SPOTL IGHT
all the way from Latin America to Africa and to Central Asia,” said Investment Manager Oladipo Ajike. “Just processing this first transaction has attracted huge interest and we’ve received multiple requests which show that there’s a clear need in the market.” Loan syndications Multilateral development banks also play a key role in loan syndications for clients in developing and emerging markets. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for financing outstripped supply during the recovery period and loan syndications eventually reached a new record high. According to the Loan Market Association, the official trade body, global syndicated lending reached an all-time high of US$6.8 trillion in 2025, marking a 12 percent increase compared to 2024 and making it the strongest annual period for corporate loan syndications since records began in 1980. The OPEC Fund adopted the model when it successfully arranged its first syndicated loan in December 2024, mobilizing funding from one of the commercial banks in its member country United Arab Emirates for a client in its partner country Paraguay. That transaction paved the way for others, establishing the OPEC Fund as a recognized player in the
Project examples
Funding total: US$20 MN -equivalent
Islamic Finance Date:
June 2026
Borrower:
Bank Respublika, fifth largest bank by assets in Azerbaijan in 2025 and privately-owned
Country:
Azerbaijan
Clients Local small and medium-sized enterprises, helping strengthen entrepreneurship, create jobs and support sustainable economic growth
market, specializing in bridging market gaps. Karin Oszuszky, Head of Syndications, said: “The OPEC Fund is committed to increasing its efforts for mobilizing private capital for impactful development and creating opportunities for economic growth.”
Funding total: US$50 MN syndicated facility
Syndications Date:
December 2024
Borrower: Country: Funding:
Banco Continental Paraguay
Paraguay
A-lender: OPEC Fund with US$25 million from its own resources B-lender: Commercial Bank of Dubai with US$25mn mobilized
Goals Expand local lending access for small businesses and bolster food security and productive investments in agriculture.
Karin Oszuszky, Head of Syndications, OPEC Fund
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Photo: OPEC Fund/Petra Rautenstrauch
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