International reserves and foreign currency liquidity of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) increased last February by 4.91 percent to QR 246.497 billion as compared to QR 234.946 billion in February 2023.
The figures released Wednesday by QCB showed an increase in its official reserves at the end of February 2024 as compared to what it was at the end of the same month last year by about QR 10.739 billion to reach QR 187.558 billion despite the decline in the QCB’s balances of bonds and foreign treasury bills by QR 897 million to the level of QR 138.965 billion in February 2024.
The official reserves consist of major components, which are foreign bonds and bills, cash balances with foreign banks, gold holdings, special drawing rights deposits, and Qatar’s share in the International Monetary Fund.
In addition to the official reserves, there are other liquid assets (Foreign Currency Deposits), so the two together constitute what is known as the total foreign reserves.
Gold reserves increased, as of the end of February 2024, by about QR 4.894 billion as compared to February 2023 to reach QR 24.411 billion.
Meanwhile, the State of Qatar’s shares of SDR deposits at the IMF decreased as of the end of last February by QR 69 million as compared to February 2023, reaching QR 5.179 billion.
Balances in foreign banks increased by about QR 6.811 billion to reach QR 19.032 billion at the end of February 2024 as compared to February 2023.
Source: www.qna.org.qa