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Qatar has launched a new platform, "Doha Investment," to manage and grow the Qatar Investment Authority's domestic portfolio, as the prime minister unveiled a five-year pipeline of projects and investment opportunities worth more than $60bn.His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani made the announcement in his opening remarks at the Qatar Economic Forum – Powered by Bloomberg, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.The prime minister said the platform builds on three decades of work to construct world-class infrastructure, institutions and companies, and marks Qatar's push to widen private sector participation as a driver of growth. It will back leading companies, help startups scale, deepen capital markets and draw in international capital and expertise, he said, adding that its success would be judged by how far it helps build a more competitive, resilient and diversified economy with a bigger role for the private sector.Over the next five years, Qatar is set to launch new infrastructure projects worth around $38.5bn, including public-private partnerships, with initial tendering to begin immediately, the prime minister said. Alongside these, real estate and hospitality projects are expected to draw private investment of $22.5bn, among them the Simaisma Beach project, projected to attract about $5.8bn, with more announcements to follow. Combined, he said, the projects and opportunities represent a value exceeding $60bn over five years.The prime minister said the aim is to pair public infrastructure with private capital and international expertise, with Qatar seeking partners bringing technological innovation, market access and a commitment to long-term partnership.**media[494053]**He added that Qatar does not underestimate the current climate of uncertainty but will not let short-term disruption dictate its long-term direction, and that it works to bolster regional stability through diplomacy while pursuing reform, resilience and growth through investment.Diplomacy and economic stability go hand in hand, he said, since diplomacy safeguards the conditions that let people trade, invest and plan ahead — and lasting security cannot rest on cycles of escalation and retaliation, or on arrangements that leave any state permanently exposed.On the current regional crisis, the prime minister said talks would need to begin with security and de-escalation before moving to energy supplies, shipping routes and the fate of investment plans. The region needs a framework built on respect for sovereignty, in which no state threatens another, he said, adding that Qatar would remain a committed mediator, a reliable energy supplier and a long-term investment partner.He described recent regional events as an "earthquake" whose aftershocks have reached far beyond the region's borders, upending long-held assumptions about security and stability. Doha, he said, has worked with regional and international partners to keep communication channels open, ease tensions and support diplomatic understandings — recognising that economic resilience depends on institutions, infrastructure and partnerships built before crises hit.The crisis tested these foundations as activity was disrupted and costs rose, he said, yet Qatar's financial system kept running and companies carried on operating — resilience he attributed to years of preparation under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.The prime minister affirmed that Qatar's economic fundamentals remain solid, and said the expansion of the North Field would reinforce the country's standing as a reliable energy supplier and support its diversification drive — energy, he said, is Qatar's source of strength, diversification its secret to resilience, and technology its future. 

Qatar remains committed to advancing its long-term economic expansion plans, including a new energy project that will double liquefied natural gas production capacity to 145mn tonnes per year by 2030 despite the damage sustained by facilities.The commitment was highlighted Sunday during an interview featuring Qatar Central Bank Governor His Excellency Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the Special Edition of the Qatar Economic Forum 2026, Powered by Bloomberg, convened in New York alongside the UN General Assembly.“The non-hydrocarbon sector grew by 3.5% despite regional challenges, while the State of Qatar successfully reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio from 60% to 40%, while maintaining a sovereign credit rating of AA,” noted Sheikh Bandar, who is also chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).He said the contribution of the non-hydrocarbon sector to GDP increased from 40% in 2011 to approximately 70% in recent years, supported by the accumulation of fiscal surpluses over the past years, as well as the establishment of reserves and funds that provide the economy with greater resilience in addressing the challenges.According to Sheikh Bandar, Qatar enjoys a strong external financial position and substantial reserves held by the central bank, alongside operating one of the largest sovereign wealth funds globally.These financial strengths enhance the country's ability to navigate challenges and capitalise on growth opportunities as regional conditions improve, he pointed out.“The Qatar Investment Authority is pursuing a long-term investment strategy aimed at creating sustainable value for future generations, with an increasing focus on technology, artificial intelligence, and innovation, particularly in the US, while continuing to invest across a range of sectors in support of its broader diversification strategy,” he said.Meanwhile, the QCB is implementing 18 artificial intelligence projects, four of which have been completed, Sheikh Bandar noted.“These projects have contributed to reducing costs and accelerating workflows, while the QCB remains committed to continued investment in this technology and to leveraging its potential to further develop and enhance its operations,” he said.Sheikh Bandar added that the central bank remains committed to continued investment in technology to enhance its overall operations.

Invest Qatar, the country's investment promotion agency, on Tuesday announced the launch of the Venture Capital (VC) Funding Module on the Invest Qatar Gateway, developed in collaboration with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). The new offering enhances startups access to capital and investment opportunities, marking a significant milestone in Qatar's efforts to strengthen its entrepreneurship ecosystem.The new module, accessible to all Invest Qatar Gateway members, consolidates the VC discovery and application process into a single, streamlined platform.Through this module, startups can explore the investment focus areas and eligibility criteria of participating VC funds, many of which are backed by the QIA through its $3bn Fund of Funds programme. Startups can also access value-added services and support programmes and submit their pitches directly to fund managers.By centralising these resources, the platform enhances efficiency, transparency and accessibility throughout the fundraising journey. It also reflects Invest Qatar's continued commitment to fostering innovation and supporting emerging businesses by directly connecting founders with a curated network of VC funds.In its initial phase, the module features a growing network of participating funds and ecosystem partners, including Tech Venture Fund by Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), and the QIA-backed funds A-Typical Ventures, B Capital, Builders VC MENA, Deerfield, The Utopia Studio, Founders Circle Capital, Greycroft, Human Capital, Ion Pacific, Liberty City Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, Shorooq, Speedinvest and The Radical Fund.Dr Hamad Rashid al-Naimi, Chief Strategy Officer at Invest Qatar, said: "The VC Funding Module is the latest addition to the Invest Qatar Gateway, a platform we have built deliberately to streamline and simplify every stage of a founder's journey. By bringing QIA-backed funds together on a single, transparent platform, we offer startups something rare in emerging ecosystems: a clear, direct path from idea to institutional capital, with access to the networks, expertise and resources needed to scale and succeed globally.""As Qatar's venture capital ecosystem continues to evolve, this module will provide entrepreneurs with a centralised platform that enables them to have greater visibility of the opportunities available, and clearer pathways to connect with the relevant fund managers," said Haya al-Ghanim, Director of Qatar Funds at the QIA. "This module supports our shared mission of establishing Qatar as a leading destination for innovation and entrepreneurship."Startups seeking access to venture capital are encouraged to visit the Invest Qatar Gateway and explore the newly launched VC Funding Module. Through the platform, entrepreneurs can review participating QIA-backed funds, assess investment criteria and formally submit their pitch to fund managers.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced it will invest €432mn as a cornerstone investor in RWE's €4bn equity capital raise.RWE is Germany's largest power generation company and one of the leading renewable and flexible energy companies globally. With this transaction, the QIA will increase its stake in RWE from 9.27% to 9.87%.According to a QIA press release, RWE will use the proceeds from the equity capital raise to acquire a 35% indirect stake in Amprion, bringing RWE’s total stake in Amprion to 55%.Amprion is the second largest electricity transmission company in Germany, operating an 11,000km long extra-high-voltage network that transports electricity from the North Sea to the Alps and serves approximately 29mn people across key industrial regions.Amprion is executing a sizeable grid expansion plan aimed at facilitating Germany's electrification and integrating decentralized power generation. 

Doha's rapidly emerging but still maturing venture capital (VC) sector got a shot in the arm with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) proactively expanding its Fund of Funds (FoF) programme to $3bn.Beginning as a state-led, nascent market, the country's VC has evolved into a rapidly scaling, policy-driven ecosystem and is now entering in a globalisation phase with an aim to create world unicorns.It is a defining decade for Qatar's VC ecosystem, which has the potential to offer asymmetric opportunity for investors and developers.At the Web Summit Qatar 2026, His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani announced an additional $2bn of funding to the programme, bringing total capital commitment for the FoF to $3bn, which is expected to attract more global VC firms and deepen funding across Series A–C stages, as part of efforts to address current funding gaps.Five new funds are joining the programme, representing across sectors such as AI (artificial intelligence), fintech, blockchain technology and infrastructure.The FoF now supports 12 regional and global fund managers in Qatar, demonstrating the significant growth of Qatar’s startup ecosystem and its increasing connectivity to global markets.Complementing this, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) has emerged as a key domestic enabler, both as a direct investor and ecosystem builder.Its investment arm participated in one-third of all VC deals in Qatar in 2025, underscoring the continued importance of public capital in early-stage financing.Startup Qatar and the Qatar FinTech Hub further reinforce the pipeline development by reducing entry barriers through licensing support, funding programmes, and incentives; while regulatory frameworks facilitate ease of doing business and foreign ownership.Doha’s venture funding touched a record QR214mn in 2025, an 81% year-on-year jump, reflecting the country’s increasing attractiveness as an investment destination, according to a joint report by QDB and MAGNiTT.In a base case, Qatar has the potential to transition to a mid-sized Middle East and North Africa VC hub with funding grows to $150mn–$300mn annually through more Series A/B activity via FoF-supported funds.The ecosystem is characterised by a strong early-stage bias. Pre-seed and seed rounds account for over 90% of total deal volume, while early-stage investments represent the majority of capital deployed.VC -- which plays a powerful role in expanding foreign direct investment (FDI) into Qatar -- not just brings money in but reshapes how foreign investors engage with the economy.Doha has seen highly curated and strategically aligned global VCs such as Founders Circle Capital, B Capital, Builders VC, Deerfield Management, Utopia Capital Management, Rasmal Ventures and Golden Gate Ventures establish local presence.As Qatar scaled VC ambitions to $3bn FoF, more global firms like Greycroft, Ion Pacific, Liberty City Ventures, Speedinvest and Shorooq, covering sectors like AI, fintech, blockchain, and infrastructure, have joined the bandwagon.A mature venture ecosystem follows a cardinal principle that funding creates fuel to build and exits create credibility; but public markets are not yet the primary exit route, instead, its is acquisition-led liquidity is the dominant path, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)."Qatar lacks a strong pipeline of venture-backed initial public offerings and exit activity is primarily strategic acquisitions," industry insiders said.Snoonu's acquisition by Saudi-listed Jahez Group, valued at QR1.1bn marked Qatar’s first billion-riyal tech exit and also the largest startup exit in the country’s history.Growth-stage and pre-IPO funding are still developing but the QIA's fund of fund seeks to address this, they said, calling for more pre-IPO funding vehicles and building domestic exit demand by incentivising large Qatari corporates to acquire startups."We are witnessing a shift from ecosystem creation to ecosystem scaling. From attracting venture firms to enabling exits. From funding startups to building global companies," a source in Qatar FinTech Hub said.Qatar's relatively small and state-dependent VC ecosystem, which faces the challenge of capital concentration, may now have to grapple with liquidity issues on repriortisation amidst expected fiscal pressures.Late-stage funding depth is still limited, and exit pathways —particularly through public markets — are nascent, forcing many startups to rely on regional or international markets for scaling and liquidity.Experts dealing with the sector have suggested deepening of private-sector participation, scaling later-stage funding, and building a self-sustaining innovation economy.Qatar is well-positioned to evolve into a sustainable venture ecosystem with viable exit routes, rather than just a capital deployment hub. 

His Excellency the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani, met on Wednesday with Governor of the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Yasir al-Rumayyan, along with the accompanying delegation, reports QNA. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a range of topics of mutual interest, and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in relevant fields. 

The Governor of the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) His Excellency Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani, who is also chairman of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), held a meeting Wednesday with Jenny Johnson, president and CEO of Franklin Templeton, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. During the meeting, they reviewed key global financial and investment developments. 

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has joined a group of investors in a deal to acquire the asset manager Janus Henderson Group and take it private.The all-cash transaction, led by Trian Fund Management and General Catalyst, values the New York-listed company at about USD 7.4 billion. QIA and Hong Kong-based Sun Hung Kai Co. Limited are among the strategic investors participating in the deal.Janus Henderson, which is headquartered in London, manages around USD 484 billion in assets and employs more than 2,000 people across 25 cities worldwide.QIA's chief executive, Mohammed Saif Al Sowaidi, said the fund looked forward to working with its partners to support the next phase of growth for the company. 

Doha is steadily cementing its position as a competitive player in the global AI and technology race, supported by strategic investments from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).These include the establishment of a $3bn global platform with Blue Owl Capital to accelerate international AI and cloud infrastructure expansion, as well as QIA’s participation in Anthropic’s $13bn funding round, BCG said in its report presented at the Mobile World Congress, which concluded Wednesday.These initiatives underscore Qatar’s commitment to advancing its digital capabilities and align closely with the ambitions of the Qatar Digital Vision 2030, it said in the report “AI Data Centers: An Opportunity in the Middle East”.“Qatar’s digital ambition is rapidly taking shape, driven by decisive leadership and a deep commitment to innovation. In line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy, the country is harnessing AI and emerging technologies to cement its role as a competitive force in the global digital economy," said Harold Haddad, managing director and senior partner.The report revealed that the Middle East is rapidly positioning the region as a rising global nexus for AI data centre investment and innovation. As global demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, with data centre power needs projected to grow from 86GW (Gigawatt) in 2025 to 198GW by 2030, BCG finds that the Middle East has a uniquely competitive advantage in supplying scalable, cost-efficient AI compute capacity.Highlighting that the Middle East is not merely participating in the global AI infrastructure race; it is fast emerging as a critical new hub of AI data centre development; it said the region benefits from distinctive structural advantages.Its strategic geography places it within a 2,000-mile radius of over 3bn people, enabling it to serve Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Global South with non-latency-sensitive AI inferencing at scale.Competitive cost structures, including up to 50% lower leasing rates, low power tariffs, and advanced cooling systems adopted by regional operators, significantly reduce the total cost of ownership, BCG said, adding meanwhile, markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to accelerate time-to-market for new data centres through fast-track development, dedicated investment teams, and special economic zone clusters such as Masdar City’s Stargate Campus."This momentum is reinforced by the region’s expansive land availability, scalable power ecosystems, and the planned ~720Tbps Fibre in the Gulf (FIG) submarine cable project," it said.Thibault Werlé, managing director and partner at BCG said the Middle East is undergoing a pivotal transformation as it positions itself to become a global hub for AI infrastructure."With strategic investments, progressive digital policies, and ambitious national visions across Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, the region is building the foundation for scalable, next-generation AI compute," he added.The report outlines major national initiatives shaping the Middle East’s AI infrastructure landscape. Saudi Arabia has launched HUMAIN with a targeted 1.9GW AI data centre capacity, along with partnerships with NVIDIA, AMD, AWS, DataVolt, and Groq to develop multi-hundred-megawatt AI campuses, including the world’s largest AI compute centre.The UAE is advancing a 5GW AI campus in Abu Dhabi under the US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership and is importing 500,000 GPUs for regional and US partners, supported by Microsoft’s $15.2bn AI and cloud infrastructure investment."Qatar’s strategic investments complement these national efforts and reinforce a GCC-wide push toward establishing a global AI compute corridor," the report said.With its strategic geography, favourable economics, and ambitious national digital agendas, the Middle East is uniquely poised to emerge as a global AI data centre powerhouse — particularly for regions requiring scalable and cost-efficient AI compute such as the Global South. 

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, has invested in d-Matrix, a pioneer in generative AI (artificial intelligence) inference for data centres.Valued at $2bn and bringing the total raised to date to $450mn, d-Matrix will use the new capital to advance their roadmap, accelerate global expansion and support multiple large-scale deployments of the world’s highest performing, most efficient data centre inference platform for hyperscalers, enterprise, and sovereign customers.The oversubscribed round attracted leading investment firms across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. The funding was co-led by a global consortium including BullhoundCapital, Triatomic Capital, and Temasek, and welcomed new investors including QIA and EDBI, alongside follow-on participation from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, as well as Mirae Asset, Industry Ventures, and Nautilus Venture Partners.d-Matrix's full-stack inference platform combines breakthrough compute-memory integration, high-speed networking, and inference-optimised software to deliver 10× faster performance, 3× lower cost, and 3–5× better energy efficiency than GPU-based systems.This step-change in performance and efficiency directly addresses growing AI sustainability challenges. By enabling one data centre to handle the workload of ten, d-Matrix offers a clear path to reducing global data centre energy consumption while enabling enterprises to deliver cost-efficient, profitable AI services without compromise.“From day one, d-Matrix has been uniquely focused on inference. When we started d-Matrix six years ago, training was seen as AI’s biggest challenge, but we knew that a new set of challenges would be coming soon,” said Sid Sheth, chief executive officer and co-founder of d-Matrix.“We predicted that when trained models needed to run continuously at scale, the infrastructure wouldn't be ready. We've spent the last six years building the solution: a fundamentally new architecture that enables AI to operate everywhere, all the time. This funding validates that vision as the industry enters the Age of AI Inference,” he added.Investor confidence reflects d-Matrix’s differentiated technology, rapid customer growth, and expanding network of global partners — including the recently announced d-Matrix SquadRack open standards-based reference architecture with Arista, Broadcom, and Supermicro.A strong product roadmap featuring 3D memory-stacking innovations and a customer-centric go-to-market strategy further establishes d-Matrix as a cornerstone of the new AI infrastructure stack.

The first cohort from the venture studio - backed by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Utopia Capital Management - is expected before the end of this year, according to a top official of QDB."We look forward to welcoming the first cohort from Qatar before the end of this year," QDB chief executive officer Abdulrahman bin Hesham al-Sowaidi told the seventh edition of Investment Forum 2025, organised by QDB in association with Young Entrepreneurs Club.Developing Qatar's venture capital ecosystem, in partnership with a fund-of-fund programme launched by QIA, the QDB had collaborated with Utopia Capital Management to establish the first venture studio of Qatar, operated by A-typical Ventures.Unveiled at the Web Summit 2025, the venture studio is actively seeking the region's entrepreneurs looking to scale innovations and drive economic diversification across sectors such as fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, logistics and mobility, and climatetech.The studio will act as a magnet for entrepreneurs and investors across the region, while nurturing Qataris' startup with skills and capital, al-Sowaidi said."This long-term partnership is a testament to our commitment to advancing the VC (venture capital) ecosystem through private sector enablement. This partnership is already in action," he said, adding the region is witnessing an increasing maturity in the financial ecosystem that encourages startup investments, even amidst global headwinds.A-typical Ventures will enable pre-seed, seed and pre-series A founders across the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), Levant, Pakistan and Turkiye to refine their business models, optimise their go-to-market strategies, and unlock powerful growth opportunities.The QIA's investment marks one of the first deployments of capital from its 'fund-of-funds' programme, which aims to develop a strong start-up and venture capital ecosystem in Qatar and attract leading venture capital funds and entrepreneurs to the region.QDB is co-building the next generation of game-changing ventures as it collaborates with Utopia and the Qatari partners, marking a bold step toward reshaping the startup landscape.By merging strategic investment with hands-on venture-building expertise, QDB aims to empower high-potential startups in Qatar and across the Middle East, helping them scale faster, break into new markets, and drive real economic impact.Mohammed al-Emadi, QDB executive director of Incubation and VC Investment, said the venture studio would be catering to the entire Mena region."Our alignment and agreement with Utopia is that we don't want to have a centre that's only dedicated for single market. We want a Mena venture studio. And the reason is that we want to serve our 2030 vision by building a knowledge-based economy. We believe that we need to draw the talents from Qatar, but we also need to attract talents to the region and to Qatar specifically," he added.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has invested in Anthropic, a leading AI safety and research company, and creators of the Claude family of AI models.Anthropic’s Series F fundraise of $13bn, led by ICONIQ, brings Anthropic’s valuation at $183bn post-money and was co-led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and Lightspeed Venture Partners. The investment reflects Anthropic’s unprecedented velocity and reinforces its position as the leading intelligence platform for enterprises, developers, and power users.The QIA joins significant investors in this round including Altimeter, Baillie Gifford, BlackRock, Blackstone, Coatue, D1 Capital, General Atlantic, General Catalyst, GIC, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Insight Partners, Jane Street, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc and T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc, TPG, WCM Investment Management, and XN.Chief Financial Officer of Anthropic Krishna Rao said: “From Fortune 500 companies to AI-native startups, our customers rely on Anthropic’s frontier models and platform products for their most important, mission-critical work.” “We are seeing exponential growth in demand across our entire customer base. This financing demonstrates investors’ extraordinary confidence in our financial performance and the strength of their collaboration with us to continue fuelling our unprecedented growth.”The Series F investment will expand Anthropic’s capacity to meet growing enterprise demand, deepen the company’s safety research, and support international expansion as Anthropic continues building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.