Pakistan’s long-term development partnership with the World Bank advanced further as both sides reviewed progress under the Country Partnership Framework during a high-level engagement held on the sidelines of the Annual AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia. The World Bank reaffirmed its $20 billion development program for Pakistan, spread over a ten-year period, underscoring its continued commitment to supporting the country’s economic and social priorities.
According to an official press release, the meeting took place between Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and World Bank Group Managing Director Anna Bjerde. The engagement followed the recent visit of the World Bank President to Pakistan and served as a follow-up to discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation and improving execution under the existing framework.
Both sides reviewed the status of ongoing initiatives under the Country Partnership Framework and discussed the way forward to deepen development cooperation. The CPF serves as the central roadmap guiding the World Bank’s engagement with Pakistan, aligning financial support with national reform priorities and long-term development objectives.
The discussions covered a wide range of priority sectors critical to Pakistan’s development trajectory. These included energy sector reforms, education and health services, climate resilience, infrastructure development, fiscal reforms, and debt-for-development swaps. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring stronger alignment between reform objectives and project execution, an area that has often posed challenges in large-scale development programs.
Participants highlighted the need for a more focused and results-oriented framework supported by clear performance indicators and stronger implementation mechanisms. Both sides agreed that improving coordination, monitoring, and accountability would be essential to ensuring that development initiatives translate into measurable economic and social outcomes.
Anna Bjerde reiterated the World Bank Group’s commitment to Pakistan’s $20 billion development program, noting that sustained engagement and effective execution would be critical to maximizing its impact. She emphasized that long-term partnerships require not only financial resources but also strong institutional capacity and consistent policy implementation to deliver tangible results for citizens.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb reaffirmed the Pakistani government’s commitment to close coordination with the World Bank Group and assured full cooperation through relevant federal ministries. He stressed that effective implementation would depend on strong ownership at all levels of government and a shared focus on delivery rather than policy formulation alone.
The finance minister also highlighted the important role of provincial governments in ensuring timely execution and effective outcomes under the program. He emphasized that improved coordination between the federal and provincial tiers would be essential, particularly in sectors such as health, education, climate adaptation, and infrastructure, where implementation responsibilities are often shared.
The discussions took place during the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, a forum introduced in 2025 to facilitate dialogue on global economic challenges facing developing and emerging markets. The conference brings together finance ministers, central bank governors, senior policymakers, and leaders of international financial institutions to exchange views on reform priorities, development financing needs, and strategies to enhance economic resilience.
Pakistan’s engagement at the conference reflects its broader efforts to remain actively involved in global economic discussions while securing long-term development financing aligned with domestic reform agendas. The reaffirmation of the World Bank’s commitment provides an important signal of continuity and confidence at a time when emerging market economies face increasing pressures from climate risks, fiscal constraints, and global economic uncertainty.
The $20 billion Country Partnership Framework represents one of the largest and most structured development engagements for Pakistan, designed to support reforms over a decade rather than through short-term interventions. The emphasis on performance tracking, implementation capacity, and intergovernmental coordination signals a shift toward a more disciplined approach aimed at improving outcomes and long-term sustainability.
As Pakistan continues to navigate structural reforms and development challenges, the outcome of this engagement suggests that the focus will remain on translating policy commitments into delivery on the ground. Both sides indicated that continued dialogue and close coordination would be essential to ensuring that the partnership delivers meaningful and lasting impact across key sectors of the economy.
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