Bridging Regions: Strengthening Arab–Latin American Cooperation

On 30 June 2025, the Bridging Regions Forum—hosted by CAF – Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean  and the Arab Coordination Group (ACG)—marked a new chapter in South–South cooperation. The event, supported by TIDE Director Amir Lebdioui and TIDE Senior Research Advisor Angel Melguizo, launched a new working group bringing together Latin American and Caribbean countries and institutions with ten Arab funds to co-design financial instruments and identify joint projects for 2025 and 2026.

 

This initiative represents a groundbreaking step in building ties between two regions whose interdependence is increasingly evident. Both hold significant untapped potential in renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and low-carbon technologies. By recognising these synergies, the alliance aims to move beyond rhetoric and deliver concrete action – not only through trade and finance, but also through science and innovation.

 

 

As Lebdioui,  and Melguizo,,  underlined, both regions have historically underinvested in research and development, making this a shared challenge and an opportunity to leapfrog. Developing low-carbon technologies tailored to local climates, advancing “green” artificial intelligence, and fostering bio-inspired solutions were highlighted as pathways to innovation that reflect local realities rather than imported models.

 

As the great thinker Ibn Khaldun once observed: “He who finds a new path is a pathfinder and a leader—even if others rediscover the trail later, and even if recognition only comes centuries afterward.”

 

This partnership revives a long-standing but underdeveloped trail of Arab–Latin American cooperation—offering the promise of sustainable, region-driven innovation. Congratulations to Sergio Díaz-Granados Guida and President Abdulhamid Al-Khalifa (OPEC Fund for International Development) for their leadership in rekindling this collaboration.