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According to the Qatar News Agency, Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari affirmed the State of Qatar’s commitment to fostering multilateral cooperation as he opened the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Board of Governors. Al Kuwari, who serves as Chair of the AIIB Board of Governors for 2026, voiced appreciation for the bank’s support of sustainable infrastructure and greater connectivity among its members. The minister noted that Qatar’s role as a founding member underpins its ongoing engagement with the institution established to address Asia’s infrastructure needs.
The Qatar News Agency reported that Al Kuwari welcomed AIIB members and partners to Doha for the gathering, stressing that hosting the event demonstrates Qatar’s support for international partnerships. He linked the meeting to broader efforts in advancing sustainable development through infrastructure financing that promotes growth and shared prosperity. Such gatherings enable dialogue among nations, financial institutions and development organizations, the minister added in his address.
Al Kuwari commended the AIIB’s recent performance, an assessment that aligns with figures the bank itself released ahead of the annual meeting. The bank approved $10.6 billion in financing for 57 projects last year, with 71 percent directed toward climate-related outcomes that exceeded its targets, according to AIIB data. This performance included mobilization of $4.48 billion in private capital and $2.8 billion in cross-border connectivity financing.
The minister described the bank’s updated strategy and new objectives as appropriate for the current global economic environment, the Qatar News Agency stated. Those goals include doubling annual financing approvals to $17 billion by 2030 while attracting greater private-sector investment. An AIIB project summary placed the bank’s cumulative approved financing at $76.91 billion across 388 projects as of late 2026, illustrating the scale of its operations since inception.
Qatar signed the memorandum establishing the AIIB in 2014, becoming one of the bank’s 57 prospective founding members, a historical record from the bank’s early documentation confirms. The institution, which formally launched in 2016, has since expanded its membership and project portfolio beyond Asia to include non-regional countries. Al Kuwari emphasized Qatar’s resilience and its long-standing role as a mediator advocating dialogue, which he said reinforces the country’s suitability to host the meeting.
The opening session reviewed the bank’s priorities for the coming period, including its contributions to sustainable development, resilience building and opportunity expansion amid global economic shifts, according to the Qatar News Agency. Participants examined ways to strengthen cooperation on infrastructure that supports long-term growth. The discussions build on the AIIB’s track record of adapting its financing tools, including climate-focused policy-based lending introduced in recent years.
