President Bio and BADEA Chief Promise Closer Collaboration to Accelerate Development Projects

Swiss city of Davos, January 20, 2026. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Abdullah KH ALMUSAIBEEH, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), committed to strengthening their partnership.
President Bio briefed BADEA’s president on the status of the bank’s existing projects in Sierra Leone and outlined the government’s priorities for future engagement. He emphasised BADEA’s role in assisting with the implementation of the country’s Medium-term National Development Plan, claiming that the bank’s interventions have been critical in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and education. “BADEA is effectively supporting the implementation of our Medium-term National Development Plan through interventions in key sectors of the economy, particularly infrastructure, agriculture, and education,” he said.
Bio expressed gratitude to BADEA for recently approving a US$60 million Trade Credit Facility that will make it easier to import rice and other necessities. A Medium-term Trade Credit Facility aimed at small and medium-sized businesses operating in productive sectors was also requested by him to support job creation, sustainable growth, and economic and social stability. He also asked for increased support to expedite infrastructure development.
Abdullah KH ALMUSAIBEEH praised President Bio for the detailed project update and reaffirmed BADEA’s commitment to expediting ongoing initiatives. He invited the Sierra Leonean leader to visit BADEA’s headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to strengthen the organisation’s partnership with the government.
Currently worth approximately US$85.7 million, BADEA’s portfolio in Sierra Leone consists of five projects in the fields of roads, education, agriculture, and health. In order to guarantee timely delivery and optimise the developmental impact of current and upcoming interventions, both parties decided to step up coordination.