WASHINGTON, July 1, 2024 — The World Bank Group announced today the appointment of Dina Abu-Ghaida as World Bank Group Country Manager for Yemen, a position that will unify country-level leadership across the institution to better support both public and private sector priorities. Based in Amman, Jordan, Abu-Ghaida will lead the World Bank Group’s engagement in Yemen, which includes policy dialogue with government officials, civil society, the private sector, and development partners.
Most recently, Abu-Ghaida was the Lead Economist in the Education Global Practice in the Middle East and North Africa region, and Human Development Program Leader for Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. She has led teams working on both education sector projects and analytical reports in several countries in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East – including in conflict-affected settings. Her experience covers all levels of education, from early childhood through basic, secondary, and higher education, with a special focus on education finance. She coordinated the World Bank’s support to education reform in Nigeria, Jordan, and Yemen, and acted as one of the World Bank’s focal points on education in fragile, conflict, and violence-affected settings. Abu-Ghaida is replacing Tania Meyer, who has been in the position of World Bank country manager since August 2020.
“I am honored to take on this role and look forward to continuing to help Yemen at this challenging time, particularly in basic service delivery, human capital, and food security,” said Abu-Ghaida. “Strengthening our partnerships with the government, development partners, and the private sector is crucial to supporting Yemen’s path towards resilience and recovery.”
The overarching goal of the World Bank Group’s Country Engagement Strategy for Yemen is to support the people of Yemen and preserve the institutions that serve them. The World Bank Group will stay engaged in Yemen across multiple sectors, with a focus on basic service delivery and human capital; and food security, resilience, and livelihood opportunities.
The introduction of joint country representation is an important step towards building a stronger World Bank Group. Yemen is one of 21 World Bank Group offices transitioning to a single World Bank Group Country Manager or Resident Representative for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).
The World Bank Group — through IDA — has been providing large‑scale emergency grants to Yemen during the conflict. Using an innovative partnership with the UN, IDA has financed over US$3.9 billion in emergency interventions since the World Bank’s reengagement in 2016 by investing in people and the institutions they rely on for critical services.
Over the last decade, IFC has also invested in priority areas in Yemen including the financial sector, agribusiness, manufacturing, and health. This includes recent engagements in the banking sector to facilitate trade as well as $135 million that IFC recently invested and mobilized to support one of Yemen’s leading food conglomerates in an effort to ramp up the production and distribution of essential food supplies. IFC continues to engage with the private sector in several industries and aims to mobilize Foreign Direct Investments and donors to finance private investments to bridge major financing gaps. IFC is also working on a strategy for “Bringing back business to Yemen” by helping non-resident Yemeni businessmen invest in the country.
About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the World Bank Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org , www.miga.org , and www.ifc.org.
