RIYADH: Dr. Bandar Hajjar, president of the Islamic Development Bank Group, on Friday hosted a virtual meeting with the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and 10 other multilateral development banks (MDBs). Hajjar said it was important to have open dialogue and a results-oriented shared vision between forum members, particularly in drawing up an effective response to the health, economic and financial challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in member countries. Lauding the momentum of solidarity created by the international community toward the elimination of COVID-19, participants stressed that the pandemic should not allow focus to be shifted away from realizing the collectively developed 2030 Agenda. Hajjar said: “As we enter the decade of action toward the 2030 Agenda, MDBs need to showcase their collective crucial role in supporting member countries to achieve the SDGs (sustainable development goals).” Delegates reiterated their commitment to stepping up efforts to explore new ways of preserving the MDB model in order to provide low-cost financing to their members and scale up their collective response to the crisis. Hajjar said: “MDBs need to grasp the full extent of the situation and its effects.”