عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

World Bank Group Opens First Office in Qatar to Boost Development Cooperation

Officials are seen at the ceremony in Doha. (World Bank)
Officials are seen at the ceremony in Doha. (World Bank)
TT
TT

World Bank Group Opens First Office in Qatar to Boost Development Cooperation

Officials are seen at the ceremony in Doha. (World Bank)
Officials are seen at the ceremony in Doha. (World Bank)

The World Bank Group (WBG) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding during the official opening of the group’s office in Doha, marking a significant step in enhancing strategic collaboration aimed at providing innovative and sustainable development solutions on a global scale.

The inauguration and signing ceremony was attended by President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, Chairperson of QFFD Sheikh Thani bin Hamad Al-Thani, Qatari Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Vice Chairperson of QFFD Dr. Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad and senior officials from both institutions.

The inauguration of the World Bank Group's new office aims to facilitate the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030 while strengthening the World Bank Group’s involvement with both the public and private sectors in Qatar, the World Bank said in a statement.

The office will serve as a platform for promoting outbound investments into emerging markets, both regionally and globally.

The partnership signifies a mutual dedication to fostering innovative financing for development, aiding in reconstruction, recovery, and job creation throughout the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and in areas affected by fragility and conflict, the statement said.

By leveraging instruments from both the public and private sectors, this collaboration will concentrate on unlocking opportunities in key sectors that are essential for long-term resilience, stability, and inclusive growth, such as human capital, energy and mining, agribusiness, and digital development, it added.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, the WBG and QFFD plan to investigate future collaborative efforts to support nations that align with global development priorities.

This includes initiatives aimed at expanding electricity access for 300 million individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa through the M-300 initiative, as well as boosting the livelihoods of up to 250 million smallholder farmers worldwide via the World Bank Group’s AgriConnect platform.

“This milestone reflects the State of Qatar’s long-standing commitment to strengthening partnerships with leading international financial institutions and accelerating the implementation of sustainable development programs, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030,” said Director General at QFFD, Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, during the ceremony.

World Bank Group President Banga said: “Our partnership with the Qatar Fund for Development aligns shared strategic priorities and complementary capabilities to drive job creation, supporting economic opportunity in places where employment is essential to long-term stability.”

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Iraq in Talks with Gulf States on Pipeline Exports beyond Hormuz

Workers carry out maintenance on a pipeline at a gas separation station in the Zubair oil field near Basra (AP). 
Workers carry out maintenance on a pipeline at a gas separation station in the Zubair oil field near Basra (AP). 
TT
TT

Iraq in Talks with Gulf States on Pipeline Exports beyond Hormuz

Workers carry out maintenance on a pipeline at a gas separation station in the Zubair oil field near Basra (AP). 
Workers carry out maintenance on a pipeline at a gas separation station in the Zubair oil field near Basra (AP). 

Iraq is in talks with Gulf countries to use their pipeline networks to secure alternative oil export routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz, the state oil marketer SOMO said Thursday.

The move is part of an emergency strategy by the oil ministry to tap regional infrastructure and bypass maritime chokepoints, ensuring Iraqi crude continues to reach global markets while offsetting higher transport costs linked to the current crisis.

Ali Nizar al-Shatari, head of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), said the ministry is prioritizing negotiations to access Gulf pipeline systems extending beyond the Strait of Hormuz and into the Arabian Sea, allowing exports to avoid areas of military tension.

“The goal is to secure stable routes that guarantee efficient flows of Iraqi oil at lower transport costs,” Shatari said, adding that Iraq generated about $2 billion in oil revenues in March, up 28 percent from February.

He said SOMO exported around 18 million barrels of crude from Basra, Kirkuk and the Kurdistan region by using all available outlets, including southern ports that operated until early March and northern routes to Türkiye’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.

As part of efforts to diversify export options, Shatari revealed that the first shipments of fuel oil and Basra Medium crude successfully reached Syrian ports.

He noted that Iraq had signed a deal to export 50,000 barrels per day via this route, describing cooperation with Syria as “very significant,” with storage and security provided to ensure safe delivery to the port of Baniyas.

The route has proven effective and could become a permanent option after the crisis, he added.

Shatari further noted that the oil ministry is close to completing repairs on the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline, which suffered extensive damage in previous years.

Technical teams have inspected the most difficult terrain, with about 200 kilometers (125 miles) still to be assessed in the coming days before full pumping of Kirkuk crude resumes.

In a notable logistical move, Iraq has begun pumping Basra crude northwards for export via Ceyhan.

Flows started at 170,000 barrels per day and are expected to stabilize between 200,000 and 250,000 bpd, helping offset disrupted southern exports and supply energy-hungry markets in Europe and the Americas.

Shatari said Iraq has benefited from rising global prices by selling Kirkuk crude — a medium-grade oil — at strong premiums.

He also confirmed the reactivation of an agreement with the Kurdistan region to reuse the pipeline through the region to Ceyhan, helping lift total exports to 18 million barrels in March.

This came despite a drop in production in Kurdistan fields to about 200,000 bpd due to security threats, he added.

 

 

Business

World Food Prices Rose in March as Iran War Lifted Energy Costs, FAO Says

A farmer carries harvested rice at a paddy field in Samahani, Aceh province on April 2, 2026. (AFP)
A farmer carries harvested rice at a paddy field in Samahani, Aceh province on April 2, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

World Food Prices Rose in March as Iran War Lifted Energy Costs, FAO Says

A farmer carries harvested rice at a paddy field in Samahani, Aceh province on April 2, 2026. (AFP)
A farmer carries harvested rice at a paddy field in Samahani, Aceh province on April 2, 2026. (AFP)

The war in the Middle East has pushed food commodity prices higher due to higher energy and fertilizer costs, the UN's food agency said Friday. 

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said its Food Price Index, which measures the monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, had increased 2.4 percent in March from February. 

It was the second rise in a row, which the agency said was largely due to higher energy prices linked to conflict in the Middle East. 

Within the index, the category of vegetable oil saw the sharpest rise, of 5.1 percent over February, as palm oil prices reached their highest point since the middle of 2022, due to effects from spiking crude oil prices, FAO said. 

However, a "broadly comfortable" supply of cereal has cushioned the damaged from the conflict, FAO said. 

"Price rises since the conflict began have been modest, driven mainly by higher oil prices and cushioned by ample global cereal supplies," said FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero in a statement. 

But he warned that if the conflict goes on beyond 40 days and the high prices on fertilizer continue, "farmers will have to choose: farm the same with fewer inputs, plant less, or switch to less intensive fertilizer crops". 

"Those choices will hit future yields and shape our food supply and commodity prices for the rest of this year and all of the next." 

Disruptions to production and supply chain routes had also introduced "additional uncertainty" into the outlook for wheat and maize, FAO found. 

Business

Turkish Inflation Near 2% Monthly in March, Below Forecasts

A full moon rises behind Galata Tower, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP)
A full moon rises behind Galata Tower, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Turkish Inflation Near 2% Monthly in March, Below Forecasts

A full moon rises behind Galata Tower, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP)
A full moon rises behind Galata Tower, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP)

Turkish consumer price inflation was 1.94% month-on-month in March, while the annual figure fell to 30.87%, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed ‌on Friday.

In ‌a Reuters ‌poll, ⁠monthly inflation was ⁠forecast to be 2.32%, with the annual rate seen at 31.4%, driven by ⁠a rise in ‌fuel prices ‌and weather-related pressures ‌on food inflation.

In ‌February, consumer prices rose 2.96% month-on-month and 31.53% year-on-year, broadly in ‌line with estimates and reinforcing expectations that ⁠the ⁠disinflation process may be stalling.

The data also showed the domestic producer index rose 2.30% month-on-month in March for an annual increase of 28.08%.