Qatar’s economy is exposed to a number of global risks, the IMF says in its latest report on the Gulf state.
In the short-run these “include global financial market volatility due to the exit from unconventional monetary policies in advanced economies, a persistent slowdown in emerging markets, and a renewed crisis in the Euro area.” In the medium-term, the main risk remains the possibility of a sharp decline in oil and gas prices, as a result of growing unconventional oil and gas supplies, sluggish global growth, and rising energy efficiency. While the US shale gas boom has not meaningfully affected revenues so far, it is starting to put downward pressure on prices negotiated for future LNG sales, the IMF says. However, the IMF notes that LNG prices in Qatar’s main export markets in Asia have so far remained largely unaffected by the rapid growth in the US unconventional output. (CONTINUED - 430 WORDS)
