Al-Jadaan attends AIIB annual meetings in Doha

DOHA — Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan attended the 11th Annual Meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) held on September 28 and 29 in Doha, under the theme “Tomorrow’s infrastructure: Impact and innovation.”‏Addressing the meeting, Al-Jadaan emphasized that AIIB has established a strong foundation, with progress in connectivity, regional cooperation, and private-sector participation, which demonstrates its growing capacity to respond to members’ infrastructure needs. ‏”As AIIB scales up, progress should be measured not only by financing volumes or project approvals, but also by development impact,” he said, stressing that the bank’s success “should translate into better infrastructure services, stronger institutions, greater economic resilience, and increased private-sector participation.” ‏Al-Jadaan called for strengthened engagement with member countries, highlighting that earlier dialogue would help AIIB understand each country’s circumstances, infrastructure gaps, and priorities, while emphasizing the importance of supporting multi-year programs aligned with national strategies. He urged greater utilization of partnerships, encouraging the bank to strengthen cooperation with other multilateral development banks and international organizations to exchange expertise, avoid duplication, and mobilize additional public and private resources. He noted the importance of AIIB’s approach remaining country-driven, recognizing differences in institutional capacity, fiscal space, and infrastructure development. ‏Saudi Arabia is a founding member of AIIB, which was established in the Chinese capital, Beijing, in 2016 as a multilateral development finance institution.