AIIB opens Doha annual meeting with plan to double financing by 2030

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank opened its 11th annual meeting of the Board of Governors in Doha on Monday, gathering governors, senior officials, clients and partners for discussions on the institution's next phase of growth.

Addressing the meeting, AIIB President Zou Jiayi said infrastructure remains central to development, resilience and opportunity amid an uncertain global environment. She set out the bank's aim of doubling annual financing to roughly 20 billion US dollars by 2030, with a focus on projects supporting climate resilience, renewable energy, digital transformation, regional connectivity, nature conservation and people-centred development.

The Doha gathering marks the formal start of a new decade for the bank, which was established in January 2016 to promote sustainable economic development and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia. Its membership has expanded from 57 founding members to 111 approved members, and it has approved more than 79 billion US dollars for over 400 projects across 43 economies, while holding AAA ratings from major international credit-rating agencies.

Speaking at a press conference, Zou said multilateralism would remain central to the bank's work over the coming decade. She noted that the bank's 111 members span different regions and stages of development but share a common commitment to developing infrastructure and advancing regional integration. Differences of view, she said, are worked through consultation and the bank's multilateral governance structure.

Qatari Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari highlighted the bank's recent lending record, saying it approved 10.6 billion US dollars of financing last year across 57 projects, with 71 per cent of that classified as climate finance, ahead of its own targets. He said the bank's updated strategy raises its ambitions by doubling annual financing by 2030 and mobilising significantly more private capital alongside it, adding that these goals align with the theme of this year's meeting, "Tomorrow's Infrastructure: Impact and Innovation".

The annual meeting, the bank's core governance and stakeholder engagement event, features discussions on how multilateral institutions, governments and private-sector partners can respond to infrastructure needs in a changing global context, with emphasis on drawing in private capital and deepening cooperation across institutions and markets.