The sovereign wealth fund of Qatar has partnered with Franklin Templeton to introduce a $200 million equity fund, which concentrates on the local stock market as part of the initiative to add more liquidity and to entice institutional investors into investing in Qatar’s capital markets.
According to the Qatar News Agency, the Qatar Investment Authority and the US asset manager stated that the Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund would operate as a day-traded mutual fund investing in companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange.
The launch is preceded by a recent successful series of international relations by QIA, with a preliminary agreement with Goldman Sachs worth up to $25 billion of investments Qatar is making to diversify its economy and increase its financial industries.
Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA, said, “With the launch of Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund, QIA is further expanding our Active Asset Management Initiative to support Qatar’s financial markets.”
He stated, “As one of the largest global asset managers, Franklin Templeton brings a wealth of experience and resources to QSE and the broader Qatari economy, and we look forward to working closely together on this initiative.”
QNA reported that the fund is designed to provide exposure to Qatar Stock Exchange-traded equities, enabling both local and foreign institutions to participate in an actively-managed portfolio within the domestic marketplace.
QIA is the main investor in the fund, both in terms of cash and stock, which highlights the importance the fund has in the Qatari stock exchange. It added that the reallocation of the QSE-listed shares is meant to help support the domestic economy and improve liquidity in the market.
However, Franklin Templeton operates in excess of $1.68 trillion of assets on December 31, 2025, and is among the largest investment companies in the world.
Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, added, “Through our partnership with QIA, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the continued development of the Qatari financial ecosystem. We see this collaboration as the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership and part of a broader, multi-asset collaboration between Franklin Templeton and QIA.”
The Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund constitutes an important move in the active asset management approach of QIA and underscores its collaboration with Franklin Templeton in facilitating the capital markets of Qatar via international investment expertise.
