Mubasher: Qatar managed to protect its economy from the repercussions of lower oil prices through its well-diversified portfolio of global investments and developing non-oil sectors such as services, advanced technology and manufacturing in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, according to Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, minister of economy and commerce.

On the sidelines of a high-profile global investment forum in the US, Al Thani noted that the forum focused on the most prominent issues and challenges faced by the contemporary international economy, which are lower prices of energy and raw materials products.

Global growth is expected to fall about 2.5% in 2015, against 2.8% drop in 2014, added Al Thani.

There are expectations of global economic recovery, but it will be accompanied by a decline in GDP growth during 2016.

Low commodity prices left impacts on the global economy, the minister said, adding that this decline will weaken the purchasing power of the energy producing countries and thus affect their investment plans.