Dr. Sidi Ould Tah is a distinguished economist, seasoned statesman, and transformative development banker, whose career spans over four decades of high-impact leadership across African and international institutions.

From 2015 until April 15, 2025, Dr. Tah served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a landmark institutional transformation that firmly repositioned the Bank as a leading force in Africa’s development finance landscape. Under his visionary leadership, BADEA attained prestigious AA+/AAA credit ratings, increased its total assets from $4 billion to nearly $7 billion, and established itself as a model of operational excellence and strategic foresight.

Dr. Tah’s tenure was defined by innovation and resilience. He crafted and executed the Bank’s first 10-year strategy, BADEA 2030, and articulated a bold long-term vision with BADEA 2074, aligning the institution with Africa’s Agenda 2063. Amid Sudan’s political crisis, he orchestrated the seamless relocation of BADEA’s headquarters from Khartoum to Riyadh—an extraordinary feat of crisis management and institutional continuity. Project approvals more than quadrupled under his leadership, digital infrastructure was significantly modernized, and the Bank maintained one of the lowest non-performing loan ratios among African DFIs (0.4% in 2024).

A champion of sustainable and inclusive finance, Dr. Tah established BADEA’s Sustainable Financing Framework and secured multiple ISO certifications in ESG standards and quality management. He has played an active role in advancing Africa’s position in global climate finance discussions, including through regular participation in the COP summits.

Prior to BADEA, Dr. Tah served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Finance, where he also acted as National Authorizing Officer for the European Development Fund and represented Mauritania on the Boards of Governors of the AfDB, IsDB, World Bank, and more than ten other development institutions. His unique perspective—combining the policymaker’s insight with the financier’s strategic acumen—enabled him to pioneer context-sensitive solutions such as debt-for-equity swaps that strengthened African DFIs without increasing sovereign debt burdens.

Dr. Tah has also held board roles with leading regional institutions including Africa Export-Import Bank, Trade and Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, and the Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC). A respected voice in global economic forums, he is a frequent invitee to the World Bank Development Committee and other high-level platforms.

He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, along with advanced degrees from Paris VII-Jussieu and the University of Nouakchott. He has completed executive education at Harvard University, the London Business School, and the Swiss Finance Institute. A polyglot, Dr. Tah is fluent in Arabic English and French, with working proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish.

In recognition of his contributions to economic development and regional integration, Dr. Tah has been decorated by several African states, including as Grand Officer in the National Orders of Burkina Faso and Niger, and Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal.