COP29: Saudi Arabia signs major green energy pact with Central Asian nations

DOHA: Qatar plans to introduce three new laws as part of a sweeping review of legislation designed to make the Gulf Arab state more attractive to foreign investors, the new minister of commerce and economy told Reuters.
Sheikh Faisal bin Thani said in an interview that Qatar plans to introduce new legislation including a bankruptcy law, a public private partnership law and a new commercial registration law.
“We’re looking at 27 laws and regulations across 17 government ministries that affect 500-plus activities,” he said, describing the legislative review.
Sheikh Faisal said he expects the new bankruptcy and public private partnership laws to be drafted before the end of March.
Qatar, one of the world’s top exporters of liquefied natural gas, has set a cumulative target of attracting $100 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) by 2030, according to the latest version of its national development strategy published last year.
But it has a long way to go to meet that target, and FDI inflows have significantly lagged behind neighboring Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.
Saudi Arabia, which also has a target to attract $100 billion in FDI by 2030 as part of its national investment strategy, saw FDI inflows of $26 billion in 2023, after a change to how it calculates FDI, while the Emirates, the Gulf region’s commercial and tourism hub, attracted just over $30 billion according to the UN’s trade and development agency.
In contrast, Qatar’s FDI inflows in 2023 were negative $474 million, down from $76.1 million in 2022. Negative FDI inflows indicate that disinvestment was more than new investment.
While Qatar does offer similar incentives to foreign investors as its neighbors, such as a favorable tax environment, free zone facilities and some long term residency schemes, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia are considered far ahead in terms of regulatory reforms and business friendly laws.
Qatar’s new laws also come as part of the Gulf Arab state’s efforts to activate its private sector and transition away from government-funded growth.
Sheikh Faisal joined the government in November after serving at Qatar’s $510 billion sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, most recently as chief investment officer for Asia and Africa.

SINGAPORE: Oil prices dipped in Asian trade on Thursday, extending losses amid uncertainty over how US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and energy policies would impact global economic growth and energy demand.

Brent crude futures fell 38 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $78.62 a barrel by 10:16 a.m. Saudi time in a sixth straight day of losses, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell for a fifth day, easing 39 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $75.05.

“Oil markets have given back some recent gains due to mixed drivers,” said senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva at Phillip Nova. “Key factors include expectations of increased US production under President Trump’s pro-drilling policies and easing geopolitical stress in Gaza, lifting fears of further escalation in supply disruption from key producing regions.”

The broader economic implications of US tariffs could further dampen global oil demand growth, she added.

Trump has said he would add new tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if the country does not make a deal to end its war in Ukraine. He added these could be applied to “other participating countries” as well.

He also vowed to hit the EU with tariffs, impose 25 percent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, and said his administration was discussing a 10 percent punitive duty on China because fentanyl is being sent to the US from there.

On Monday, he also declared a national energy emergency. That is intended to provide him with the authority to reduce environmental restrictions on energy infrastructure and projects and ease permitting for new transmission and pipeline infrastructure.

There will be “more potential downward choppy movement in the oil market in the near term due to the Trump administration’s lack of clarity on trade tariffs policy and impending higher oil supplies from the US due to the...drive to make the US a major oil exporter,” said OANDA’s senior market analyst Kelvin Wong in an email.

On the US oil inventory front, crude stocks rose by 958,000 barrels in the week ended Jan. 17, according to sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Wednesday.
Gasoline inventories rose by 3.23 million barrels, and distillate stocks climbed by 1.88 million barrels, they said.