Sidi Ould Tah was elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), succeeding Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina. The election was won in the third round with 76.18% of the vote.

Born in 1964 in Mauritania, the new President has a background in economics obtained in Mauritania and France, with a doctorate in economics. His career began in 1984 at the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Trade. He held several positions in institutions such as the Food Security Commission, the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott, as well as in regional and international banks in Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Back in Mauritania, he served as an advisor to the President before assuming the position of Minister of Economic Affairs in 2008. In 2015, his leadership of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa led to a major transformation, quadrupling the balance sheet and obtaining a AAA rating.