AGFUND renews support to the flagship Arab Human Development Report New partnership with UNDP extends to innovative and green development financing

Riyadh, 8 April 2026 — The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have forged a new strategic and forward-looking partnership that revitalizes their long-standing collaboration. Today, in Riyadh, H.R.H. Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), and Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNDP, signed a set of agreements to support forthcoming publications under the Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) series, first launched in 2002 with generous support from AGFUND (2004-2005).  The new collaboration will also support the recently announced Green Financing Platform for the Arab States region (GFP) to be launched in 2026 in partnership with AGFUND and other partners. The GFP aims to scale-up investments in innovative development financing in the region with a focus on countries emerging out of crisis.

“The AHDR has enjoyed strong support from Arab Gulf financial institutions since it globally pioneered the application of the human development lens to examining and guiding development policy at the regional level, almost twenty-five years ago,” said Abdallah Al Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNDP. “Honouring that legacy, the new collaboration that we are formalizing today charters new pathways for Arab development assistance to strategically help shape the future of our region.”

The agreements signed today will provide initial support to advancing Human Development in the Arab States region, including support to the upcoming 2026 AHDR; technical support to the GFP on taxonomy development and landscape assessment; and testing innovative approaches to resilience building, financial inclusion and green economic transformation in Djibouti, as well as accelerating Syria’s investment potential through strengthening national institutional capacities, strategic planning, and development of the country’s Investment Maps

“Three agreements were signed today, covering the Gulf region, the Arab States, and Djibouti. One of these agreements is specifically aimed at maximizing the impact of investments in the Syrian Arab Republic by providing investors with accurate data and statistics on development needs,” said Mr. Hammam bin Juraied, Executive Director of AGFUND. “These agreements build on the long-standing partnership between AGFUND and UNDP. Over the past four decades, more than 90 project agreements have been signed, with a total value exceeding US$25 million.”

The long-standing partnership between UNDP and AGFUND was recently renewed when the AGFUND joined as a founding member of the Global "Takaful" Alliance. In collaboration with the UNDP, this alliance seeks to establish the world's largest partnership dedicated to enhancing financial resilience for 100 million people worldwide.