Finance Gulf investments grow in Cyprus both onshore and off Sovereign wealth funds are eyeing up real estate while energy companies have set their sights on the sea March 14, 2025
Oil & Gas Qatar to supply Syria with natural gas to ease power crisis Qatar has signed an agreement to supply natural gas to Syria via Jordan, a significant step towards addressing the war-torn nation’s energy crisis. The agreement, signed between Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and Jordan’s energy ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, will contribute to generating up to 400 megawatts of electricity daily […] March 14, 2025
Aviation Qatar Airways strives to avoid Etihad’s mistakes Like Etihad before it, Qatar Airways is expanding by buying stakes in other airlines. The Abu Dhabi carrier’s acquisition strategy ended badly, however. Three airlines in which it invested went bust and it lost $1.87 billion in one year alone in 2016. Qatar Airways may have better luck, analysts say. The state-owned carrier, which started […] March 10, 2025
Oil & Gas Qatar-US LNG export project back on track A liquefied natural gas export project co-owned by Qatar won approval from the Trump administration to have its starting date permit extended by three years on Wednesday. The Golden Pass LNG project in Texas, co-owned by the state-run QatarEnergy LNG and Exxon Mobil Corp, was required to commence operations by November 30, 2026. Negotiations to […] March 6, 2025
Aviation Qatar Airways to order large wide-body aircraft soon Qatar Airways will soon place a sizeable order for wide-body jets to underpin its longer-term growth plans, the airline’s chief commercial officer told Reuters late on Monday. “To secure the growth of tomorrow by continuing to have a very strong and the best fleet in the industry, our CEO is working on the RFP (request […] March 5, 2025
Industry Vietnamese EV maker in talks over $1bn investment from Qatari fund The Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup said on Tuesday it had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a potential investment of at least $1 billion in its electric vehicle maker, VinFast, by the private equity fund JTA Investment Qatar. Vingroup said the possible partnership could also extend to Vingroup’s hospitality business, Vinpearl. “Under the MoU, the […] March 4, 2025
Aviation Qatar Airways gets nod to buy 25% of Virgin Australia The Australian government has cleared an offer by state-backed Qatar Airways to acquire a minority 25 percent stake in Virgin Australia from Bain Capital, a US private equity company, the companies said in a statement. The Gulf carrier made the offer to buy the stake in October, but the Australian transport minister, Catherine King, rejected […] February 27, 2025
Banking & Finance QIA weighs new VC companies to join $1bn fund Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is evaluating eight venture capital (VC) firms to add to its “fund of funds” venture capital programme. The programme has already invested nearly $500 million in six firms, the head of funds at the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) told Reuters on Monday. The $1 billion programme will be almost fully invested […] February 25, 2025
Artificial Intelligence Qatar opts for AI to boost public services Qatar’s government has signed a five-year deal with artificial intelligence (AI) data company Scale AI to deploy AI-powered tools and training. It is an attempt to improve government services in the Gulf state, a senior Scale AI executive told Reuters on Sunday. “(This deal) can be a blueprint for other governments around the world, and […] February 24, 2025
Markets JPMorgan to remove Qatar and Kuwait from EM bond index JPMorgan will remove Qatar and Kuwait’s government bonds from its influential Emerging Market bond index, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is on course to follow next year, due to rising income levels in the Middle East. The US investment bank, whose EMBI indexes are the main global benchmark of EM debt, said it will […] February 21, 2025
Banking & Finance Qatar’s $3bn bond issue oversubscribed four times Orders for Qatar’s $3 billion bonds attracted bids of more than $12 billion, with spreads tightening significantly amid high demand, a news report said. The three-year senior unsecured notes of $1 billion were priced at 30 basis points (bps) over US treasuries compared to the initial pricing of 60 bps, Bloomberg reported, quoting informed sources. […] February 21, 2025
Analysis Real Estate How Qatar escaped a World Cup property glut Three years on, it is clear that Qatar has by and large avoided what plagued many of its World Cup host predecessors – the big White Elephant. In spite of a rush of building projects to open a slew of new hotels and apartments for the November-December 2022 event, the gas-rich nation was shrewd enough […] February 21, 2025
Trade Qatar to invest $10bn in India and launch free trade talks Qatar has agreed to invest $10 billion in India as trade ties between the two deepen. The countries have committed to double the level of imports and exports to $28 billion in the next five years and to establish a free trade agreement. A joint statement said Qatar would explore investment opportunities in sectors including […] February 19, 2025
Retail India’s Tata Group in talks to acquire stake in Damas Titan Company, the watches and jewellery arm of Indian conglomerate Tata Group, is in talks with Qatar-based Mannai Corporation to acquire a significant stake in Damas Jewellery, a news report said. The discussions, which began a year earlier, revolve around Damas’s valuation, estimated at Rs 45 billion ($518 million), the Economic Times, an Indian financial […] February 18, 2025
Aviation Australia likely to approve Qatar Airways-Virgin deal The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is leaning towards approving a five-year deal between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia, allowing them to sell long-haul return flights starting in June, the watchdog said. The approval, if granted, will allow the two airlines to commence 28 new weekly return flights between Doha and Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. […] February 18, 2025
Analysis Trade Gulf-South America trade surges as economies grow When Dubai’s Emirates airline started flying from Dubai to Bogotá in Colombia last summer, it not only provided a vital link between the two cities but also highlighted growing trade and investment links between the Gulf and South America. UAE-Argentina non-oil trade surged more than 70 percent last year to $537 million, according to the […] February 17, 2025
Business of Sport Contractors invited to bid for Qatar racecourse expansion Qatar has started inviting contractors to bid on the expansion of its second-largest horse racecourse. The design and build contract covers the development of the fourth phase of the Al Uqda equestrian complex. This covers expansion of the existing track, a new straight racecourse, an additional grandstand of 5,000 square metres for spectators, a new […] February 11, 2025
Oil & Gas Pakistan weighs revising terms of Qatar LNG deal Pakistan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) pact with Qatar allows for either party to initiate renegotiation talks next year but no decision has been taken on whether to do this, Pakistan’s petroleum minister told Reuters. Musadik Malik was clarifying comments made to a parliamentary committee on energy, as reported in local newspaper The News, which had […] February 10, 2025
Tourism Qatar stopover initiative draws thousands more visitors An initiative encouraging passengers passing through Qatar to stay a night in the country has already sold more than 100,000 room nights this year. Launched in August 2021, the Discover Qatar Stopover Programme allows travellers with Qatar Airways and its codeshare partners to book overnight stays from anywhere between one and four nights at lower […] February 6, 2025
Manufacturing Qatari AI company invests in Scottish hydrogen lorry maker Qatari AI software supplier Excelledia Ventures has invested in a Scottish HGV manufacturer that is developing zero-emission hydrogen-electric trucks. Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) has developed an AI emissions reduction technology that optimises diesel, battery and hydrogen-powered trucks to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. The hydrogen HGV that HVS is developing has a range of […] January 31, 2025
