Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, chaired on 13 May the 60th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African Countries, held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League. The meeting was attended by Ambassador Mohannad Lajouzi, Assistant Secretary-General and Director-General of the Fund, as well as ambassadors and representatives of the Arab member states serving on the Board, namely Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Palestine, the Comoros, Libya, Egypt, and Morocco, in addition to representatives of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa.
Gamal Roshdy, the official spokesperson for the Secretary-General, stated that the meeting reviewed the items on the agenda relating to the Fund's activities, its financial position, the final accounts for 2025, and the proposed budget for 2026.
Roshdy conveyed the Secretary-General's affirmation of the importance of the role played by the Fund as an effective instrument of Arab-African cooperation, supporting and complementing the higher strategic objectives pursued by the League and its member states in partnership with their African counterparts, particularly in light of the need to preserve the strength of Arab-African relations.
The spokesperson also noted that the Secretary-General expressed during the meeting his aspiration for member states to further strengthen the role of the League through their support for the Fund's budget.
Roshdy added that the ambassadors serving on the Board stressed during the meeting the importance of extending greater care and support to the Fund. He pointed out that, during the 2025–2026 academic year, the Fund succeeded in organising 70 training courses benefiting 1,126 African trainees from various African countries in diverse fields including medicine, engineering, agriculture, petroleum and mining, and nursing. In addition, the Fund provided 100 scholarships to students from 20 African countries to study at Arab universities.
The Fund also intends to organise 40 training courses during the upcoming 2026–2027 academic year and to offer a further 100 scholarships to African students at Arab universities. Roshdy stressed that the Fund enjoys considerable respect and appreciation among African states in recognition of its valued efforts, despite carrying out these activities with resources amounting to less than 10 per cent of its approved budget.
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