Published
10/30/2025, 17:40On 30 October 2025, at the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) in Riyadh, he spoke at a panel discussion entitled ‘Can investment capital directed towards development goals become a source of trillions of dollars for inclusive growth?’ The discussion was attended by the President of the African Development Bank, the CEO of Saudi Eksab for International Investments, the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and other participants.
Podguzov emphasised that MDBs are a key development tool, but their aggregate investments now amount to approximately $180 billion per year, and their share in the global economy has declined from 1.9% to 1.7% of GDP over the past 25 years. He proposed developing instruments to double IFC capital, as well as developing cooperation to attract private investment, which has accumulated more than $22 trillion, but whose share in developing countries remains low due to the mismatch between risk and return.
Podguzov paid particular attention to Central Asia, where growth exceeds 6%, and the participation of the MBR in the early stages allows to reduce risks and attract private investment. He also noted the importance of diversifying sources of financing, including the active participation of the Persian Gulf countries and China. The EDB already issues bonds in local currencies and plans to open a representative office in Abu Dhabi and enter the Saudi Arabian markets.
During the discussion, participants emphasised the need to mobilise capital for investment, reduce the risks of private investment, and support countries in establishing a legal, institutional and regulatory framework to increase confidence. All agreed that MDBs are focused on sustainable development and stimulating inclusive growth through well-structured and transparent investment mechanisms.
