Mohammed Al Sowaidi takes over as CEO at Qatar wealth fund QIA

Doha-based sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has appointed Mohammed Al Sowaidi as its new chief executive officer (CEO).

Until recently, Al Sowaidi held the position of chief investment officer for Americas, the wealth fund said in a statement, adding that he will take charge with immediate effect.

Al Sowaidi joined QIA in 2010 and has held multiple roles across technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT), industrials and private equity investments.

Between 2015-20, Al Sowaidi was head of QIA’s advisory office in New York.

The QIA was established in 2005 to handle the country’s revenue from liquefied natural gas (LNG), of which Qatar is one of the biggest exporters.

The Middle Eastern country is India’s largest supplier of LNG, accounting for over 50% of the country’s imports.

Consultancy Global SWF lists QIA as the world’s eighth largest sovereign fund with $510 billion in assets under management.

In 2020, India and Qatar formed a special task force to facilitate investments by QIA, especially in the energy sector.

QIA has investments in many listed and unlisted firms in India, including Adani Green, Adani Transmission, and Reliance Retail.