Press Release

OFID Director-General Al-Herbish receives Moroccan national award
Announces approval of a grant to mark World Food Day

45/2009 October 20, 2009 Vienna, Austria
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The Director-General of OFID (the OPEC Fund for International Development), Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, was on Friday, October 16, awarded the Moroccan Order of Wissam Al Alaoui. The honor, with the Grade of Commander, was conferred on Mr. Al-Herbish by HE Dr. Omar Zniber, Ambassador of Morocco to Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna, acting on behalf of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.

The Kingdom of Morocco bestows the Order of Wissam Al Alaoui in recognition of exceptional military or civil services to the Kingdom. Mr. Al-Herbish was praised for accomplishments relating to the worldwide engagement of OFID and the institution’s support toward the promotion of socio-economic development in Morocco.

The Award presentation took place at the Moroccan Ambassador’s residence in Vienna and was attended by a host of distinguished guests, including the ambassadors of various Arab countries and representatives of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, including the chief of protocol.

Mr. Al-Herbish thanked Dr. Zniber and Morocco, adding that he was receiving the award on behalf of the family of OFID. He went on to speak about OFID’s endeavor to contribute to development cooperation and mentioned the institution’s efforts in relation to Energy for the Poor as well as its grant financing for food security and poverty alleviation. OFID, Mr. Al-Herbish disclosed, has continued with its operations in support of poor countries despite the effect of the global financial crisis on the work of international financial institutions. The Director-General took the opportunity to announce OFID’s approval of a US$500,000 grant to support the efforts of the World Food Program on the occasion of the World Food Day, 2009 (see separate press release 46/2009).

OFID and Morocco have been partners in development since 1977, when a public sector loan was approved to help develop water resources in the Oum-er-R'bia basin. Subsequent funding has been extended in the areas of agriculture, education, energy, health, national development banks, transportation, water supply and sewerage, as well as to projects of a multi-sectoral nature. The country has also received a number of multi-regional technical assistance grants aimed at enhancing the productivity of the agricultural sector and improving health indicators, as well as emergency aid for earthquake victims. Morocco was also a beneficiary country of two OFID/UNDP (United Nations Development Program) HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives.

Arabic version