Asian Development Bank

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the China-led multilateral lender, is planning to double its financing capacity as it seeks to expand support for roads, power and other projects across Asia. Observers are questioning whether the boost can meaningfully close the region's vast infrastructure funding gap, which runs into trillions of dollars and far exceeds current levels of multilateral development lending.

Global Finance Magazine examines which financial institutions, governments and investors are bankrolling Asia's long-term growth, a question at the heart of debates over infrastructure spending, sovereign lending and the region's rising economic weight. The discussion centers on how funding sources, from development banks to private capital, will shape which Asian economies lead the coming decades.

Sudan's Finance Ministry says it is strengthening its partnership with the Asian Development Bank to back infrastructure projects across the country. The announcement points to continued efforts by Sudanese authorities to secure development financing despite the country's ongoing economic and security difficulties. Details on funding amounts or specific projects have not been disclosed.

The World Trade Organization, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank are bringing the Trade for Sustainable Development (TS4D) initiative to Asia and the Pacific in 2026. The programme aims to expand support for sustainable trade across the region, and the three institutions have announced the rollout as part of their 2026 news items.

The Asian Development Bank and Bangladesh's Modern Syntex have signed a $50 million loan agreement to expand the production of energy-efficient polyester chips. The financing is intended to support capacity growth at the company's synthetic fibre operations while promoting more energy-efficient manufacturing. The deal highlights continued development-bank backing for industrial energy efficiency projects in Bangladesh.