Qatar Airways is pushing deeper into the Americas with the launch of new services to Caracas and Bogota from July 22, 2026, the national carrier announced Monday. The airline said the move is a significant milestone, making it the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela and the first airline to operate flights from West Asia to either Caracas or Bogota. The expansion builds on a commitment announced in 2025 to strengthen the region's global connectivity. Two weekly flights will operate to each city, with schedules designed to feed smoothly into onward services through Hamad International Airport (HIA) to key markets including Australia, China, Japan, Lebanon, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. The carrier said this gives passengers greater flexibility and seamless transfers across its global network. The two cities become the 15th and 16th destinations served by Qatar Airways in the Americas, a region the airline first entered in 2010 with its inaugural service to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Qatar Airways added that it is continuing to expand global connectivity by rebuilding its network to more than 160 destinations worldwide this summer.

Snoonu announced its investment in HASIF, a Qatari startup specializing in smart accounting and financial compliance solutions for SMEs, as part of the Snoonu Startup Factory initiative aimed at empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and accelerating innovation in Qatar. The investment follows the successful Startup Factory competition and showcase held last week, where emerging startups presented innovative solutions addressing key business and market challenges.**media[444426]**Founded by Qatar University graduates and young Qatari entrepreneurs Noof Alhbabi, Maryam Eisa , and Dana Alwadaani , HASIF is building a smart digital platform that helps SMEs manage accounting, invoicing, financial reporting, and compliance processes more efficiently through AI-powered tools and automated solutions. The platform also connects businesses with accounting experts while helping companies prepare for future VAT and digital compliance requirements in Qatar and the region. The investment also marks the second startup backed through Snoonu Startup Factory following Snoonu’s first investment in Sufra AI, reinforcing the company’s long-term strategy to support local innovation, invest in promising talent, and contribute to building Qatar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and knowledge-based economy.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has announced a major expansion of its strategic partnership with global investment firm General Atlantic, including a new $500mn commitment to the company's global growth equity investment strategies. In a joint announcement issued in Doha and New York Monday, QIA said the agreement deepens co-operation between the two institutions and reflects the sovereign wealth fund's strategy of strengthening long-term global partnerships and deploying capital across future growth opportunities. The expanded partnership will also include collaboration on market research and investment analysis aimed at improving investment decision-making across multiple strategies. According to the statement, the two organisations will additionally support portfolio companies seeking to expand into Middle East markets. As part of the agreement, General Atlantic will provide professional development programs for QIA employees focused on knowledge transfer, innovation and leadership development, in line with Qatar's national development objectives. Mohammed Saif al-Sowaidi, chief executive of QIA, said the partnership went beyond co-investment and focused on "building a culture of excellence" and equipping future investment leaders with the expertise needed for long-term success. General Atlantic's chairman and chief executive William Ford said the firm was proud to deepen its relationship with one of the world's leading sovereign investors, adding that Qatar had developed a dynamic economy, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and globally minded talent. General Atlantic has invested more than $3bn in the Middle East since 2012 and expanded its regional presence in 2024 with the opening of offices in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The company said Gulf countries remained among the world's most attractive regions for sustainable growth, driven by economic diversification policies, evolving capital markets and rapidly developing entrepreneurship ecosystems.