RIYADH: Operations supported by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corp. helped provide food access to 24 million households and electricity access to 17.8 million households in 2025, as the Jeddah-based institution surpassed $100 billion in cumulative trade finance approvals since 2008.
The corporation, the trade finance arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, also reached around 460,000 farmers and provided access to finance for 546 companies and small and medium-sized businesses in 2025, according to a release.
The corporation said it continued to support trade during financial crises, the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical disruptions. More than one-third of its total approvals have gone to least-developed countries, where access to trade finance is often limited.
The milestone comes as global trade faces a funding gap. The Asian Development Bank estimated the gap at $2.5 trillion in 2025, equal to about 10 percent of global trade. Demand for trade finance is expected to rise as companies seek new markets and change their supply chains.
ITFC outlines impact, future plans
Adeeb Yousuf Al-Aama, CEO of ITFC, said: “Surpassing $100 billion in cumulative approvals is more than a measure of scale. It represents nearly two decades of partnership with our member countries and a sustained commitment to using trade as a driver of development, resilience and opportunity.”
ITFC’s next phase will be guided by the IsDB Group’s 2026–2035 strategic framework and its five-year corporate strategy for 2026–2030, aimed at strengthening development impact, expanding partnerships and mobilizing additional financing.
The IsDB Group approved the five-year strategies in April, establishing the first implementation cycle under its ten-year framework.