The Islamic Development Bank (IDB)'s Scholarship Programme was launched in 1983, and provides interest-free loans to needy students from Muslim communities in non-member countries to pursue higher studies in their own countries or in the IDB member countries in the fields of medicine, engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary sciences and agriculture. Up to the end of 1993, scholarships have been provided to 2344 recipients in 32 non-member countries, and the total amount spent on the Programme since its inception stands at about 17.2 million dollars.