Qatar Investment Authority Expands into Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia

Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File
Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File
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Qatar Investment Authority Expands into Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia

Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File
Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, is in the middle of expanding into Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia, its top executive said on Thursday.

QIA also sees investment opportunities including carve-outs among conglomerates and take-private deals in Japan, and in the technology sector in India, Reuters reported.

QIA is one of the world's largest investors. The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute has estimated that QIA runs $526 billion worth of total assets.

"For Australia and Korea we are going to start hiring people," Abdulla Ali Al-Kuwari, head of Asia Pacific at Qatar Investment Authority Advisory, said at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2024 in Singapore.

"We started Japan with the team maybe three years ago, now we are doubling it, we are going to hire more and more people so it is a market to focus for us," he said.



Italy, Albania, UAE Sign Deal for Energy Subsea Interconnection

People visit the World Future Energy Summit 2025 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14 January 2025.  EPA/ALI HAIDER
People visit the World Future Energy Summit 2025 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14 January 2025. EPA/ALI HAIDER
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Italy, Albania, UAE Sign Deal for Energy Subsea Interconnection

People visit the World Future Energy Summit 2025 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14 January 2025.  EPA/ALI HAIDER
People visit the World Future Energy Summit 2025 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14 January 2025. EPA/ALI HAIDER

Italy, Albania and the United Arab Emirates signed on Wednesday a deal worth at least 1 billion euros ($1 billion) to build a subsea interconnection for renewable energy across the Adriatic Sea.

"We strongly believe in this project involving our three governments, as well as our private sector and grid operators," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said as she announced the deal at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

The three-way partnership, which aims to produce green power in Albania and export it to Italy through underwater cables, will involve Italian grid operator Terna and UAE's National Energy Company (Taqa), Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said.

The Albanian premier added that the infrastructure would connect the Albanian port of Vlore to the southern Italian region of Puglia, the narrowest point between the two countries, and was expected to be operational within a maximum of three years.