What Arab Coordination Group does

Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a non-profit strategic alliance established in 1975 that coordinates development financing activities among 10 sovereign Arab development finance institutions: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), Arab Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, OPEC Fund for International Development, Qatar Fund for Development, and Saudi Fund for Development. The Group operates as a coordination platform rather than a single corporate entity, holding annual Heads of Institutions meetings, high-level consultations, and thematic roundtables to align member activity. Its functional purpose is to enable co-financing of development projects that exceed any single member's capacity and to provide a unified Arab voice in global development forums.

ACG does not deploy capital directly; financing is originated, approved, and serviced by individual member institutions, with ACG functioning as the convening and alignment layer. Its portfolio spans infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, and climate resilience across 160+ recipient countries. Since 1975, member institutions have collectively extended more than US$331.5 billion across 13,000+ projects, with US$25.7 billion deployed in 2025 alone across 735 operations in 97+ countries. Forward commitments totaling nearly US$100 billion through 2030 are structured around thematic initiatives including the SmartEd education program (US$500M with the Global Partnership for Education), the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (US$2.5B), the COVID-19 Joint Response (US$10B), the Global Food Security Action (US$10B), and the Climate Finance Initiative (US$24B for Africa/MENA/South Asia by 2030, plus US$10B for desertification and US$10B for energy transition).

The business model is fundamentally non-commercial: ACG is funded by and through its sovereign member institutions and does not earn traditional revenue from products, pricing, or fees. Its 'go-to-market' is diplomatic and intergovernmental — partnerships are developed through government negotiations, international development forums (COP, Financing for Development conferences), and bilateral MoUs with recipient countries (e.g., Uzbekistan, Mauritania, Morocco, Egypt, Azerbaijan) and peer multilaterals (AfDB, World Bank, IDB, OECD DAC, UNDP, Gates Foundation). The Arab Development Portal, a bilingual AI-enabled open data platform covering 22 Arab countries, is the Group's principal digital asset for evidence-based project origination. ACG has 11-50 employees and reports no conventional revenue or parent/subsidiary structure, consistent with its role as a coordination overlay on sovereign development finance.

Name

Arab Coordination Group

Legal name

Arab Coordination Group

Website

https://theacg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a non-profit strategic alliance, established in 1975, that coordinates development financing among 10 sovereign Arab development finance institutions. It enables co-financing of infrastructure, energy, health, education, and climate projects across 160+ recipient countries, having collectively deployed over US$331.5 billion since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multilateral Development Finance

NAICS

International Affairs (928120)

SIC

Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure & Project Finance Facilities (BPADACAG)

Keywords

• Development finance coordination
• Multilateral development financing
• Sovereign development loans
• Infrastructure project financing
• South-South cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Development Financing: ACG member institutions provide development financing through loans, grants, and technical assistance to developing countries. Financing is deployed across sectors including infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, water, and agriculture.
2. Coordinated Development Finance: The Group coordinates financing efforts among 10 member institutions to fund major development projects that exceed the capacity of any single institution, optimizing resource deployment for sustainable development impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a strategic alliance of 10 Arab national and regional development finance institutions that collectively coordinates development financing — including loans, grants, and technical assistance — to developing countries. Member institutions (including Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, BADEA, AGFUND, Arab Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank, Kuwait Fund, OPEC Fund, Qatar Fund for Development, and Saudi Fund for Development) co-finance large-scale projects in infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, water, agriculture, and climate resilience that exceed any single institution's capacity.

Product overview

Arab Coordination Group (ACG) is a strategic alliance of 10 national and regional development finance institutions that provides coordinated development finance rather than a unified technology product. The organization's offerings consist of various financing initiatives and programs including Smart Education Financing (SmartEd), the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), the Arab Development Portal (ADP) data platform, and thematic financing programs for COVID-19 response, food security, and climate action. These initiatives collectively mobilize development financing across sectors including infrastructure, energy, healthcare, education, agriculture, and water across developing nations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Education Financing (SmartEd) A USD 500 million education financing initiative in partnership with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) that mobilizes blended financing to strengthen resilient education systems across 37 countries, with the aim of educating 175 million children through inclusive, scalable education infrastructure.
• Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF) A coalition fund of USD 2.5 billion, established by ACG members (Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Islamic Development Bank, Qatar Fund for Development) with founding partners including King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, Gates Foundation, and Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, financing projects across healthcare, agriculture, and industrial development to eradicate poverty in developing nations.
• Arab Development Portal (ADP) A bilingual (Arabic-English) AI-enabled open data platform developed in collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development, and UNDP that centralizes development statistics across 22 Arab countries to support evidence-based development finance and policymaking.
• COVID-19 Joint Response A USD 10 billion emergency financing commitment launched in May 2020 to provide medical aid, education continuity support, and MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise) assistance to developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Global Food Security Action A USD 10 billion financing commitment to address global food insecurity resulting from supply chain disruptions linked to COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine, targeting food security resilience in developing countries.
• Climate Finance Initiative A multi-program climate finance package including USD 24 billion by 2030 for climate action across Africa, MENA, and South Asia (announced at COP27: USD 5B adaptation, USD 10B mitigation, USD 5B energy transition, USD 4B crosscutting), USD 10 billion to restore land and combat desertification by 2030, and USD 10 billion for inclusive and equitable energy transition.

Quantifiable outcome

• US$331.5 billion in development financing across 13,000+ projects in 160+ countries since 1975
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Cambridge and UNICEFminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Uzbekistan has launched a comprehensive revision of its preschool and school educational programs in partnership with Cambridge and UNICEF. While ACG is mentioned in the context of Uzbekistan's broader development partnerships, the direct partnership for this education reform initiative is between Uzbekistan, Cambridge, and UNICEF.
• African Development Bank Group (AfDB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026ACG and AfDB launched a strategic partnership at a High-Level Consultation Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, aimed at scaling co-financing and accelerating Africa's economic transformation. The partnership seeks to mobilize larger, more coordinated public and private investment for development priorities including energy access, climate resilience, food security, regional integration, and private-sector-led growth. A Joint Declaration establishing a Financing and Operational Partnership Framework was adopted, with practical implementation to be considered in 2026.
• Azerbaijan Ministry of EconomycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Azerbaijan's Ministry of Economy signed a Statement of Intent with ACG during the Arab Coordination Group High-Level Roundtable. Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov described the documents as landmark agreements that will elevate the partnership and establish business platforms to promote investments across shared priority sectors. This marks a new stage in Azerbaijan's economic cooperation with Arab development institutions.
• Global Partnership for Education (GPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACG committed USD 500 million to the SmartEd initiative in partnership with GPE to strengthen resilient education systems in 37 countries through inclusive, scalable infrastructure and innovative blended financing for national education reforms. ACG mobilized USD 350 million toward Smart Education Financing with the aims to educate 175 million children in 37 countries.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACG collaborates with UNDP on the Arab Development Portal, a bilingual (Arabic–English) and AI-enabled open data platform that centralizes development statistics across 22 Arab countries, supporting evidence-based development finance and policymaking.
• King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKSrelief is a founding partner of the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), a coalition initiative that mobilizes USD 2.5 billion for projects across healthcare, agriculture, and industrial development to eradicate poverty in developing nations.
• Gates FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Gates Foundation is a founding partner of the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), contributing to the USD 2.5 billion initiative for healthcare, agriculture, and industrial development projects.
• Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISFD is a founding partner of the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), supporting poverty eradication efforts in developing nations through the USD 2.5 billion initiative.
• OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACG has been collaborating with the OECD DAC for over ten years to advance solutions to critical development issues and identify opportunities for collaboration. ACG is an active member of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation since its inception in 2012.
• International Law Institute (ILI)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerACG is outlining Procurement Guidelines and Procedures Enhancement in cooperation with the International Law Institute in the United States of America.
• Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGFUND is a member of ACG and has established nine financial inclusion banks supporting over 7.5 million clients with over USD 1 billion disbursed, with plans to invest USD 2 billion in microfinance across Africa and the Arab world by 2030.
• Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADFD is a founding member of ACG and serves as one of the 10 member institutions. It was established in July 1971 and is an autonomous national entity affiliated with Abu Dhabi government.
• Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBADEA is a member of ACG, established pursuant to resolution of the 6th Arab Summit Conference at Algiers (28th November 1973), began operations in March 1975, and is based in Khartoum, Sudan.
• Arab Fund for Economic and Social DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arab Fund, based in Kuwait, is an ACG member and regional financial institution focused on funding economic and social development. It has provided about USD 15 billion to co-finance infrastructure projects.
• Arab Monetary FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arab Monetary Fund is a member of ACG with 22 member countries. It collaborated with UN-ESCWA to upgrade the Arab Development Portal for sustainable development.
• Islamic Development BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is a member of ACG and a multilateral development bank rated AAA by major rating agencies, working for over 45 years to improve lives in communities it serves.
• Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKuwait Fund is a founding member of ACG and the first development institution in the Middle East. It hosted the first ACG meeting on September 20, 1975.
• OPEC Fund for International DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OPEC Fund, established in 1976 by OPEC member countries, is a member of ACG and the only globally mandated development institution among its members. It hosts ACG meetings at its Vienna headquarters.
• Qatar Fund for DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQatar Fund for Development (QFFD) is a Qatari public institution committed to implementing foreign aid projects by international best practices on behalf of the State of Qatar.
• Saudi Fund for DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi Fund for Development (SFD) was established in 1975 as a government organization concerned with development support through soft loans and grants to finance development projects.
• Inter-American Development BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACG engaged in roundtable meetings with IDB and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, reflecting the Group's commitment to fostering dialogue and strengthening collaboration across the global development community.
• Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF-V20)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACG engaged in roundtable meetings with the Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers, reflecting the Group's continued commitment to climate action and vulnerable nations.
• UN-ESCWAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arab Fund and UN-ESCWA joined forces to upgrade the Arab Development Portal for Sustainable Development in the Arab Region.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• World Bank Group: The largest multilateral development finance institution globally, coordinating concessional lending, grants, and policy advisory to developing countries. ACG operates as a smaller-coordination analog and competes for visibility in the same sovereign-borrower markets, particularly in Africa and MENA.
• Asian Development Bank: Regional multilateral development bank financing infrastructure, climate, and social projects across Asia-Pacific. Comparable to ACG in mandate and instrument set, and a partner/counterparty for several ACG member institutions on co-financed deals.
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: Multilateral development bank investing across emerging Europe, Central Asia, and the Southern/Eastern Mediterranean. Comparable to ACG in scale of annual commitments, project mix (infrastructure, climate, SME), and emphasis on private-sector mobilization.
• Inter-American Development Bank: Latin America/Caribbean-focused multilateral development bank. ACG has held roundtable engagements with IDB and CAF on Latin America financing, and the two operate with overlapping lending, grant, and technical-assistance instruments.

Direct peers

• African Development Bank Group: Africa-focused multilateral development bank that co-finances infrastructure, climate, and social-sector projects across the continent. ACG is an explicit strategic partner (Jan 2026 Financing Framework), but AfDB also competes with ACG members for the same large-scale African mandates.

Emerging players

• Green Climate Fund: Multilateral climate-finance facility channeling concessional climate capital to developing countries via accredited implementing partners, including several ACG members. Competes with ACG's US$24B climate commitment for mandate and visibility in vulnerable-country financing.
• Climate Investment Funds: Multilateral climate-program platform funding clean energy, climate resilience, and forest finance in developing countries. Comparable in programmatic structure and concessional-instrument focus, and a potential co-financing counterparty to ACG's climate commitments.

Others

• OECD Development Assistance Committee: The principal forum of bilateral donor countries setting development-finance norms and tracking official development assistance. ACG has collaborated with the DAC for over a decade, positioning DAC as a standards-setter and counterparty rather than a direct competitor.
• Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development: A founding member of ACG and the first Middle East development institution. Although an ACG member rather than a true peer, it operates a similar sovereign-lending mandate and is the historical anchor of the coordination group, providing a useful internal benchmark.
• Saudi Fund for Development: A founding ACG member and sovereign development lender active in ~100 partner countries. While not a market peer, SFD's individual scale and project pipeline offer a direct reference point for ACG's aggregate financing capacity and country reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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