(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Peninsula

Qatar's outward foreign direct investment (FDI) stock touched QR139.9bn at the end of 2016, up 8 percent, from a year ago.

Financial and insurance activities (36 percent), transportation, storage, information and communication (31 percent) and mining and quarrying (27 percent) accounted for most of foreign direct investment during the period.

Qatar's foreign investments are spread across 80 countries. The top four countries accounted for almost 95 percent of the total investments, the 5th annual foreign investment survey jointly conducted by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) and Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has revealed.

According to the survey report, liabilities to non-residents increased by 23 percent or QR144.2bn to QR 774.0bn, at the end of 2016. Other foreign investments, including the outward direct investment, accounted for 70 percent or QR541.6bn.

The foreign direct investment in Qatar stood at QR135.4bn or 18 percent and portfolio investments reached QR93.2bn. At the end of 2016, stock of inward FDI had been reduced by QR5.2bn due to net outflows of FDI and other changes during the year.

Qatar's assets with non-residents increased by QR63.4bn to QR459.6bn. Other foreign investments consisting of long term loans and trade related short term financial instruments accounted for 62 percent or QR286.4bn of the total assets, followed by foreign direct investment abroad at QR139.9bn and portfolio investments (financial securities) at QR33.1bn.

About 90 percent of 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 56 percent of the total value of FDI, followed by mining and quarrying (32 percent) and financial and insurance activities (6 percent) at the end of 2016.

Over 60 countries contributed to the stock of FDI in Qatar at the end of 2016.

The top four group of countries relative share of total FDI continued to grow and amounted to 93 percent of total at the end of 2016. At the end of Q2 2017, liabilities to non-residents decreased by 5 percent to QR743.2bn.

Other foreign investments accounted for 70 percent or QR512.9bn.

Foreign direct investment in Qatar stood at QR135.8bn and portfolio investments at QR89.4bn in Q2, 2017. Stock of inward FDI was reduced by QR1.0bn due to net outflows of FDI and other changes during the quarter.

The net outflow of foreign direct investment stood at QR1.5bn in the second quarter.

The annual foreign investment survey is based on data obtained from about 150 significant enterprises that had accounted for more than 90 percent of total investments and by various functional, geographical and economic activity (industrial) characteristics.

The objective of the survey was to cover major enterprises (private and public) operating in the national economy.

However, data could be obtained only from privately owned companies and public corporations. International financial transactions made by individuals and by the Government were not covered. Users are accordingly cautioned that the survey results are not strictly comparable with the BOP statement of the QCB.

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