General Information:
The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) was established pursuant to the resolution of the 6th Arab Summit Conference at Algiers (28th November 1975). The Bank began operations in March 1975. Its headquarters are established in Khartoum, the capital of the Republic of the Sudan.

Objectives:
The Bank was created for the purpose of strengthening economic, financial and technical cooperation between the Arab and African regions, to make Arab African solidarity a concrete reality and to base this co-operative venture on foundations of equality and friendship, to this end, the Bank was given a mandate to:

• Participate in financing economic development in non-Arab African countries.
• Stimulate the contribution of Arab capital to African development.
• Help provide the technical assistance required for the development in Africa.

Operations:
BADEA'S financing operations have expanded since 1975, reaching US $2485.429 million by end of December 2003. If we consider the loans provided through SAAFA (Special Arab Aid Fund for Africa), totaling US $ 214.244 million, the total commitments of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa would stand at US $ 2699.673 million by the end of December 2003.

The commitments have been earmarked to finance 335 development projects, which included 25 loans for the private sector (includes 16 lines of credit), 300 technical assistance operations and 14 special operations in the context of Emergency Aid Program benefiting several African countries effected by drought and desertification, in addition to 59 loans extended through SAAFA.

BADEA's commitments to the technical assistance operations reached during the same period, US $ 72.479 million, earmarked to finance feasibility studies and institutional support.

BADEA's operations had a wide coverage of African countries beneficiary of its aid by covering 42 out of the 43 eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to a number of regional organizations. The operations were diversified and covered the sectors of infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, rural water and electricity, rural roads, animal and fish production, energy, industry, social and private sector over and above technical assistance operations.