Meeting between the African, Arab and Islamic Contractors’ Federations and the World Bank to Follow Up on Mechanisms Supporting Contractors’ Participation in International Projects
As part of ongoing coordination and follow-up, a second meeting was held between representatives of the African Federation for Construction Contractors’ Associations (AFCCA), the Arab Contractors Federation (FAC), and the Federation of Contractors of Islamic Countries (FOCIC), and Dr. Majed Elbayaa, Regional Procurement Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, together with Mr. Walid Dhouibi, Senior Procurement Specialist, at the World Bank’s regional office in Cairo.
The meeting took place in the presence of Eng. Hassan Abdelaziz, President of AFCCA and Honorary President of both FAC and FOCIC; Mr. Ali AlSenafi, President of FAC; Mr. Sharif Wahbi, Vice President of FAC; Eng. Hamdy Shehata, Secretary-General of FAC; and Amb. Hatem Tageldin, Secretary-General of AFCCA.
This meeting followed the first meeting, which addressed ways to enhance contractors’ and consultants’ access to business opportunities offered by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and international financial institutions, and to strengthen their readiness to compete for internationally financed tenders and projects in line with internationally recognized best practices and standards.
During the second meeting, discussions continued on the organizational arrangements for the forthcoming Business Opportunities Seminar to be held in Cairo in partnership with the World Bank and a number of MDBs, with a particular focus on contracting and consulting firms interested in operating in the Egyptian market, and on practical mechanisms to expand their participation in internationally financed projects.
The meeting also explored ways to strengthen institutional cooperation between the professional federations and the World Bank, and agreed on the importance of holding similar seminars across the region in the coming period. These seminars aim to introduce available cooperation opportunities; explain procurement policies and procedures and relevant best practices; help companies avoid common bidding and contracting mistakes; and showcase success stories of contractors from several Middle East and North Africa countries in projects financed by international financial institutions.
Participants also reviewed the organizational and technical preparations for a seminar scheduled to be held in the Republic of Iraq on 18 January, in partnership with the World Bank and a number of MDBs, focusing on contracting and consulting firms and on mechanisms to expand their participation in internationally financed projects.
The participants emphasized that these seminars provide an important platform to enhance the readiness of contractors and consultants, broaden their access to regional and international markets, and reinforce competition, transparency and participation, thereby supporting co-financing and sustaining effective engagement between international financial institutions and the business community in the region.
