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The Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) set aside $2.3 billion for its Strategic Preparedness and Response Programme for its member countries to tackle the economic fallout of the corona pandemic. OIC member states may partake in Digital Country Presentations, a new global gateway that offers investors, governments, and institutions an overview of upcoming trade and investment opportunities. SMEs can open a virtual 'stall' on Made in Series, an open platform that enables smaller businesses to present products, projects, and services to a global audience. Earlier this month, the IsDB issued its first-ever sustainability sukuk for social projects. According to Group President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, the latest sukuk placement allows the IsDB to tackle the aftermath of the pandemic with strong interventions in affected countries and sectors.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Thursday offered financial support to Pakistan amid the lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. In a video call, IsDB President Dr Bandar MH Hajjar assured Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar of the bank’s support for Pakistan. Hajjar informed that the IsDB Group has approved the $2.3 billion package for the IsDB member countries to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar appreciated the special priority given to Pakistan. The minister also underlined the needs of the member countries and applauded Bank’s response.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group has approved a $2.3 billion package for its member countries to mitigate and recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. IsDB President Dr Bandar M H Hajjar said that this will be achieved through a holistic approach aimed to accommodate priorities beyond the immediate and emergency response. Dr Hajjar assured the bank’s full support for the people and the government of Pakistan to mitigate the negative impacts of Covid-19. Pakistan's Minister for Economic Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar informed that International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) has been directed to immediately finalise $500 million for import of oil and an amount of $150 million has been allocated to alleviate the pandemic impact.

The Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and the London Stock Exchange Plc (LSE) have both pledged to partner to boost Green Sukuk globally. President of the ISDB, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, met with the CEO of the LSE Plc, Nikhil Rathi, to discuss ways of broadening their collaboration. Green Sukuk has recently emerged as a unique example of a Sharia-compliant impact investing instrument with strong growth prospects. According to the Climate Bonds Initiative, a total of $117.8 billion in green bonds and Sukuk were issued in the first half of 2019, up 48% year-on-year. The Climate Bonds Initiative has also identified the following eligible assets for green Sukuk: solar parks, biogas plants, wind energy projects, renewable transmission and infrastructure projects, and electric vehicles. Equally, they can be used to subsidize a government's green payments.

The Islamic Development Bank Group’s President Dr. Bandar Hajjar inaugurated 'the International Day of Education' event at the bank’s headquarters in Jeddah. The aim of this celebration is to support the efforts to achieve the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) of the United Nations relative to education, to provide quality, equitable and inclusive education for all. Today, over 258 million children and young adults are still out of school worldwide, two thirds of them in member countries. There are 617 million children and adolescents who are illiterate and cannot perform basic mathematical operations. In sub-Saharan Africa, the completion rate for the lower secondary level of education is less than 40%, and approximately 4 million children and refugees are out of school. The IsDB supports investment in education and human resources development through numerous programs and projects. Cooperations include the Global Partnership for Education "GPE", UNESCO, the German GIZ, Education Above All, Save the Children, etc.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a framework for strategic cooperation. The MOU will have a strong focus on sustainable infrastructure including development of energy and power, transportation and telecommunications, rural infrastructure water supply and sanitation, environmental protection, urban development and logistics. IsDB Group President H.E Dr. Bandar M.H. Hajjar said the Group looks forward to stimulate the region’s economic growth together with AIIB. The two banks intend to share knowledge and exchange experiences among employees through joint temporary assignments, secondments and training.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has been undergoing significant strategic reform in the last year, led by the Bank’s new President, H.E. Dr Bandar Hajjar. The new brand identity maintains the core elements of the IsDB’s heritage while signalling modernity, independence and transparency. The IsDB’s mission includes equipping people to drive their own economic and social progress at scale; putting the necessary infrastructure in place to enable them to fulfil their potential; building collaborative partnerships between public and private sectors. The bank aims to use the latest science, technology and innovation solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) launched a $500 million fund to strengthen science, technology and innovation in the Muslim World. The launch of the fund was made at the IDB's 43rd Annual Meeting in Tunis. The fund had been announced for the first time in Kazakhstan in September 2017, by the IDB President, Dr. Bandar Hajjar. He said 57 IDB member countries face challenges in development and many of them could not solve their problems on their own. He added that the IDB wants to be a catalyst so that people can lead the process of development. Dr. Hayat Sindi, chief scientific adviser to the IDB president, said the bank would like to give every scientist an opportunity to provide solutions to development challenges. She said the aim of the fund was to give a boost to creative minds.

Leading Islamic finance experts gathered at the London Stock Exchange for the Sukuk Summit organized by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). IDB President Dr Bandar Hajjar highlighted the need for London to be at the heart of the "Islamic finance revolution" and for it to leverage its global marketplace. He highlighted the continued global growth of the Islamic finance market, in particular the growth within the UK. He also cited the financial inclusion and shared prosperity model which is at the heart of Islamic finance transactions. The London Stock Exchange is home to a number of sukuk listings, with 65 sukuk having been listed on the London Stock Exchange valued at $48 billion. John Glenn MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury said the UK had supported market-driven innovations in the field of Islamic FinTech and the government was determined to ensure continuation.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has launched 'Engage', a new digital platform to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IsDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar announced the launch together with UN Under-Secretary-General of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar and Dr. Hayat Sindi, Chief Scientific Advisor to IsDB. Engage offers three main services: Match Making, Technology Transfer and Call for Innovation. The platform will focus on six SDGs, food security, healthier lives, inclusive and equitable education, sustainable management of water, access to affordable and clean energy, and sustainable industrialisation across the developing world. IsDB has also established a new Fund, the Transform Fund, which will finance innovative ideas linked to development solutions. A landmark Memorandum of Understanding was signed between IsDB and ESCAP to build a global network of scientists, technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors to achieve sustainable development.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has launched a new digital platform to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The "Engage" platform's launch was announced in London by the President of IsDB, Dr. Bandar Hajjar, Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, and Dr. Hayat Sindi, Chief Scientific Advisor to IsDB. The platform will focus on six SDGs: achieving greater food security, healthier lives, inclusive and equitable education, sustainable management of water, access to affordable and clean energy, and sustainable industrialisation across the developing world. To ensure its members have access to financing for innovation, IsDB has established a new Fund, called The Transform Fund. It will provide seed money for innovators, start-ups and SMEs, as well as funding partnerships between researchers and entrepreneurs. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IsDB and ESCAP to work together to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.