Doha: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) announced a 2.21% year-on-year increase in its international reserves and foreign currency liquidity for March, reaching QAR 261.972 billion compared to QAR 256.300 billion in the same period in 2025.

According to Qatar News Agency, the data released by QCB indicated that its official international reserves saw a 2.6% rise by the end of March 2026, amounting to QAR 5.184 billion, with reserves totaling QAR 202.338 billion compared to March 2025. However, the bank's holdings in foreign bonds and treasury bills decreased by approximately QAR 2.225 billion, settling at QAR 120.661 billion in March 2026 compared to the previous year.

Official reserves are comprised of several key components, including foreign bonds and treasury bills, cash balances with foreign banks, gold holdings, Special Drawing Rights (SDR) deposits, and Qatar's quota at the International Monetary Fund, as well as other liquid assets like foreign-currency deposits. Together, the latter two elements contribute to the total international reserves.

The data further showed a significant increase in gold holdings by QAR 19.809 billion, reaching QAR 60.832 billion at the end of March 2026, up from QAR 41.023 billion in March 2025. Additionally, the balance of Special Drawing Rights deposits from Qatar's share at the International Monetary Fund rose by QAR 37 million, totaling QAR 5.179 billion by the end of March 2026.

Conversely, balances with foreign banks saw a decline of about QAR 12.438 billion, reducing to QAR 15.663 billion by March 2026.