QIA ups startup backing with $2bn funding pool

• Startup registrations double
• PM cites eightfold rise in incentives
• Launches entrepreneur residency scheme

Qatar will increase the size of its Fund of Funds programme by $2 billion to support startups and venture capital, prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said.

The Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) initial $1 billion commitment has already anchored 12 major venture capital companies in Doha, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported, citing Al Thani.

“We are pairing capital with technical power,” he was quoted as saying, announcing the provision of dedicated computing credits for Qatar-based startups to accelerate growth. 

He said the Gulf state had seen an eightfold increase in startup incentives, following a year in which startup registrations doubled and applications exceeded 6,000.

The Fund of Funds launched in February 2024 to strengthen Qatar’s venture capital landscape. Priority was given to technology and healthcare.

In January, QIA signed a preliminary agreement with Goldman Sachs, committing $25 billion in investments to US managed funds and co-investment opportunities.

QIA has nearly $580 billion in assets under management, according to Global SWF, a data platform that tracks sovereign wealth funds.

The prime minister also launched a 10-year residency programme for entrepreneurs, founders, investors and senior executives.

Details of the residency programme were not given.

Further reading:

• Qatar has built prosperity. What comes next?
• Qatar wealth fund commits $25bn to Goldman investments
• Qatar sovereign fund to be ‘selective’ in AI investments

Qatar is the latest Gulf state to introduce new residency incentives to encourage more foreign direct investment.

In November, AGBI reported that Saudi Arabia would grant “lifetime” residency to foreigners who buy a home there worth at least SAR4 million ($1 million).

Last month, the kingdom was reported to be planning to expand its premium residency programme to attract a wider pool of foreign residents, including high-net-worth individuals and superyacht owners.

Dubai has been offering golden visas to attract foreign talent, stimulate business activity and support the real estate market.

In August 2025, Oman began inviting foreign investors to apply for “golden residency” to attract more foreign capital, offering a host of incentives.