As the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) moves into its second decade, our priority is a straightforward one: turn ambition into investable reality at greater scale. Over ten years, our Members have built a strong foundation together, expanding participation across regions, approving a diversified portfolio exceeding USD 60 billion, and elevating climate action to the core of our operations. The path ahead is even clearer. By 2030, we intend to deploy at least USD 75 billion more, deepen our focus on climate-aligned investments, increase private capital mobilization, and expand support for cross-border infrastructure that strengthens connectivity between economies.

As Chief Investment Officer responsible for AIIB’s public sector operations across Central Asia and Caucasus, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America, as well as our global project and corporate finance clients, I see the same truth in every context; financing is necessary but not sufficient. Real impact depends on disciplined structuring, sound policy and regulatory frameworks, and partnerships that align public objectives with private sector expertise.

This is why collaboration with the Gulf, and with Qatar in particular, is so important to AIIB’s next chapter. Qatar’s financial leadership, policy clarity and appetite for innovation make it a natural partner for a multilateral bank that is designed to be lean, clean and green. Our recent delegation to Doha included exchanges with the Qatar Fund for Development, the Education Above All Foundation, Ashghal, the Qatar Investment Authority and the Ministry of Finance. From these discussions, it was once again clear that there is significant overlap between AIIB’s agenda and Qatar’s own objectives, signaling both current alignment and future opportunity.

For AIIB, the most effective way to help our Members meet their infrastructure ambitions is to combine our balance sheet and technical rigor with partners who can co-create bankable solutions and mobilize additional capital across asset classes and regions. Our approach is practical. We focus on making projects investable; structuring transactions that allocate risk to the party best able to manage it; using guarantees and other credit enhancements where they unlock value; and applying environmental and social standards that build confidence and resilience. We support public sector clients to develop pipelines that can attract private partners, and we work directly with private sponsors whose projects advance connectivity, energy transition, and digitalization. In all cases, the objective is the same—projects that are financially sound, environmentally aligned, and built to last.

While many countries in the Gulf are classified as high- or upper-middle-income, they are also navigating important transitions such as diversifying their respective economies, reducing regional disparities and future-proofing their infrastructure. For AIIB, these projects are not only about financing; they are joint platforms for knowledge exchange and mutually beneficial advancement. Working together enables governments and the Bank to raise the bar on technical design, environmental safeguards, and implementation discipline. In Bahrain, for example, we are co-financing the SKBS Port Interchange Project to improve cross-border trade logistics with Saudi Arabia, while embedding climate resilience and inclusive planning into the design.

Key learnings and principles from these projects are also directly relevant to Qatar, where international collaboration is central to advancing the goals of National Vision 2030. AIIB’s dialogue with institutions such as the Qatar Fund for Development and the Education Above All Foundation has confirmed a shared focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion. These conversations, while at an early stage, point to opportunities for cooperation in areas like renewable integration, water security through next-generation desalination, and digitally enabled education and healthcare facilities. By combining AIIB’s global experience with Qatar’s commitment and expertise, we can translate this alignment into impactful partnerships in the years ahead.

As a result of this forward-thinking and future-focused approach, climate remains central to the investment case. Resilient, low-carbon assets are not just environmentally responsible; they are economically rational. Grid modernization that accommodates renewables, water systems that safeguard scarce resources, and clean transport that improves air quality all have tangible productivity benefits over the asset life. This is where the discipline of project preparation matters most. Early attention to site risk, technology selection, long-term O&M, tariff frameworks, and offtake quality reduces lifecycle uncertainty and attracts more diversified sources of capital from commercial banks and institutional investors to blended and philanthropic finance where appropriate.

Qatar’s hosting of AIIB’s 2026 Annual Meeting is an opportunity to put this operational agenda to work. It allows us to convene partners from across our Membership, align on practical solutions to accelerate project preparation, and advance platforms that crowd in private capital. It also reflects a broader point about how we aim to operate in our second decade as an investment partner that helps our Members translate priorities, whether in energy, transport, water, or digital, into bankable, climate-aligned assets that strengthen connectivity and competitiveness.

The task ahead is significant, but the ingredients are in place. AIIB brings a strong balance sheet, a growing track record with both sovereign and non‑sovereign operations, and a mandate to partner. The Gulf and Qatar possess deep expertise and global capital. Our Members provide clear priorities and a commitment to sustainable growth. When we connect these strengths through transparent structures, progress accelerates for the benefit of us all. Sustainable infrastructure is no longer only about financing assets; it is about shaping markets, standards, and incentives that make low-carbon and resilient choices the default. That is the shared vision we intend to advance in Doha in 2026, showcasing how capital and leadership can accelerate a new era of sustainable infrastructure investment.