Malaysian prime minister, IsDB president discuss SME and entrepreneurship support in Jeddah

Jeddah – October 20, 2026 (SPA): Malaysian Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Malaysia’s governor to the Islamic Development Bank, Anwar Ibrahim, met with Islamic Development Bank Group President Mohammed Al-Jasser to reaffirm the longstanding strategic partnership between Malaysia and the Bank Group.

The talks focused on strengthening cooperation through the upcoming Country Engagement Framework between Malaysia and the Islamic Development Bank Group for 2027–2029. The framework aims to support Malaysia’s development priorities while leveraging its expertise in Islamic finance, institutional development, and private sector engagement to achieve sustainable development impact across the Bank’s member countries.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance support for small and medium-sized enterprises, promote entrepreneurship and job creation, and expand private sector development to help achieve inclusive economic growth.

Al-Jasser praised Malaysia’s leadership as a global hub for Islamic finance and highlighted the strategic role of the Bank Group’s Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur. According to the statement, the center helps strengthen institutional cooperation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and advance “Reverse Linkage” initiatives, which aim to transfer successful Malaysian development solutions and expertise to other Bank member countries.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening South-South cooperation, mobilizing innovative financing, and strengthening the partnership between Malaysia and the Islamic Development Bank Group to drive inclusive and sustainable development.