With more than 26 years of experience in agriculture, water and rural development — including 16 years with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — Yasmin Siddiqi has been appointed by ADB management as the new Country Director for Cambodia.
On the morning of November 25, ADB announced her appointment. She will oversee the implementation of the Cambodia Country Partnership Strategy (2024–2028). The strategy is closely aligned with Phase 1 of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy, and aims to strengthen cooperation with the government, development partners and other stakeholders to support Cambodia’s goal of becoming a high-income country in the coming decades.
“I am honoured to take on this role and look forward to working closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia and ADB’s development partners to accelerate Cambodia’s economic and social development,” said Siddiqi.
“The ADB will continue its strong commitment to support Cambodia’s development priorities, particularly in expanding high-quality and climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting private-sector-led economic diversification and enhancing access to essential services such as education, healthcare and clean water,” she added.
Before assuming the position of country director, Siddiqi served as ADB director for Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Rural Development for Central, West and South Asia. In this role, she led the design and implementation of complex loan and technical assistance projects and was widely recognised for her achievements in advancing innovative technologies and promoting private-sector engagement to accelerate progress for farmers across Asia.
A British national, Siddiqi holds a master’s degree in hydrological engineering from the University of Southampton and is an internationally accredited professional civil engineer. Her leadership has played a key role in promoting climate-resilience initiatives, and she is an active advocate for women and girls’ empowerment.
Headquartered in Manila, the Philippines, ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth across Asia and the Pacific. By working with its members and partners to address complex shared challenges, ADB leverages innovative financing tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build high-quality infrastructure and protect the planet. Established in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members, 50 of which are from the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the latest Cambodian Public Debt Statistical Bulletin, Cambodia’s total public debt stock — including legacy debt — stood at $12.67 billion as of the end of the first half of 2025. Of this amount, 99% (approximately $12.54 billion) is external public debt (61% bilateral and 39% multilateral), while 1% (around $128.5 million) is domestic public debt. ADB’s share of Cambodia’s public debt amounts to approximately $2.645 billion.
