Qatari Diar seeks to expand its real estate portfolio in Germany

The CEO of Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment and Development Company Eng Abdullah Hamad al-Attiyah said that his company is participating in this year’s forum because it wants to expand its real estate portfolio with German real estate developers. He said that the German market was attractive to Qatari Diar, and confirmed that the company was looking for German companies to partner with. He said that the companies competitive advantage stems from their ability to examine investment opportunities well regardless of they are in the world. He highlighted their project to develop the site of the former US embassy in London located at Grosvenor Square as an example of the company’s ability in that regard. Al-Attiyah said that they are looking in the five best companies that offer services in real estate investment in the German market, noting that Diar operates in 22 countries around the world. He said that the company notices the trend of people moving to live in the suburbs of Berlin, which he says makes the city a more attractive property market. They added that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s announcement of investing €10bn in Germany was another factor that made the company view the market in a positive light. Participants in the fourth session of the Qatar-Germany Business and Investment Forum, which focused on the investment opportunities in Germany, stressed on the importance of co-operation between authorities of the two countries, especially after the two sides signalled their commitment to co-operation in a challenging economic environment globally.The CEO of Merck Finck Matthias Schellenberg said that the company is offering a wide-ranging services relating to real estate. He also said that the bank has offices across Germany, which can help investors rely on it as a trusted partner in the market. Spokesperson for the Board of the German Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVK) Regina Hodits meanwhile said that the German business community welcome Qatari investments in the country, particularly as the German market was a very promising market that attracts many investments from around the world.