Business opportunities and requirements for participating in the growing number of multilateral development bank (MDB)-financed infrastructure projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and globally were explored during a joint Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) workshop in Cairo and online on 13-14 May. The value of MDB standards for ensuring project quality was also discussed.  

The Ministry of Finance of Egypt, African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), World Bank, and Egyptian Federation for Construction & Building Contractors (EFCBC) cohosted the workshop, and the European Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, and New Development Bank contributed speakers. The workshop provided infrastructure firms based in the MENA region insights on upcoming MDB procurement opportunities. It also examined these opportunities’ procurement regulations and procedures to help companies bid for them.

MENA-region contractors, suppliers, consultants, and project developers attending the workshop, including many based in Cairo, were offered guidance on pursuing potential MDB financing for public private partnership (PPP) and private sector projects, and broader lessons for partnering with MDBs and aligning with MDB standards.

In opening remarks, Mr. Atter Hanoura, Director of the Central PPP Unit at Egypt’s Finance Ministry, EFCBC Chair Eng. Mohamed Sammy, and senior staff from MCDF, AIIB, IsDB, AfDB, and the World Bank described opportunities provided by MDBs. They also explained the importance of ensuring a sound understanding of MDBs’ procurement rules, which can enable companies from the region to compete for tenders effectively.

“MDBs are a large and growing source of infrastructure finance and market opportunities for infrastructure firms in the MENA region and beyond,” said Strahan Spencer, MCDF’s Platform Team Head. “Learning to meet MDBs’ business requirements has the added benefit of making companies more attractive to work with among other international partners. Some MDBs can even give direct advice on boosting business growth,” he continued.

Experts overviewed MDBs’ operational role, business opportunities associated with MDB project financing, and MDB procurement frameworks and experiences following their recent shift to a principle-based approach to project procurement policy. They noted MDBs’ increasing focus on environmental and social sustainability and the need for companies to address them to successfully win bids.

MDB representatives went on to discuss standard procurement documents used by MDBs, common mistakes made by companies in their bids, and MDBs’ anti-corruption and integrity requirements for infrastructure firms and far-reaching sanctions for infractions. They also explained firms’ rights during the bidding process and integrity investigations, and opportunities and policies for private sector co-investment with MDBs.

The workshop is the second in a series on opportunities and requirements for MDB procurement and financing operations, which MCDF and its MDB partners are providing to infrastructure companies from different regions.

Workshop presentations and related-knowledge products are available on the MCDF JIGSAW platform.

Mr. Atter Hanoura, Director, Central Public-Private Partnership Unit, Finance Ministry, Egypt

Eng. Mohamed Sammy, Chair, Egyptian Federation for Construction & Building Contractors

Workshop delegates

Mr. Strahan Spencer, Head, Platform Team, MCDF