Qatar’s global influence on rise: AFD CEO

Doha, Qatar: As the Doha Forum 2025 concluded this week, R my Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of the Agence Fran aise de D veloppement (AFD) and Chairm...

Doha, Qatar: As the Doha Forum 2025 concluded this week, Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Chairman of the global Finance in Common coalition, said the forum’s theme Justice in Action captured the shift from rhetoric to real-world impact in international development, while underscoring Qatar’s growing influence on the global stage.

“It was my first participation in the Doha Forum, and I was really eager to feel the spirit of the room,” Rioux said in an exclusive interview with The Peninsula.

“I felt very comfortable during these three days. I like the theme of Justice in Action: it’s fully consistent with my institution’s values and principles.” Rioux stressed that credibility in development finance now depends on tangible outcomes. “It’s about action: less words and more impact, concrete transformation,” he said.

“As a public development bank, our sole legitimacy is what we accomplish. We are very attentive to impact measurement, and that is what we present to the market when we issue about €10 billion in bonds every year.” On the sidelines of the forum, AFD and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed their first co-financed project, marking a major step in bilateral cooperation. The partnership follows the February 2024 state visit of H H the Amir to France, which opened a new chapter in humanitarian and development collaboration.

“We signed an investment in the Saint Joseph Hospital in East Jerusalem, which we will make climate-resilient,” Rioux said. The project includes infrastructure upgrades and extensive staff training. The hospital treats about 100,000 patients annually, 98 percent of them Palestinians. “In the current context, this is a signal our two countries want to send,” he added.