Doha, September 27 (QNA) - Doha is set to host the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Monday, marking the start of the bank's second decade.

Convened under the theme "Tomorrow's Infrastructure: Impact and Innovation", participants will debate sustainable infrastructure, climate funding issues, public digital infrastructure, attracting infrastructure capital, gender-responsive infrastructure financing, cross-border connectivity and resilience building, as well as formal and protocol sessions addressing the Bank's strategic thrust and its future work agenda.

More tellingly, HE Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari was elected Chair of AIIB's Board of Governors and signed a memorandum of understanding confirming that Qatar would host the 11th annual meeting in June 2025, on the sidelines of the 10th annual meeting held in Beijing.

The Doha session assumes special significance as it convenes at a time when the bank is going through a strategic shift across the gamut from its founding and reputation-building phase to a phase of expanding its impact and accelerating investment in sustainable infrastructure across its member countries.

The event is expected to bring together member delegations, policymakers, business leaders, clients, partners, civil society organizations and stakeholders from around the globe to delve into AIIB's strategic direction, operational priorities and future agenda.

This year's agenda is twofold: a closed official program for the Board of Governors and an open public program featuring keynote addresses, interactive sessions and thematic presentations.

It focuses on sustainability, resilience, innovation and opportunities for international cooperation as the bank enters its second decade of operations, with discussions spanning sustainability standards for energy, transport and urban development projects, strengthening resilience to climate change, as well as regional connectivity projects.

  This includes Iraq's Development Road and vital corridors across Asia and the Middle East, and their role in supporting commerce.

In addition, the sessions will address green financing and private capital mobilization by examining innovative and blended financing mechanisms and ways to strengthen private-sector participation to help close the infrastructure financing gap, along with digital transformation and AIIB's initiatives in "InfraTech", as well as its strategic direction, operational priorities and future agenda.

The meeting will feature the "Act Green Together" initiative alongside the event, demonstrating the Qatar-AIIB commitment to advancing sustainable environmental practices and reducing the carbon footprint of international events.

The 2025 Beijing Annual Meeting, held under the theme "Connecting for Development, Collaborating for Prosperity", marked AIIB's 10th anniversary and the approval of an updated Corporate Strategy through 2030.

The Bank also announced that, over its first decade, its investments had surpassed USD 60 billion across more than 300 projects in 38 economies, with plans to deploy at least another USD 75 billion by 2030.

The Beijing-based AIIB is a multilateral development bank established through an international treaty. It currently has 111 approved members, is capitalized at USD 100 billion and is AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies.

The bank primarily intends to bridge the funding gap when it comes to infrastructure projects, in addition to reinforcing sustainable socioeconomic development in Asia and beyond, with an emphasis on supporting energy, water, transportation and urban development projects. (QNA)