Qatar Central Bank's international reserves rise 1.52% y-o-y to $72bn

10/06/2026 04:36 AST

Qatar Central Bank's international reserves and foreign currency liquidity climbed 1.52 percent year on year in May, reaching 262.06 billion Qatari riyals ($72 billion), according to official data.

The figures released by the bank and carried by the national news agency showed that official international reserves rose 1.86 percent year on year to 202.60 billion riyals, while gold holdings increased to 61.22 billion riyals.

Qatar's strengthening reserve position comes as central banks across the Gulf bolster their external buffers, supported by prudent fiscal policies and resilient energy revenues.

Saudi Arabia's foreign reserves hit a six-year high of $474.18 billion in January, up 10 percent year on year, while the UAE's reached a record $285.7 billion in February. Kuwait also posted gains, with reserves climbing to $39.81 billion in March.

"Official reserves consist of key components including foreign bonds and treasury bills, cash balances with foreign banks, gold holdings, Special Drawing Rights deposits, and Qatar's quota at the International Monetary Fund, in addition to other liquid assets in the form of foreign-currency deposits, together forming what is known as total international reserves," Qatar News Agency said.

The May figures indicate that Qatar has maintained elevated reserve levels throughout 2026, reinforcing the country's external buffers despite shifting global economic conditions. In January, reserves rose 2.63 percent annually to 261.89 billion riyals, with official international reserves up 3.14 percent to 202.25 billion riyals.

Balances with foreign banks increased by 20.18 billion riyals to reach 36.57 billion riyals. In contrast, holdings of foreign bonds and treasury bills declined to 99.56 billion riyals, while special drawing rights deposits fell slightly by 35 million riyals to 5.22 billion riyals.

Gold holdings were a key driver, surging by 29.34 billion riyals to 65.99 billion riyals, while special drawing rights deposits increased by 218 million riyals to 5.27 billion riyals.

Holdings of foreign bonds and treasury bills declined by 19.41 billion riyals to 109.45 billion riyals, and balances with foreign banks fell by 3.98 billion riyals to 21.53 billion riyals.

Arab News