JEDDAH: The Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) launched a joint executive program for development in Yemen on Thursday, with the aim of uniting development efforts for the reconstruction of Yemen in cooperation with the Yemeni government and other partners. IDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar and SDRPY General Supervisor Mohammad Al-Jaber signed the agreement. Hajjar expressed his hope that the program will be a starting point for further cooperation between SDRPY and IDB to support socio-economic development in Yemen, especially in light of the difficult circumstances that the country is going through. “(We have outlined several areas of cooperation) and we are keen to translate them into jointly implemented programs,” Hajjar stated. #SDRPY General Supervisor H. E. Ambassador @mohdsalj signed an executive program with @isdb_group , H.E. Bandar M. H. Hajjar to strengthen the partnership between the program and the active international and regional development organizations in #Yemen . pic.twitter.com/oMnhurgerO — البرنامج السعودي لتنمية وإعمار اليمن (@SaudiDRPY) May 20, 2021 Al-Jaber said the program will support the Yemeni governments efforts to create a road map for development and reconstruction in Yemen. He emphasized that Saudi Arabia is one of the largest contributors to development, reconstruction and direct economic support to Yemen through the SDRPY, which has nearly 200 development projects underway in sectors including education, health, water, energy, agriculture and fisheries, transportation, and construction. The newly launched program will expand existing joint projects in cooperation with the Yemeni government, and will introduce several new ones, focused on the empowerment of women and young people, literacy, rural growth, and combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also support the private sector and strengthen its role in development.