(Corrects penultimate paragraph to say first fund officiallylaunched in 2013, not 2012)
* Credit Suisse has close ties to Qatar sovereign fund
* Sees it diversifying investments beyond U.S., Europe
* May put more focus on real estate, infrastructure,commodities
* Attractive as inflation hedge
* Asset management venture to launch second MENA fund
By Mirna Sleiman
DOHA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Qatar's sovereign wealth fund islooking at more investments in emerging markets in order todiversify beyond developed nations, said a senior executive ofCredit Suisse who is one of the top advisors to thefund.
With assets estimated by analysts at about $100-200 billion,and over a dozen potential deals on its radar every week, QatarInvestment Authority (QIA) is courted by bankers and politiciansaround the world.
While the fund will continue to take large minority stakesin well-established firms, it may in future place more emphasison tangible assets such as real estate, infrastructure andcommodities rather than merely financial instruments, saidAladdin Hangari, head of Credit Suisse's Qatar operations.
"For a sovereign wealth fund, that's investing for futuregenerations, it makes sense to go for assets that are income-producing and can act as a good inflation hedge for the future,"he said in an interview for the Reuters Middle East InvestmentSummit.
"They tend to do more in Europe and the United Statesbecause they're more familiar with the legal framework, whichmakes it easier to do things. I think going forward, we'll seethem doing more in emerging markets as long as they find theright opportunities."
Qatar Holding, the investment arm of the wealth fund, has inrecent years deployed the tiny country's natural gas wealth tobuy a string of high-profile stakes in the West, from Germansports car maker Porsche to British bank Barclays and Swiss lender Credit Suisse.
But in a sign of an increased focus on emerging markets, thefund hired Michael Cho, a Hong Kong-based banker, as head ofmergers and acquisitions in August. The veteran Merrill Lynchbanker filled a post vacant since 2011.
Deven Karnik, another Asia-based banker who was previouslywith Morgan Stanley, joined in April to run a newlyformed infrastructure team.
QIA is the second-largest shareholder in Credit Suisse witha 6.2 percent stake, and the Swiss bank has landed advisoryroles on some of the fund's most high-profile investments.
Hangari, who is one of the closest bankers to the fund andhas advised it on a number of deals, does not see any majorimpact on business from political change in Qatar. In June,Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani became Emir as his father handedover power.
"My feeling is that there will not be a major change inQatar's economic policy and investment strategy. Qatar, with thesurpluses that they have, will continue to invest abroad likethey've been doing during the past few years," Hangari said.
MENA FUND
Credit Suisse in Qatar owns an asset management venture withQatar Holding named Aventicum Capital Management. The firm plans to launch a second Middle East and North Africa (MENA)fund before the end of this year, Hangari said.
The long-short fund is planned to be "multi-asset but willinvest predominantly in equities and equity derivatives in MENA,Turkey and other frontier markets," the executive said.
The venture launched its first flagship, long-only equitiesfund, which invests in the MENA region, in 2013. The assetmanagement firm is owned 40 percent by Qatar Holding, whileCredit Suisse owns the rest.
"Post-launch at the end of 2013, the venture is expected tohave $250-300 million of assets under management," Hangari said.
Follow Reuters Summits on Twitter @Reuters_Summits (Editing by Dinesh Nair and Andrew Torchia)
