OFID Attends Inauguration Ceremony of Sudan’s Roseires Dam
On January 1, 2013, an OFID delegation participated in the inauguration ceremony for the Roseires dam, which lies on the Blue Nile some 550 km southeast of the Sudanese capital Khartoum. Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir inaugurated the newly-expanded dam, which now holds 7.4 billion m3 of water - double its former capacity.
The project, a massive undertaking that took four years to complete, heightened the dam by 10 meters and extended the reservoir perimeter from 12.5 km to 24.1 km. Costing a total of US$460 million, the project was co-financed by OFID and sister organizations the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the Saudi Fund for Development.
The additional water supplies will bring numerous benefits to the people residing in the Blue Nile region, one of the country’s poorest areas. The dam’s power generation will rise by 50 percent - to 1,800 MW - drastically reducing the frequent power outages occurring in the capital and outlying regions. The expanded dam is also expected to provide irrigation for millions of feddans of existing and new farmland.
Representing OFID Director-General Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish at the ceremony was Mr Fuad Albassam, Assistant Director-General, Public Sector Operations, who delivered a speech on behalf of the Director-General. During the ceremony, President Al-Bashir awarded OFID the First Degree of the Order of the Two Niles in appreciation of the institution’s long-standing cooperation with his country. Mr. Albassam accepted the medal on behalf of Mr. Al-Herbish. Thanking the President for the honor bestowed on OFID, Mr. Albassam stated that the project would have a significant impact on the socio-economic development of the beneficiary population and exemplified the “strong cooperation upheld by the Coordination Group.” He went on to add that OFID stood firm in supporting Sudan’s efforts to combat poverty and achieve sustainable development.
The Sudan was the recipient of OFID's first-ever loan, which was extended in August 1976. Since then, OFID has approved 21 public sector loans that have benefited the country's agriculture, energy, transportation and water supply sectors. OFID has also extended private sector loans to help boost the Sudan's sugar-producing sector.
Published in The OPEC Fund for International Development website