FDI into Qatar has been dwindling during 2012-14 with the sharpest fall in 2014, while portfolio flows into the country though remained positive in 2012 and 2013 also saw decline in the same year, figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said.
However, a substantial inflow of other foreign investments helped Qatar report an increase of QR1.6bn in total foreign investments to QR525.7bn in 2014, it said.
Qatar's inward FDI stood at QR141.1bn in 2014, QR152.4bn in 2013, QR162bn in 2012, QR172.9bn in 2011, QR165.7bn in 2010 and QR129bn in 2009.
In the case of foreign portfolio investments, it was QR78.6bn, QR83bn, QR72.5bn, QR45.5bn, QR49.6bn and QR42bn in the corresponding years respectively.
Foreign other investments were valued at QR306bn, QR288.7bn, QR324.3bn, QR171.1bn, QR158.5bn and QR189.1bn in the years in review, MDPS said.
More than 90% of the inward FDI was accounted for by the oil and gas and associated downstream manufacturing and other activities such as transportation and marketing. In terms of the book value of investments, manufacturing activities accounted for 52% of the total value of FDI, followed by mining and quarrying (38%) and financial and insurance activities (4%) at the end of 2014.
Highlighting that over 60 countries contributed to the stock of FDI in Qatar at the end of 2014; MDPS said the European Union constituted 33% of total inward FDI flows, the US (22%), other American countries (34%) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (5%).
In 2014, Qatar's total outward foreign investments stood at QR306.2bn, which comprised FDI of QR117bn, portfolio investments of QR23.2bn and other investments of QR166bn.
Qatar's outward FDI was QR38.8bn in 2009, QR47.3bn in 2010, QR100.8bn in 2012 and QR113.9bn in 2014, while portfolio investments were QR16.3bn, QR17.5bn, QR17.4bn, QR14.8bn and QR27.7bn respectively, MDPS said.
Foreign other investments amounted to QR35.8bn, QR82.6bn, QR79bn, QR114bn and QR129.3bn respectively in the corresponding years.
In 2014, 38% of Qatar's outward FDI went into financial and insurance segment, 32% in transportation, storage, information and communication; and 19% in the real estate.
Highlighting that Qatar had FDI abroad in about 80 countries; MDPS said 29% of it went to the European Union, 26% to the GCC, 18% to other Arab countries and 11% to Asia.
