
Euro-Gulf Information Centre
Germany's 10 bln investment boost from Qatar
will cost it in long run
An RFI Broadcast Including an Analysis by
Mitchell Belfer
Qatar says it will invest 10 billion euros in Germany over the next five years, including the possible creation of a liquefied natural gas terminal.
Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, made the announcement Friday at a bilateral investment conference in Berlin, the ninth so far.
The latest investment pledge comes on top of 25 billion euros Doha has already invested in key German companies such as Volkswagen, Deutsche Bank and others.
The forum comes as Qatar tries to counter the isolationist policy of Saudi Arabia in an ongoing Gulf dispute, but siding with Qatar could cost Germany in the long run reckons Mitchell Belfer, Director of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre in Rome.
Dr Mitchell Belfer, President of the Euro-Gulf Information Centre (EGIC) said: "Germany made a choice: it chose Qatar. In doing so, it alienated itself not only from Saudi Arabia, but also from the UAE, Bahrain and
more importantly, from Egypt, which has a strong economy and a huge impact on the region. In the big picture, Saudi Arabia's market is much more attractive than the Qatari one, which is smaller and subject to a bigger competition"
---> Click here for the analysis.
A Special Video Commentary offering a strategic insight on the issue is available here.