unlocking the full potential of the economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and mining by boosting productivity in these areas.

On his part, the CEO of Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, commended Ethiopia’s economic ambitions and achievements. He also welcomed the early gains and progress on enhancing the investment climate to attract more FDI to the country, encouraged Ethiopia’s role in promoting regional connectivity and integration in the Horn and beyond, and reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment for continued development support to Ethiopia.

The two sides agreed on deepening the longstanding bilateral ties through high-level engagement and building on shared regional and global priorities.