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Middle East and Central Asia > Qatar

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Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: 2024 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Qatar
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Growth normalization after the 2022 FIFA World Cup continued with signs of activities strengthening more recently. Fiscal and external surpluses softened mainly due to lower hydrocarbon prices. Banks are healthy but pockets of vulnerabilities remain. Reform momentum has strengthened, guided by the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3).
Keywords:
Qatar national; holdings of SDR; Qatari economy well; headline inflation; hydrocarbon price; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Public sector; Capital spending; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: 2023 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
The 2023 Article IV Consultation highlights that Qatar’s decade-long efforts to diversify the economy culminated into the successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Banks are well capitalized, liquid, and profitable, with the capital adequacy ratio and return on equity at 19 and 14.6 percent, respectively, in the second quarter of 2023. Banks’ nonresident deposits fell by more than one-third from the recent peak, partially replaced by higher public sector domestic deposits, reducing vulnerabilities amid tight global financial conditions. Structural reforms continue to progress, including to enhance protection and mobility of expatriate labor, improve the business environment, promote public–private partnerships, and further attract private investment through the residency program and broadened foreign ownership provisions. The pension scheme has been expanded to more Qataris in the private sector to promote private sector employment. If downside risks materialize, Qatar has strong policy buffers to mitigate the negative impact. On the upside, accelerated reform efforts guided by Third National Development Strategy could further promote diversification and boost potential growth.
Keywords:
LNG production expansion; money market rate; financial asset; IMF staff calculation; labor market dynamics; policy buffer; Fiscal stance; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Public sector; Global; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Impact of Gray-Listing on Capital Flows: An Analysis Using Machine Learning
Mizuho Kida
and
Simon Paetzold
The Financial Action Task Force’s gray list publicly identifies countries with strategic deficiencies in their AML/CFT regimes (i.e., in their policies to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism). How much gray-listing affects a country’s capital flows is of interest to policy makers, investors, and the Fund. This paper estimates the magnitude of the effect using an inferential machine learning technique. It finds that gray-listing results in a large and statistically significant reduction in capital inflows.
Keywords:
capital flows; AML/CFT; gray list; machine learning; emerging market economies; inferential machine learning technique; gray-listing affect; analysis using machine learning; coefficient estimate; Capital flows; Capital inflows; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Machine learning; Foreign direct investment; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: 2019 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This 2019 Article IV Consultation discusses that stronger real gross domestic product (GDP) growth is envisaged in the near term, with a recovery in hydrocarbon output. Medium-term growth will be buoyed by increased gas production and non-hydrocarbon growth. Expenditure consolidation would help to sustain fiscal and external surpluses. Ample liquidity will enable credit growth to support non-hydrocarbon GDP. Trade and geopolitical tensions could undermine investor confidence and weaken fiscal and external positions. The policy priorities are fiscal consolidation, strengthened fiscal policy frameworks, enhanced resiliency of the financial sector, financial inclusion, and a diversified economy. The financial sector remains sound, underpinned by strong profitability and capital. Strengthening the regulatory and supervisory frameworks would help to bolster financial stability. Attention to women’s empowerment by introducing legislation emphasizing equality in remuneration and avoiding gender-based discrimination would support inclusive growth.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; Qatar; GDP; IMF staff estimate; central bank; economy; hydrocarbon price; headline inflation; financial asset; Qatar's economy; QCB website; Oil prices; Fiscal stance; Global; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Working Papers
The Measurement and Macro-Relevance of Corruption: A Big Data Approach
Sandile Hlatshwayo
,
Anne Oeking
,
Mr. Manuk Ghazanchyan
,
David Corvino
,
Ananya Shukla
, and
Mr. Lamin Y Leigh
Corruption is macro-relevant for many countries, but is often hidden, making measurement of it—and its effects—inherently difficult. Existing indicators suffer from several weaknesses, including a lack of time variation due to the sticky nature of perception-based measures, reliance on a limited pool of experts, and an inability to distinguish between corruption and institutional capacity gaps. This paper attempts to address these limitations by leveraging news media coverage of corruption. We contribute to the literature by constructing the first big data, cross-country news flow indices of corruption (NIC) and anti-corruption (anti-NIC) by running country-specific search algorithms over more than 665 million international news articles. These indices correlate well with existing measures of corruption but offer additional richness in their time-series variation. Drawing on theory from the corporate finance and behavioral economics literature, we also test to what extent news about corruption and anti-corruption efforts affects economic agents’ assessments of corruption and, in turn, economic outcomes. We find that NIC shocks appear to negatively impact both financial (e.g., stock market returns and yield spreads) and real variables (e.g., growth), albeit with some country heterogeneity. On average, NIC shocks lower real per capita GDP growth by 3 percentage points over a two-year period, illustrating persistence in the effect of such shocks. Conversely, there is suggestive evidence that anti-NIC efforts appear to have a sustained positive macro impact only when paired with meaningful institutional strengthening, proxied by capacity development efforts.
Keywords:
WP; NIC shock; anti-corruption effort; NIC country; corruption; anti-corruption; capacity development; big data; text analysis; event study; reform program; NIC measure; NIC level; Auditing; Global
Cover IMF Working Papers
Integrated Ownership and Control in the GCC Corporate Sector
Mr. Andre O Santos
The objective of the paper is to assess ownership and control links in the GCC corporate sector. The analysis focuses on the integrated ownership and network arising from ownership data available in Bloomberg and GCC stock exchanges. The paper finds that ownership is concentrated in GCC public sector institutions, holding companies, financial institutions, and family groups. The paper then considers the effect of different definitions of control on the distribution of consolidated debt. Debt concentration is maximized when the wedge between ownership and control is the largest. This is the case when the largest shareholder has at least 5 percent of total shares as defined in Zingales (1994).
Keywords:
WP; GCC country; shareholder debt; GCC countries; network analysis; integreated ownership; concentration; ownership network; GCC shareholder; shareholder portfolios consist; Stock markets; Public sector; Corporate sector; Illicit financial flows; Corporate governance; Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: Staff Report for the 2015 Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Qatar is implementing an ambitious diversification strategy, while retaining its systemic role in the global natural gas market. Qatar accounts for one-third of global liquefied natural gas trade and has emerged as an important global financial investor, labor importer, and donor. The authorities are executing a large public infrastructure program to advance economic diversification and prepare for the FIFA 2022 World Cup. The economy has maintained strong growth momentum so far despite the large drop in oil prices since summer 2014. The short-term growth outlook is positive, but lower oil prices will lead to a substantial deterioration of the fiscal and external balances.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; year-on-year inflation data; data; Tier I capital; GDP; oil price; lower-than-expected oil; financial asset; Oil prices; Public investment spending; Real estate prices; Inflation; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Global; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: 2012 Article IV Consultation
International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
Qatar's economy is driven by high oil and natural gas prices and production, and remains strong with robust nonhydrocarbon growth. Its government has now shifted its focus to economic diversification and growth in nonhydrocarbon sectors through targeted infrastructure investments. The Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted the positive regional spillover effects of Qatar’s high growth, public spending, and increased financial assistance. The adoption of a three-year budget framework to help shield government spending from revenue volatility and enable better use of resources is welcomed.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; implementation risk; government; government finance statistics; infrastructure investment program; liquidity forecasting framework; financing risk; consumer price inflation; Capital spending; Current spending; Oil prices; Global; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: Detailed Assessment Report on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism
International Monetary Fund
This paper is focused on a detailed assessment report on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism for Qatar. There is no fundamental principle in Qatari law that would prohibit the courts from applying the money laundering offense to the person who has committed the predicate crime. Qatar has adopted a comprehensive confiscation, freezing, and seizing framework under the AML Law, which enables the authorities to remove all assets linked with a money laundering offense or its predicate.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; due diligence; AML Law; disciplinary action; drug trafficking; cash transaction; predicate offense; beneficial owner; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Money laundering; Terrorism financing; Legal support in revenue administration; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Qatar: Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes: FATF Recommendations for Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism
International Monetary Fund
Qatar’s report on the Observance of Standards and Codes for the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) is described. The two sectors that compose the financial system, the domestic sector and the Qatar Financial Center, are subject to different sets of preventive measures, which vary in depth and comprehensiveness. The allocation of resources to AML/CFT appears to be uneven, particularly in view of the rapid development and diversification of the economy.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; authority; CFT; Anti-Money Laundering; CFT framework; Qatari authorities; CFT supervision; CFT obligation; CFT regulation; CFT procedure; CFT requirement; Anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); Legal support in revenue administration; Terrorism financing; Money laundering; Middle East; North Africa; East Africa