On April 16, 2026, in Washington, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development, Souleymane Diarrassouba, met with the Vice President for Operations of the Islamic Development Bank on the sidelines of the World Bank Spring Meetings.

The partnership between Côte d’Ivoire and the Islamic Development Bank currently includes 24 active projects worth around $2.5 billion, covering road infrastructure, housing, drinking water and agriculture.

During the meeting, Minister Souleymane Diarrassouba called for stronger support from the IsDB in financing the country’s 2026–2030 National Development Plan.

The Vice President announced the launch of a nearly $500 million fund aimed at strengthening the institution’s concessional financing capacity. Côte d’Ivoire was invited to seek priority access to this support during the IsDB Annual Meetings to be held in Baku in June 2026.

The IsDB also confirmed its support for organizing a roundtable on investment opportunities under the 2026–2030 National Development Plan alongside the same annual meetings.

Islamic finance was identified as a major growth driver for the Ivorian financial market and a strategic opportunity for the national economy.

Over three days in Washington, Côte d’Ivoire also engaged with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Saudi Fund for Development and the Islamic Development Bank to mobilize funding opportunities for the 2026–2030 National Development Plan.

The Arab Coordination Group is increasingly positioning itself as a key partner in Côte d’Ivoire’s economic transformation.