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The new shares bring the QIA's ownership in Credit Suisse to 6.87%, amounting to 272.25 million shares, from 5.57% as reported in its last SEC filing in November. Credit Suisse declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Monday and the QIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Credit Suisse's shares rose 2.2% on Monday to close at 3.15 Swiss francs. SNB, along with the QIA and Olayan Group, account for about 20% of Credit Suisse shares. Credit Suisse outlined plans in October to raise 4 billion Swiss francs from investors, cut thousands of jobs and shift its focus from investment banking towards its rich clients.

☆ Qatar backpedals on energy minister's comment that Europe would be able to 'forgive and forget' Russia for invading Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Qatar's energy minister said Europe would be able to "forgive and forget" Russia for the Ukraine war. And I think things get mended with time," Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Qatar's energy minister, said during an energy forum in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, according to an official transcript. "I don't think that — this war and this situation will not last forever." "We don't accept threatening by force or the use of force, we don't accept civilians to be hurt. Qatar's energy and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Davos 2023: Qatar says engagement with Taliban needed despite 'disappointing' actions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Qatar's foreign minister said on Tuesday that recent measures taken by Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration were "very disappointing" but that Doha would continue engaging as the only way forward to achieve change on the ground. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said Doha was also consulting with other Muslim countries to establish a dialogue with Taliban officials in Kandahar, and while it would "not be an easy job" it was important to keep trying. The Islamist Taliban-led administration, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, has imposed bans on women working for aid groups or attending universities and high school. Reporting by Mahal El Dahan; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qatar does not advocate 'forgive and forget' for Russia, foreign minister says after colleague's controversial remarks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Thani on Tuesday appeared to correct a controversial statement that his fellow minister made over the weekend concerning Russia's war in Ukraine. Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Qatar's energy minister and head of the state gas company, said that he was sure Russian gas would eventually flow back to Europe, as the continent would "forgive and forget" Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. Asked by CNBC's Hadley Gamble if al-Kaabi's comment was the official position of Qatar, al-Thani said:"Well, it's not actually. First of all, politically speaking, when we are talking about the situation and the war, Qatar has a very clear political stance on this: we don't accept the invasion of another country. We don't accept threatening by force or the use of force, we don't accept civilians to be hurt.

☆ Qatar's sovereign wealth fund — which invested $375 million in Elon Musk's Twitter buyout — says it hasn't told the new CEO to tweet less
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar Investment Authority's CEO told Bloomberg TV it hasn't asked Elon Musk to tweet less. QIA's CEO said the fund trusts Musk's leadership to turn the company around. The sovereign wealth fund pumped $375 million into Musk's $44 billion Twitter acquisition. The Qatar Investment Fund is one of a group of high-profile investors who have provided funding for Musk's Twitter deal. The Qatar Investment Fund and Twitter did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Russian gas will eventually return to Europe as nations 'forgive and forget,' Qatari energy minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

On Friday, Russian energy supplier Gazprom said it would not resume its supply of natural gas to Germany through the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, blaming a malfunctioning turbine. Hannibal Hanschke | ReutersThe European Union's rejection of Russian energy commodities following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine won't last forever, Qatar's Energy Minister said during an energy conference over the weekend. EU countries have dramatically cut down their imports of Russian energy supplies, imposing sanctions in response to Moscow's brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "But Russian gas is going back, in my view, to Europe," al-Kaabi said. Italy has dramatically reduced its reliance on Russian gas by replacing it with energy sources from alternative producers, such as Algeria.

ABU DHABI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates wants the COP28 climate conference it is hosting this year to be practical and show solidarity between the global north and south that "leaves no one behind", the country's oil chief and designated COP28 president said. In a speech on Saturday to the Global Energy Forum, Sultan al-Jaber, head of state oil giant ADNOC and UAE climate envoy, called for scaling up renewables, nuclear energy, hydrogen, carbon capture, energy efficiency and new technologies, among others. The UAE, a major OPEC oil exporter, will be the second Arab state to host the climate conference after Egypt in 2022. "We need to ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind," he said, adding that low carbon growth was the future. Reporting by Rachna Uppal, Yousef Saba and Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia weighs boosting Pakistan investment to $10 bln -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said it could increase its investments in the cash-strapped Pakistan economy to $10 billion, the Saudi state news agency reported on Tuesday, as well as increase the ceiling on deposits into the Pakistan central bank to $5 billion. He has also asked the Saudi Development Fund (SDF) to consider raising the ceiling for Saudi deposits into the Pakistan central bank as part of measures to support the struggling economy. Last month, the Saudis extended the terms of an existing $3 billion deposit in the central bank it made in 2021. read morePakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought to forge closer economic ties with Gulf states to secure bigger investments. Qatar's sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) aims to invest $3 billion in Pakistan, and in October, Sharif was invited to address delegates at Saudi's flagship investment conference, the Future Investment Initiative.

☆ After World Cup, Qatar sets sight on reviving its stock market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar, the world's top LNG exporter and recent host of the FIFA World Cup 2022, is turning its attention to diversifying its economy away from gas. That strategy includes building its equities market by opening it up to a wider investor base and introducing more listings. "Now that the World Cup has been successfully hosted, we can see the focus is shifting to other diversification areas," said Osama Ali, HSBC's head of global banking in Qatar. With a market capitalisation of about $158.2 billion, Doha's exchange is dwarfed in size by Abu Dhabi's $718.8 billion and Riyadh's $2.72 trillion. ($1 = 3.6580 Qatar riyals)Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IT services firm to be Qatar's first to use book building for IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Qatari IT services firm MEEZA will be the first company in the country to use book building to carry out an initial public offering, it said in a statement on Sunday, as Qatar aligns itself with international practices. The IPO process, which begins this month, will allow the company to offer a price range to test investors’ appetite and determine the IPO price. The offering's price range is between 2.61 riyals ($0.7135) to 2.81 riyals per share, which could raise between 846 million and 911 million riyals. Qatar introduced the regulations for book building in February 2021 to help entice foreign investors and elevate its status towards a developed market. Until now, the standard practice in Qatar has been for a company to set a price based on feedback from two independent valuation reports.

☆ Elon Musk was photographed with the CEO of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund hours before asking followers if he should quit as Twitter boss
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk was pictured with the CEO of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund during Sunday's World Cup final. The Qatar Investment Authority invested about $375 million in Musk's takeover of Twitter. Photographs show Musk sat close to Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud, CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority, and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of former president Donald Trump. The Qatar Investment Authority declined to comment. Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesAccording to Bloomberg, the Qatar Investment Authority manages funds worth around $450 billion.

☆ Soccer-In year of drama, World Cup shines spotlight on growth in the sport
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Manasi Pathak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi's World Cup fairytale lit up the year in soccer as heroics and heartbreak at the finals captivated fans and highlighted the growth of the world's most popular sport despite the criticism of host country Qatar's human rights record. With matches played in air-conditioned stadiums to cope with the heat of the desert state and no beer on tap in stadiums, spectators experienced a World Cup like never before. Playing in a fifth World Cup for Argentina, the incomparable Messi once again left everyone in awe of his magical powers on the field as he smashed records and delivered on the hopes of a nation, bringing the World Cup home after 36 years. The South American giants were handed a shock defeat by Saudi Arabia in their first group game, which statisticians Gracenote credited as the biggest upset in World Cup history. With every continent represented in the World Cup last 16, the most diverse knockout stage in the tournament's history was evidence of the sport's expanding reach.

☆ Elon Musk was spotted with a sanctioned, pro-Putin Russian TV presenter at the World Cup final in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk was photographed at the World Cup final with a sanctioned Russian TV presenter. "Argentina beat France on penalties in the World Cup final. In addition to Asker-Zade, Musk was also photographed at the game on Sunday with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jared Kushner and Elon Musk look on during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) chats with Elon Musk (R), Founder of Tesla and SpaceX at Lusail Stadium.

☆ Elon had to choose between Twitter and Tesla. He's choosing Tesla.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has been forced to make a tough choice: Tesla or Twitter. He's picking Tesla, which represents nearly half his $156 billion in estimated wealth, and the Twitter poll gave him a handy escape pod. That red ink wasn't as much of a problem when interest rates were low, and Tesla's shares were soaring. But as the Federal Reserve has aggressively hiked interest rates to curb inflation, using Tesla stock to pay off the debt on the Twitter buyout is a problem for Tesla. "Tesla is so much an Elon stock, it stands or falls because of him," Beauchamp said.

☆ Qatar's hope of gaining 'soft power' from World Cup probably succeeded in the Middle East: Professor
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailQatar's hope of gaining 'soft power' from World Cup probably succeeded in the Middle East: ProfessorAndrew Zimbalist, professor of economics at Smith College, says "I don't think [Qatar] did well in terms of the non-Muslim world, though."

☆ Qatar's 2022 World Cup ends with modest ceremony, titans clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with reigning champions France taking on Argentina in a showpiece final with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest. France's Mbappe and Argentina's Messi, both playing for the Qatari-owned club, are also a reminder of Qatar's influence on global soccer beyond the FIFA World Cup organisation. CONTROVERSYQatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, which has been marred by controversy, was part of a carefully built strategy by the tiny but rich state to bolster its global influence. "There is the Workers Support and Insurance Fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths. And that will continue beyond the World Cup," Thawadi said.

☆ Qatar reiterates denial that its government involved in EU corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Qatar reiterated on Sunday that the country denies any involvement in a corruption case being investigated by Belgian authorities involving people linked to the European Parliament. Belgian authorities have charged four people linked to the European Parliament over allegations World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to influence decision-making. The suspension affects legislation linked to visa liberalisation, an EU-Qatar aviation agreement and planned visits until the allegations have been confirmed or dismissed. A spokesperson for the Belgian Justice Ministry did not immediately comment on this. Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous, Andrew Mills and Sabine Siebold; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Andrew Mills; Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stronger league could be Qatar World Cup legacy, says Spanish coach
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Philip O'Connor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The level of Qatar that we have seen in the World Cup is not the real level. "(Cristiano) Ronaldo had to work, work, work to make it. You need to develop these players, these Qataris in the right way, but we will see what happens after the World Cup," he said. With that in mind, the Qatar Stars League will start again on Thursday, four days after the World Cup final, with Lerin's Al Shamal in action against Al Wakrah on Friday. "I think it will be difficult for them to play in another World Cup, really difficult, but at the same time now the rules of the World Cup are changing and there are more teams," Lerin explained.

☆ FIFA bosses reject President Zelenskyy's request to deliver a peace message at World Cup final, CNN reports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FIFA has rejected President Zelenskyy's request to deliver a peace message at the World Cup final. CNN reported the president offered to appear in a video to broadcast to global audiences on Sunday. The source voiced their surprise to CNN: "I thought FIFA wanted to use its platform for the greater good." The World Cup stage at Qatar's Lusail Stadium would have been an opportunity for the president to call attention to the Ukrainian cause, but that sentiment is allegedly not shared by FIFA's bosses. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final match will take place on Sunday, with France playing Argentina for the world champion's trophy.

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar's soccer World Cup appeared to be a public relations disaster. The event has become a magnifying glass for the tiny petrostate's human rights record, highlighting rather than airbrushing its treatment of LGBTQ people, women and migrant workers. "Qatar has a plethora of political objectives by hosting this event," said Danyel Reiche, a visiting associate professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, who co-wrote the book "Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy, Change." Qatar has used soccer to "overcome the invisibility of a small state," he added, allowing it to "become more influential in international affairs." Other authoritarian states hoping to burnish their global image may also view the event as a potential blueprint.

☆ As China seeks to live with the virus, COVID-control industries face decline
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Eduardo Baptista | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Workers in protective suits wait for people at a nucleic acid testing site, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak continues, in Shanghai, China, December 9, 2022. A day later though, the 43-year-old lost her job as one of the city's many hazmat-suited COVID swab testers. The industries had become big business over the course of the pandemic and are huge employers even if precise statistics are hard to come by. It remains to be seen just how painful China's dismantling of its COVID-control infrastructure will be for companies and their staff. ($1 = 6.9605 Chinese yuan)Reporting by Eduardo Baptista; Editing by Brenda Goh and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Airbus and Qatar Airways line up for new UK court tussle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The latest court confrontation comes as France's progression to the World Cup final in Qatar increases high-level contacts that have previously been seen as the opportunity to explore room for agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron was welcomed at Doha airport on his arrival for Wednesday's semi-final by officials including Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker, Qatar News Agency reported. Qatar Airways says widespread paint cracking has exposed deeper surface damage on the jets, prompting it to stop taking deliveries. Airbus (AIR.PA) has acknowledged quality problems with its premier long-haul model but denies any risk to safety and has cancelled all outstanding new business with Qatar Airways, which has increased purchases from rival Boeing (BA.N). Additional reporting by Andrew Mills Reporting by Tim Hepher Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

DOHA/RABAT, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Moroccans slumped with disappointment on Wednesday after their team's semi-final defeat to France, but were still pumped with pride for a World Cup run that spurred tears of joy across Africa and the Arab world. In the first World Cup held in an Arab country, and one already marked by upsets, Morocco won supporters far afield as the first Arab team to reach the quarter-finals and the first African team to reach the semis. It is already an honour and we are proud to see people from different countries root for the Moroccan team," said Taoufiq Ouchikh. We lost to a world Cup champion and we dominated," said Abdelilah Sair, another fan watching in the same cafe. Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch lauded a team he called heroes that brought joy to Moroccans and made the country's name "resonate on every tongue during the World Cup".

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ China shipyards feast on record LNG tanker orders as South Korea builders are full up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Chinese shipyards this year won 45 LNG tanker orders worth an estimated $9.8 billion, about five times their 2021 order values, according to shipping data provider Clarksons Research. By late November, Chinese yards had grown their LNG order books to 66 from 21, giving them 21% of global orders worth around $60 billion. Still, Chinese yards received 19 foreign orders for LNG tankers this year and that number is likely to grow. "Chinese yards have become more attractive because of the South Korean backlog, as well as rising costs," said ICIS analyst Songer. Chinese yards' relationship with GTT also helps, he said.

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