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QIA looks at investments in Australia and Asia

By Pramod Kumar
QIA is exploring investment opportunities, including carve-outs among conglomerates and take-private deals in Japan Noushad Thekkayil via Reuters Connect
QIA is exploring investment opportunities, including carve-outs among conglomerates and take-private deals in Japan

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is looking at expanding into Australia, South Korea and Southeast Asia as part of its growth strategy, a senior fund official has said.

The sovereign fund is starting to hire locally in Australia and South Korea, Abdulla Ali Al-Kuwari, head of Asia Pacific at QIA Advisory, told a panel at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2024 in Singapore.

“We started Japan with the team maybe three years ago, now we are doubling it. It is a market to focus for us,” he said.

QIA is also exploring investment opportunities, including carve-outs among conglomerates and take-private deals in Japan, while focusing mainly on the technology sector in India.

“Technology is the biggest sector of our focus, and one country that stands out is India,” Al-Kuwari said.

QIA is a long-term capital provider and is investing for future generations of Qatar, focussing on pre-initial public offering, private and listed companies, he said.

In June the sovereign fund announced plans to expand its portfolio in the US and Asia – particularly China and India – and aims to take advantage of more “investor-friendly” deal terms, said Mohammed al Hardan, head of QIA’s technology, media and telecom investments

Established in 2005, QIA’s domestic holdings include stakes in Qatar National Bank – the Middle East and Africa’s biggest bank by assets – and former telecom monopoly Ooredoo.

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