To watch the workshop’s context setting remarks, click here.

To see the full workshop and related materials, visit MCDF’s digital platform, JIGSAW.

The first session in the 2025 Workshop Series on Public-Private Partnerships Hot Topics focused on the infrastructure needs of developing countries, which in many cases are small-scale projects that require approaches appropriate for their size. The session reviewed emerging practices to cost-effectively deliver small-scale public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The session highlighted a year-long effort by the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals (WAPPP) to define small-scale PPP projects and their role in building climate resilience and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Jyoti Bisbey

Executive Committee Member, WAPPP

<p>Jyoti Bisbey is a global expert with more than 20 years of experience in leading Green Infrastructure Finance and PPPs in developing countries.&nbsp; She has worked internationally at the World Bank Group and at the United Nations. Jyoti holds an MBA from George Washington University in Washington, DC, USA and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from St. Stephens College in Delhi, India.</p> <p>Currently, Jyoti is the Executive Committee member of World Association of PPP Professionals and PPP Units (WAPPP), Sustainable &amp; Innovative Financing Advisory Board member of InfraBlocks Technologies Pte Ltd and the Associate Editor of the Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, part of the National University of Singapore. She has published extensively on a variety of topics including bringing green and inclusive infrastructure development through private sector financing in public investments.</p>

Arun Kumar

Principal Investment Officer, African Development Bank

<p>Arun Kumar is an investment and strategy professional with about two decades of experience in developing, financing, and executing high-impact projects across emerging markets. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Currently, as a principal investment officer, he manages social sector investments across Africa at the African Development Bank Group. In addition, having extensive experience in policy advisory, PPP models, risk assessment &amp; mitigation, unbundling the investments to provide innovative financing, project preparation facilities, co-financing, partnership, blended finance products, management consulting, and in-depth understanding of infrastructure financing across the various stages.</p>

Thiago Grego

Vice President and Director of Finance, Institute of Planning and City Management, Belo Horizonte (Brazil)

<p>Thiago Grego is the Vice-President and Director of IPGC, a specialist in public concessions and Public-Private Partnerships. He has worked with public-private partnerships for over 20 years at state, municipal and federal level, with vast experience in innovation, strategy, negotiating with the City Council, Legislative Assembly and trade unions, drafting bills and implementing public policies. He earned his MBA from the IESE University of Navarra, has a Master degree in Strategic Management from the Dom Cabral Foundation, postgraduate in Treasury Management and a bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the João Pinheiro Foundation's School of Government.</p>

Syed Zaidi

Senior Director, Alternative Capital Partnerships, Alberta Infrastructure

<p>Dr. Syed M. Ali Zaidi is a distinguished infrastructure executive with over 20 years of leadership in transformative projects spanning transportation, healthcare, education, housing, and water. As Senior Director of Alberta’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Office, he has led multi-billion-dollar initiatives and helped shape the province’s infrastructure policy landscape, establishing Alberta as a national leader in innovative delivery models.</p> <p>A globally recognized expert in PPPs and alternative project delivery, Dr. Zaidi combines deep academic insight - holding a Ph.D. in PPPs- with extensive Canadian and international experience. He actively engages with post-secondary institutions across Canada, advancing research and innovation in infrastructure development.</p> <p>Internationally, Dr. Zaidi serves as Chair of the Bureau for the UNECE Working Party on PPPs in Geneva, guiding global policy frameworks that promote sustainable infrastructure and inclusive economic growth.</p>

Abduqodir Yoqubov

Deputy Director, PPP Development Department, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Uzbekistan

<p>Abduqodir Yoqubov is a seasoned public-sector leader specializing in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) development, with a strong track record in fostering large-scale infrastructure investments. As the Deputy Director of the Department for Public-Private Partnership at the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the country’s PPP strategy and investment framework.</p> <p>His expertise extends to renewable energy projects, including solar IPPs, wind IPPs, and combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs). He has been instrumental in aligning Uzbekistan’s energy reforms with global sustainability goals, contributing to the nation’s target of 25% renewable energy by 2030.</p> <p>Committed to fostering a robust investment climate, Mr. Yoqubov actively engages with sovereign partners, international financial institutions, and private investors to enhance Uzbekistan’s PPP framework. His efforts in advancing bankable and transparent PPP policies have positioned the country as a leading investment destination in Central Asia.</p> <p>Fluent in English, Russian, Arabic, and Uzbek, he brings a global perspective to his work, facilitating cross-border collaboration and ensuring successful project implementation.</p>

Ziad-Alexandre Hayek

President, WAPPP

<p>Ziad-Alexandre Hayek has 44 years of experience in investment banking, corporate strategy, artificial intelligence, technology, public policy, and public-private partnerships. He has lived and worked in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, the US, and Latin America. In 2019, he was nominated to be President of the World Bank. Hayek is currently President of the World Association of PPP Units &amp; Professionals, Head of Global Strategic Alliances at&nbsp;HyperCycle.ai, and member of the Board of Trustees of USEK University. Previously he was Vice Chair of the UN Working Party on PPP, Secretary General of Lebanon’s High Council for Privatization and PPP, CEO of Lonbridge Associates, Senior Managing Director of Bear Stearns, President of Indosuez Mexico, Head of International Securitization at Citibank, and Vice President at Salomon Brothers. He is and has been a member of the boards of multiple companies, banks, universities, NGOs, and tech startups. He was a member of the US Council on Foreign Relations. Hayek has an MA in International Management from UT Dallas. He has studied Middle East Affairs at Harvard, is certified in artificial intelligence by IBM, and is registered as a CEO of a financial institution by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Hayek is a citizen of the US, the UK and Lebanon, and is conversant with 11 languages. For more info, please see&nbsp;<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/zahayek" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.linkedin.com/in/zahayek</a>.</p>

The workshop was tailored for staff from PPP units, ministries of finance and planning, project developers, and PPP practitioners from Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia. Staff from International Financial Institutions, national infrastructure and development banks, and emerging market financiers, as well as interested stakeholders, also participated.

The workshop was held virtually. Speaker presentations, case studies, and discussions were conducted in English.

Participants engaged through small group discussions, quick-answer apps, and question and answer sessions.

• Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance
• Egypt Ministry of Finance
• African Development Bank
• Asian Development Bank
• Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility
• World Association of PPP Units and Professionals

If you would like to learn more about this workshop or the 2025 Workshop Series on Public-Private Partnerships Hot Topics, please contact MCDF’s Jenny Lou Fernandez (jenny.fernandez@themcdf.org).

Concept Note: 2025 Workshop Series on Public-Private Partnerships Hot Topics

Additional information about small-scale PPPs can be found here.