Qatar emir pledges to fund education for 1 million school girls in developing countries

The emir of Qatar has pledged to fund education for one million school girls in developing countries over the next three years, state-run media reported.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani made the announcement on Tuesday at a meeting at the United Nations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, according to the official QNA news agency.

"Qatar has always given priority to education at both local and external levels, as reflected in its international development assistance programmes," Sheikh Tamim said.

The Emir expressed pride that Doha has "recently succeeded in helping 10 million marginalised and out-of-school children to receive quality primary education".

Qatar - the world's largest exporter of natural gas - has long funded humanitarian projects around the world.

Last year, the emirate contributed more than $26m to the UN's refugee agency, making it the largest donor from the region.