of the plan for financing trade between Arab and African countries. Lending Operations BADEA interventions included various products that have been enhanced and diversified to meet the economic needs of beneficiary countries. They have been steadily promoted to fit the development mechanisms and their conducive atmosphere. These products could be categorized as follows : 1. Financing development projects: It is the most important product in term of volume. Loans to finance projects are extended in concessionary terms, that some projects are financed with a grant element exceeding 50%. 2. Financing technical assistance operations: They are extended as grants to finance feasibility studies for development projects and institutional support operations. 3. Financing Arab exports to African countries: A program launched in 1983. 4. Promote Arab investments in African countries: BADEA has adopted several methods in this regard. 5. Debt relief on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) : 28 countries have benefited from this initiative. 6. Financing Urgent Aid : A limited activity which was extended to Sahelian countries that faced drought in 1987. Poverty Reduction The most fundamental goal of BADEA in its intervention in all sectors is poverty alleviation. To that end, priority is given to development projects with direct and indirect impact on poverty reduction. Since poverty touches rural population and those living in urban zones, at the margin of cities "urban poor", BADEA lending program focuses on infrastructure projects, which help in creating suitable environment for investment, increasing production in agriculture and rural development, enhancing urban and rural infrastructure which is considered as a major factor in investment promotion. In addition to this, reactivation of elements of production, creation of employment to enable the poor segments in the community to increase their income. BADEA has also provided financing to micro, small and medium enterprises through lines of credit. Enhancing women role in development BADEA recognizes that women play a key role in boasting social development and poverty reduction. Therefore, operations (Project, technical assistance) financed by BADEA focus on women involvement in these activities. The Bank under takes programs that enhance women participation in development, and certain operations are exclusively devoted to women, in rural area and modern sectors of production. Regional Operations Regional transport is considered as a major pillar in the process of regional integration since it facilitates setting up binds amongst African countries and between Africa and the Arab World. Moreover, this connection has a positive