MAKKAH — Gambia's President Adama Barrow, who is currently on a visit to Saudi Arabia, met here on Friday with the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr. Bandar Hajjar, the Saudi Press reported. The meeting tackled the ongoing development cooperation activities between the IDB and The Gambia in various sectors. The Gambian President expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the Islamic Development Bank for its continuous support to his country, noting that the projects of the IDB are highly appreciated by the government and people of the Gambia. Dr. Bandar Hajjar was briefed by the Gambian President on the profound impact of the coronavirus pandemic on all economic and social sectors in the Gambia, especially with regard to the tourism sector. For his part, Dr. Hajjar welcomed President Adama in the Kingdom, expressing hope that the Gambia will resume its economic activities and achieve growth after being hit by the coronavirus pandemic. He also said that the bank will continue to support the country to achieve the aspirations of the Gambian people. The two sides discussed the main projects of the IDB in the Gambia, as well as ways to facilitate better implementation of the ongoing projects. It is noteworthy that the IDB has so far approved projects worth $1 billion for the Gambia, covering all development sectors, especially agriculture, infrastructure, health and education, while the cost of the bank's ongoing projects in the African country is estimated to be $151.4 million.
