Visit to Mali by IFC Vice President Assaad Jabre February 16-18, 2004

In Washington: 
Ahmed Badawi-Malik 
Phone: +1 (202) 458-7148 
Fax:      +1 (202) 974-4384 
Email: Abadawi@ifc.org




BAMAKO, MALI, February 13, 2004— Mr. Assaad Jabre, Vice President, Operations 
of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the 
World Bank Group, will visit Mali from February 16-18, 2004. Mr. Jabre’s 
visit will focus on assessing opportunities for IFC investments and advisory 
services, together with consulting with government ministers, local private 
sector representatives, industry leaders as well as IFC clients. 

The visit underlines the importance and continuing commitment that IFC attaches 
to its partnership with Mali. Mr. Jabre will be accompanied by Mr. Thierry 
Tanoh, IFC associate director for Africa. Mr. Jabre’s program will include 
meetings with the president and prime minister of Mali, and calls on the 
ministers of economy & finance, private sector development, mining, transport, 
energy & water minerals and communications. 

Meetings with the government of Mali will give Mr. Jabre an opportunity to 
introduce IFC’s new Africa strategy, discuss economic and social 
developmental priorities for Mali, and explore with the government how IFC can 
help further improve the business environment for increased private sector 
development and, in turn, hasten private sector job and wealth creation to 
reduce poverty and boost opportunities for the economic advancement of Malians. 

Mr. Jabre will also meet representatives from the Private Sector Association 
(PSEP), the chamber of commerce & industry, the banking association, and visit 
IFC clients, Anglo Gold, Graphique Industrie, and Société Malienne de 
Promotion Hôtelière - a local trading company, specializing in tourism, that 
IFC signed a E1.5 million investment commitment in 2003 to finance the 
renovation of the Grand Hotel, Bamako. 

IFC supports sustainable private sector development in Mali through both actual 
investments and performing private sector and investment advisory work. Since 
its first investment in 1956, IFC has committed financing to projects in Mali 
amounting to $45 million as of FY 2003 - including $20 million from its own 
account and $25 million for the account of banks participating in syndicated 
loans. 

IFC’s strategic priorities for Mali include helping the private sector grow 
by investing in key export sectors such as mining and tourism; providing 
advisory services to the government’s privatization program in key 
infrastructure sectors; and improving the business and financial operating 
environment for micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) by, for 
example, investing in transportation and warehousing sectors. 

The mission of IFC (www.ifc.org) is to promote sustainable private sector 
investment in developing countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve 
people’s lives. IFC finances private sector investments in the developing 
world, mobilizes capital in the international financial markets, helps clients 
improve social and environmental sustainability, and provides technical 
assistance and advice to governments and businesses. From its founding in 1956 
through FY03, IFC has committed more than $37 billion of its own funds and 
arranged $22 billion in syndications for 2,990 companies in 140 developing 
countries. IFC’s worldwide committed portfolio as of FY03 was $16.8 billion 
for its own account and $6.6 billion held for participants in loan 
syndications. 
 


Note to Editors: A press conference will be held at the Center for the Private 
Sector for Mr. Jabre in Bamako on Wednesday, February 18 at 12 noon. For 
details please contact Ms. Judith Press, World Bank Resident Representative in 
Mali: 

Judith Press 
World Bank 
Immeuble SOGEFIH 
Centre Commercial Rue 32 
Quartier du Fleuve 
Bamako, Mali 
Tel: (223) 222 22 83 
Fax: (223) 222 66 82 
Email: Jpress@worldbank.org


Enc: Biography of Assaad Jabre  




ASSAAD JABRE 
Vice President, Operations, IFC




Assad Jabre, a Lebanese national, is Vice President, Operations of the 
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector affiliate of the 
World Bank Group. He is responsible for new investments worldwide. He also 
oversees, on behalf of IFC, the private sector advisory services of the World 
Bank Group. 

Mr. Jabre joined the World Bank Group in 1980 through the Young Professionals 
Program. Upon completion of the program, he joined IFC as an investment 
officer, where he worked on projects in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. 

From 1989 to 1992, Mr. Jabre served as special assistant to IFC’s executive 
vice president. He was then appointed manager, telecommunications, in the 
infrastructure department, where he served until he got appointed as director 
of the infrastructure department in 1996. 

In 1997, Mr. Jabre became vice president, portfolio management and advisory 
operations, where he took responsibility for managing IFC’s loan and equity 
portfolio. He got appointed to his current position in 2000. 

Mr. Jabre graduated from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris with a 
degree in economics and finance, and he also received a degree in international 
law from the University of Paris. He Worked for Paribas in Paris for four years 
before entering the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he 
received an MBA in 1980.