Arab News, Wednesday, May 24, 2023 | Thul-Qidah 4, 1444
Qatar hopes to attract foreign asset managers through its new market-making program
Qatar:
Qatar is set to attract foreign asset managers as its sovereign wealth fund
dedicates up to 1 billion Qatari riyals ($275 million) toward a market-making
program.
The program will promote price discovery and diversify the country’s capital
markets, reported the Qatar Investment Authority on Tuesday.
In turn, this move will enable the market to pull in more foreign asset managers
to invest in the country’s local shares.
Additionally, it will boost liquidity on the Qatar Stock Exchange, noted the
$445 billion sovereign wealth fund.
Set to operate over the next five years, the market-making program will cover 90
percent of the size of the market capitalization listed on the local bourse.
Saudi-Qatari trade ties
Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Mohammed Al-Thani met with Saudi
Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih on Tuesday.
In the meeting, Al-Thani highlighted how its economic policies effectively
encouraged investors and businessmen to invest in the country.
Al-Falih flew to Doha to participate in the three-day Qatar Economic Forum.
In January, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund increased its stake in Credit Suisse
to just under 7 percent, becoming the Swiss bank’s second-largest shareholder
after Saudi National Bank, indicating that its Gulf investor base is growing in
importance.
Cleantech leadership
The country is also set to drive the growth of the clean technology industry in
the Middle East and Africa as its favorable policies and advanced technological
infrastructure present investment opportunities worth $75 billion, revealed an
industry report earlier this month.
Qatar’s Investment Promotion Agency stated that the country’s sustainability
initiatives, abundant natural resources, and an early-mover advantage in green
hydrogen production made the gas-rich nation an emerging leader in the cleantech
industry.
“With its abundant solar energy resources, Qatar is well positioned to take
advantage of hydrogen production, which is essential to decarbonize
hard-to-abate sectors,” the report said.
The report pointed out that the support of government policies in Qatar and the
Middle East and North Africa region has a vital role in the growth of the
cleantech sector.