IsDB: Projects involving Azerbaijan open up new opportunities

Major infrastructure projects involving Azerbaijan, including the Middle Corridor and the Baku International Sea Trade Port, are creating new opportunities for young people and helping to foster shared regional prosperity, a senior official at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) said.

Speaking at the “Youth Without Borders: Driving Shared Regional Prosperity” event in Baku, Idrissa Dia, IsDB Regional Manager for North Africa and Central Asia, said regional connectivity initiatives were opening new pathways for entrepreneurship, employment and economic integration, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

According to Dia, cross-border trade is enabling young entrepreneurs to expand beyond domestic markets, while digitalisation is accelerating access to regional and global opportunities.

“Labour mobility gives young people the opportunity to work where prospects exist. Thanks to regional digital infrastructure, a young leader in Baku can serve clients in Almaty, Dakar or Dhaka,” he said.

Dia also highlighted the growing role of sectors such as halal tourism and the creative industries in generating employment opportunities across member countries of the Islamic Development Bank.

He described Azerbaijan as an ideal venue for discussions on regional integration, citing the country's long-term investments in transport and logistics infrastructure.

“It is difficult to imagine a more appropriate venue for such discussions than Azerbaijan. This country has made strategic investments in strengthening regional connectivity,” Dia said, pointing to the Middle Corridor, the Baku International Sea Trade Port and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway as key examples.

The projects are not only transforming regional infrastructure but are also creating new opportunities for young people both in Azerbaijan and across neighbouring regions, he added.

Dia said the Islamic Development Bank considers investment in youth to be among the most effective forms of economic development, arguing that empowering younger generations can deliver lasting social and economic benefits.

“We are convinced that investing in young people delivers the greatest returns. We can have a truly transformative impact on the lives of the young people who will shape and define our future,” he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev