Algiers, Algeria—19 May 2025: On the opening day of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Annual Meetings 2025, the Bank convened the 13th Youth Development Forum at the International Conference Centre “Abdelatif Rahal” in Algiers, Algeria. Held under the theme “Future-Ready: Skills and Solutions for Youth Employability,” the Forum brought together ministers, youth representatives, global experts, and development stakeholders to address challenges facing youth in labour markets across the Bank’s 57 Member Countries.

The event was a strategic platform, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships and promoting policy-to-practice alignment. It was a collective effort, amplifying innovative youth-led solutions. Discussions were centred on building productive employment ecosystems, scaling up youth-led enterprises, and driving institutional reforms for inclusive growth.

In his opening address, Dr. Rami Ahmad, IsDB Vice President (Operations), emphasised the critical importance of preparing young people for a rapidly evolving global economy: “The theme of this year’s Forum speaks to an imperative that transcends statistics and targets. It reminds us that preparing for the future of work is not a technical exercise, but a development requirement—one that calls for systems capable of translating talent into productivity, aspiration into agency, and innovation into long-term value.”

Highlighting IsDB’s commitment to youth empowerment, Dr. Ahmad noted that in 2023 alone, over 25,000 jobs were created through IsDB-supported projects, with new initiatives launched to potentially generate 574,000 more. In 2024, more than 2 million individuals saw income improvements through interventions ranging from youth-led MSMEs in Tunisia to labour-intensive infrastructure programs in Egypt, Senegal, and Türkiye.

The Forum also featured an engaging and interactive audience session with youth leaders and innovators, reinforcing the need for youth to be seen not as beneficiaries but as co-authors of their development pathways. This 13th edition of the Youth Forum contributes to the broader objectives of the IsDB Annual Meetings 2025, offering concrete insights to inform policy, expand partnerships, and scale best practices for meaningful youth employment.