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The Qatar Central Bank said in a statement that Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al Thani held talks with Yahya Shanar during which the two sides examined current bilateral relations in the monetary and financial domains. Discussions focused on opportunities to strengthen ties between the institutions as part of broader efforts to support economic stability in the region. The meeting aligns with a series of engagements the Qatar Central Bank governor has conducted with international counterparts this year.
According to the Qatar Central Bank statement, the governors assessed ways to expand cooperation in areas such as payment systems and regulatory frameworks. Shanar outlined steps the Palestine Monetary Authority has taken to safeguard financial stability amid regional conditions, building on his earlier meetings with officials from Bahrain where similar topics were addressed. The authority has prioritised digital transformation and modern payment infrastructure to bolster inclusion.
Qatar Central Bank figures show international reserves and foreign currency liquidity reached 261.9 billion riyals by the end of December 2025, providing a robust base for the country’s external financial engagements. This strength has allowed Qatar to sustain support for development initiatives across multiple sectors in partner economies. Central Statistical Bureau data for Qatar places banking sector assets at more than 2 trillion riyals in recent reporting periods.
The Palestine Monetary Authority has maintained focus on financial infrastructure development despite constraints, with Shanar previously emphasising coordination on expertise exchange during a November 2025 visit to Manama. In that meeting with Bahrain’s central bank governor, he noted progress in areas of supervision and payment systems. Such engagements form part of a pattern of Arab central banking collaboration that includes GCC institutions.
Sheikh Bandar, who also chairs the Qatar Investment Authority, has participated in multiple high-level meetings this year on the margins of IMF and World Bank gatherings, including sessions with Malaysian and French counterparts that similarly targeted enhanced financial sector links. The Qatar Central Bank has described these interactions as opportunities to align on global economic developments. Regional central banks have increasingly coordinated on resilience measures following periods of volatility.
A PwC Middle East assessment of GCC financial transformation highlighted Qatar’s active role in modernising regulatory environments, a process that parallels efforts in other Arab central banks to integrate advanced payment technologies. The Qatar Central Bank has reduced its reserve requirement ratio to 3.5 percent as part of liquidity support steps announced earlier in 2026. These policy adjustments have helped maintain system-wide stability.
