Qatar to Raise $5 Billion From Bond Sale, Banker Says

Qatar, holder of the world’s third- largest natural gas reserves, plans to raise $5 billion by selling bonds, a banker familiar with the deal said.

The Persian Gulf emirate appointed Qatar National Bank SAQ, Barclays Plc, Credit Suisse Group AG, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. to manage the sale, the banker said, declining to be identified because the discussions are private.

Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is spending billions of dollars diversifying its economy with acquisitions of stakes in London-based lender Barclays Plc and carmaker Volkswagen AG. Its economy will expand by 11.5 percent this year and 18.5 percent in 2010, according to an International Monetary Fund forecast.