DOHA: Qatar has invested an estimated QR477bn abroad over the past five years.
The size of Qatar’s foreign investments amounted to about $36.5bn last year, up from $21.5bn in 2013. Qatar’s foreign investments touched nearly $45bn in 2012, compared with $13bn in 2011 and $15bn in 2010.
A country-wise breakdown of Qatar’s foreign investment destination shows the UK and Paris attracted maximum share of investments from Qatar. London alone wooed nearly $45bn, while investments in Paris stood at $30bn.
Among the most prominent global deals concluded by Qatar during the last five years included the acquisition of Harrods in London for $2.3bn and 3 percent stake in Dutch British Shell for $11bn. Qatar bought shares of Siemens for $5bn and German Deutsche Bank for $2.4bn.
The investment in Shard London was $1.5bn and HSBC Bank Tower in Canary Wharf $1.3bn.
This is in addition to investing millions of dollars in strategic areas in China, Turkey, Indonesia, Spain, Hong Kong and Switzerland..
The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) ranked second in the world in terms of asset growth in 2014. With a 50 percent growth rate, Qatar has been ranked as one of the fastest growing Sovereign Fund in the world.
The Peninsula
