Forging a new era of Arab African cooperation

With decades of diplomatic experience, Jalel Trabelsi is forging financial and strategic bridges between the two regions, aligning priorities and unlocking a new era of cooperation and sustainable investment.

The rich Arab Gulf countries are showing increasing interest in investing in Africa. To seize this opportunity, Jalel Trabelsi was appointed last year as the African Development Bank’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf Region with the aim of deepening Arab African strategic and financial cooperation.

His appointment marks a new chapter in the AfDB’s engagement with the Arab world and the Gulf region, emphasising a shared commitment to strengthening financial partnerships and expanding investment ties between the two regions. The Bank is forging a dynamic bridge between Africa and the Gulf, aligning development priorities, and fostering stronger collaboration across both regions.

The bridge-builder diplomat is one of the key architects of a new era in Arab African cooperation, striving to nurture a shared vision of productive partnership and to unlock opportunities across both regions. To achieve this, he has promoted the image of a dynamic, ambitious, and forward-looking Africa to his high-level counterparts in the Gulf. He has also showcased Africa’s strategic strengths and vast potential, demonstrating that the continent today ranks among the world’s most attractive regions in terms of risk-return balance, investment opportunities, and prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation.

He has been instrumental in persuading Gulf investors and sceptics that partnering with Africa offers more than growth for the continent, it presents a strategic gateway for Gulf economies eager to diversify their investments and deepen ties with the emerging markets of the future.

By harmonising African priorities with those of his Arab partners, Ambassador Trabelsi is making tangible contribution to the ongoing efforts to shape a future in which Arab African collaboration fosters mutually advantageous and enduring partnerships between two regions of immense potential.

With over three decades of experience in African and Arab affairs, Trabelsi has developed an extensive network of high-level relationships throughout Africa and the Arab world. His deep understanding of regional dynamics brings to his mission exceptional expertise in international relations, economic diplomacy, and financial cooperation.

As Special Envoy, he is working closely with leading financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and government leaders to establish a sustainable framework for long-term Arab African financial and investment cooperation. The objective of these efforts is to channel strategic alliances into Africa’s priority sectors, from infrastructure and energy to food security and climate resilience, thereby creating tangible opportunities for both regions. He also seeks to redefine the contours of Arab African cooperation, positioning the Gulf as a key partner in Africa’s transformation through a shared commitment to financial cooperation, strategic investment, and sustainable development.

Before joining the AfDB, Ambassador Trabelsi served as Tunisia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Sierra Leone, and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He is keenly interested in developing high-impact partnerships across the Arab world and Africa, collaborating with governments, multilateral and private financial institutions, investment agencies, and other key actors in multilateral cooperation.