The 2025 edition of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) concluded in Rabat on November 28, highlighting a notable shift in Gulf capital’s engagement with the continent.
Among global financial players, the Qatar Development Bank (QDB) stood out not only for its presence but for a strategic pivot led by its Vice President of Enterprise Development, Khalid Al-Mana.
Moving away from the traditional role of a distant financier, QDB used the forum to deploy a new engagement model, actively positioning Qatari contractors at the center of African infrastructure deals, Ecofin Agency reported.
In a landscape often dominated by Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) promoting proprietary technology, QDB’s approach was distinctly human-centric.
Instead of selling software or machinery, the bank emphasized exporting execution capability.
“If you look at other Export Credit Agencies, most of them will be bringing in technologies… So we bring in the contractors,” Al-Mana stated, underscoring a strategy focused on deploying Qatar’s Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) sector rather than merely providing capital.
Central to this strategy was leveraging finance to gain access to the AIF’s “boardrooms”, private sessions where deals are structured. By linking financing possibilities to the presence of operational partners, QDB ensured its national champions were active participants in high-level negotiations.
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“We brought them with us to this event to introduce them into the market and introduce them to the opportunities here in the boardrooms,” Al-Mana explained. This positions QDB as a “catalyst,” unlocking capital for projects specifically on the condition that Qatari EPC expertise is deployed to reduce execution risk.
This tactical approach aligns with broader geopolitical ambitions and a surge in Qatari interest in Africa. Recent diplomatic tours and investment pledges by Al Mansour Holdings, led by Sheikh Al Mansour bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, have included plans to invest up to $103 billion in key African sectors and countries.
QDB’s aim appears to be familiarizing itself with these vast opportunities while deploying its domestic support model, which guides companies from incubation through the “J-curve” of growth, into the African market.
By linking finance to specific industrial value chains, QDB’s model addresses urgent demands voiced by African promoters during the forum.
Nassim Belkhayat, CEO and Founder of NeoMotors, which launched Morocco’s first locally manufactured car in 2018, called for funds dedicated to the local automotive supply chain to support export readiness.
Similarly, Maryse Mbonyumutwa-Gallagher, CEO of Pink Mango, advocated for specialized financial vehicles to back African creative industries, particularly garment manufacturing.
QDB’s approach mirrors these requests by offering a financing mechanism that not only provides capital but also secures the industrial capabilities required to execute projects.
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Image Credit: Finance Middle East
