A discussion on the growth opportunities and fiscal trends shaping Qatar and Saudi Arabia amidst sliding oil prices is slated to be held online on May 24. The programme will be hosted by consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan.

This briefing would be of use to clients interested in gauging how the GCC countries are realigning themselves for greater economic diversification and fiscal adjustment strategies, said a press release.

Attendees will get an understanding of the fiscal adjustments and their impact on the Saudi and Qatari economy; be briefed on the progress of Qatar and Saudi Arabia in diversifying away from oil and gas; and be made aware of non-hydrocarbon related growth opportunities across Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

A team of experts, closely monitoring the region, will discuss and debate emerging opportunities, sectors and impact. The team includes Aroop Zutshi, global president and managing partner; Haritha Ramachandran, associate director, ICT MENASA; and Neha Anna Thomas, senior research analyst, Emerging Market Innovation.

The briefing will delve into a detailed macroeconomic analysis of Saudi Arabia and Qatar and will cover their political, economic, and social snapshot. It will also analyse fiscal adjustment strategies, progress and outlook on economic diversification providing insights on non-hydrocarbon related growth opportunities across industries such as construction, insurance, and airports, helping to influence decisions of C-suite executives interested or impacted by these markets.

“With oil prices expected to remain low in the near term, we expect to see a lot of fiscal adjustments across the GCC countries. The proposed introduction of a 5 per cent value added tax by 2019 will require businesses to make timely amendments in order to comply with the introduction of this new tax,” revealed Zutshi.

The briefing will conclude with an interactive Q&A session with Frost & Sullivan Country Experts for Qatar and the KSA. –TradeArabia News Service