Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), has been elected as the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), ushering in a fresh chapter for the continent’s premier development finance institution.
After three intense rounds of voting, Dr. Ould Tah clinched the top seat with 76 per cent of delegate votes, becoming the 10th president of the Bank since its establishment in 1967.
A familiar face in development finance circles, Ould Tah brings with him a rich blend of experience spanning over 30 years both in the public and multilateral sectors. He began his professional journey in 1984 at the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Commerce (BMDC), before taking on roles at the Food Security Commission and later as Administration and Finance Manager at the Municipality of Nouakchott. From 1988 to 1996, he served as Advisor to the Director General and headed Internal Auditing at Nouakchott Port Authority.
He later joined the Arab Authority for Agriculture, Investment and Development (AAAID) in Sudan as a Financial Analyst and went on to serve in the Islamic Development Bank, where he held senior roles, including as Technical Assistant to the President.
On the political front, Dr. Ould Tah served as economic advisor to both the President and Prime Minister of Mauritania between 2006 and 2008, before being appointed as Minister of Economy and Finance. He later assumed the role of Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, a position he held until his appointment at BADEA.
