AGFUND advances sustainable development by supporting 13 projects across the sectors of Empowering Smallholder Farmers, Financial Inclusion, Childhood Development, and Youth Empowerment

By Ahmed Fawzy

The Board of Directors of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) held their semi-annual meeting, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, at the AGFUND headquarters in Riyadh.
During the meeting, the Board reviewed AGFUND’s achievements in the first half of 2024, discussed financial and technical reports, as well as the winning projects of the 2023 Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development on the theme “Life on Land”, which aligns with the 15th Sustainable Development Goal. The Board also discussed proposed development projects to be funded in the current cycle.
The Board was updated on AGFUND’s recent activities and the progress of the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. The members also noted the announcement of the 2024 prize topic, “Life Below Water”, the 14th Sustainable Development Goal.
Furthermore, the Board commended AGFUND’s initiative to organize a high-level workshop on the risks of climate change and desertification, and their implications for smallholder farmers’ food security. The workshop results will contribute to the proceedings of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, which will be hosted by Saudi Arabia next December.
The Board approved the support and financing of 13 projects, recommended by the Executive Management, as they were found to align with AGFUND’s criteria and fit within their five program areas: Women’s Empowerment, Early Childhood Development, Open Education, Civil Society, and Financial Inclusion.
The approved projects will contribute to various sectors, including women’s empowerment, children’s rights, agriculture, desertification, climate change, education, and youth empowerment, and will be implemented in 47 countries.
Since its establishment, AGFUND has approved a total of 1,719 projects, benefiting 133 countries, in cooperation with development partners from the UN, international and regional organizations, as well as governmental and civil society institutions.