The Islamic Development Bank approved €335.49 million for a highway project in El Kef and Jendouba. The financing forms part of a $938 million package for six member countries, but the bank has not announced the route or construction timetable.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) approved the financing at its 368th Board meeting in Jeddah on September 29 and 30, 2026. The €335.49 million commitment is for the bank's Highway Network Extension Project in Tunisia's northwest, in the governorates of El Kef and Jendouba.
The bank says the project should improve access and connections, support economic integration and regional development, and strengthen social cohesion through better mobility. It also lists road safety and transport infrastructure quality as goals. Reuters coverage carried by Arab News put the financing at approximately $391 million for motorway expansion in the region.
The main test will be whether better transport links bring residents more reliable access to services and economic opportunities. But approval is not construction. The announcement gave no route length, exact alignment or construction timetable.
Earlier reports on Tunisia's wider highway programme discussed technical studies for the El Kef-Tunis corridor and the separate A2 Tunis-Jelma project. La Presse reported that studies for the El Kef-Tunis section were completed in the first half of 2026, with construction expected to begin in the coming months. In August, the government reaffirmed its commitment to the A2 project, which is scheduled for completion in 2027. Those projects provide national context, but they are separate from the IsDB approval and have their own milestones. The bank has not said how it will divide the financing among road sections.
Tunisia's financing was part of a wider $938 million package approved by the IsDB board for six member countries. Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Syria and Kyrgyzstan were also included. According to the SPA, the approvals covered energy, agriculture, healthcare, transport, water supply and sanitation.
Tunisia's road spending also comes under domestic scrutiny over fiscal policy. A tax burden analysis examined that issue. The public announcement gives neither the financing's repayment terms nor the project's full cost. The approval alone does not show its wider budgetary impact.
The bank says the commitment is intended to improve access in a region that needs stronger connections. Its impact will depend on implementation. Route and schedule details have yet to be published, and separate national highway projects are also in progress.
