Jeddah (TDI): Renewable energy, border security, and migration pathways in the Middle East and North Africa will receive €42.5 billion ($46.4 billion) from the European Union from 2028, it has been announced.
This doubled financial commitment, under a new funding instrument, aims to boost stability and cooperation in the region.
EU Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Suica, said the move reflects a shift toward more strategic, long-term engagement with countries across the Mediterranean and Gulf.
“This isn’t just a budget increase, it’s a new way of working with our Southern neighbors,” she said. “We’re investing in stability, security, and prosperity through real partnerships.”
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According to Suica, the funding will help address long-standing drivers of unrest in the region, including economic hardship and social inequality, both of which often contribute to political instability and radicalization.
A key part of the plan involves supporting renewable energy initiatives, which the EU sees as crucial to the green transition and vital for sustainable development on both shores of the Mediterranean.
“This is a volatile region, and what happens there directly affects us in Europe,” Suica said. “Their stability is tied to ours. The success of our neighbors is a shared success, and their border security strengthens our own.”
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The financial pledge is part of the EU’s revised Multiannual Financial Framework, a long-term tool for managing the bloc’s budget. Suica described the framework as critical to bolstering the EU’s ability to act effectively both at home and abroad.
“With this new structure, we’re not just defending our interests globally, we’re standing up for our values in a complex and rapidly changing world,” she concluded.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
