DOHA: The size of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to Qatar has touched QR111.8bn at the end of 2012, a 1.2 percent increase from a year ago. Though the FDI has targeted various economic activities in Qatar, four major sectors accounted for 90.7 percent of the Qatar’s total inward FDI at the end of December 2012.
These sectors include mining and quarrying; manufacturing; building and construction; professional, scientific, technical, administrative and supportive service activities.
Mining and quarrying sector attracted maximum FDI inward stock worth a total of QR49.4bn in 2012, up from QR44.2bn recorded in the previous year. Manufacturing sector attracted QR24.5bn, while building and construction sector attracted QR15.5bn, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) noted in its “Qatar Foreign Investment Survey 2013”, yesterday.
The FDI inwards stock to Qatar recorded highest from the US with a QR38.5bn in 2012, up from QR34.5bn record in the previous year. Netherlands contributed QR17.1bn, while Qatar attracted QR11.9bn from France and QR9.0bn from Saudi Arabia. Inward flow from Italy amounted to QR7.1bn, a jump from QR6.3bn in the previous year.
The Foreign Investment Survey, conducted with the support of Qatar Central bank (QCB), has also revealed that total outward direct investment from Qatar at the end of 2012, recorded QR73.9bn, an increase of 19.8 percent compared to the previous year and 56.2 percent jump from the year 2010.
The financial and insurance sector accounted for the maximum outward direct investment from Qatar worth a total of QR27.7bn in 2012.
In 2012, Qatar targeted its major investment in five countries, accounted for 63.4 percent of total outward FDI by the end of the year. Indonesia was Qatar’s top target during the year. Indonesia attracted QR14.6bn in terms of Qatar’s outward fund, followed by Kuwait (QR12.6bn), France (QR8bn), UAE (QR6.7bn), and US (QR4.9bn).
The survey was aimed to cover all major establishments, both private and public, operating in the national economy. But the information could be gathered only from privately owned companies and public corporations. All the international financial transactions made by individuals as well as those made by Government were also not covered, the Ministry stated.
