Ethiopia’s bold economic reform drive is winning powerful global allies, as both the World Bank (WB) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the country’s vision for sustainable, inclusive growth.

During high-level discussions held on the sidelines of the 2025 IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, Finance Minister Ahmed Shide secured strong endorsements from key international partners, signaling rising global confidence in Ethiopia’s homegrown reform agenda.

In a session with World Bank Acting Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Amit Dar, Ethiopia was praised for its determined efforts to curb inflation, empower the private sector, and raise national productivity. 

Dar emphasized the World Bank’s readiness to intensify its support, particularly in public investment, policy development, and private sector expansion. He highlighted Ethiopia’s reform blueprint as critical for building resilience and promoting equitable development across all sectors.

Finance Minister Ahmed, in turn, outlined the significant strides Ethiopia has made despite challenging global conditions. He detailed pro-poor reforms designed to strengthen macro-financial stability, draw foreign direct investment, bolster energy security, expand regional trade, and deepen financial inclusion. He also stressed the centrality of human capital development to Ethiopia’s long-term economic transformation.

In a separate bilateral engagement, Minister Ahmed met with Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, to discuss scaling up development cooperation. The SFD expressed keen interest in boosting investments in Ethiopia’s energy and transport sectors, while also supporting infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, and mining initiatives. 

Al-Marshad applauded the Ethiopian government’s early successes in improving the investment climate and reaffirmed the SFD’s commitment to helping unlock the country’s untapped economic potential.

Both the World Bank and the SFD pledged deeper collaboration through strategic investments and high-level engagement. The meetings underscored Ethiopia’s growing role as a key player in regional economic integration across the Horn of Africa and marked a strong international endorsement of its ambitious reform trajectory.