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Qatar's producers' price index (PPI), which captures the price pressure felt by the producers of goods and services, rose month-on-month but was seen drifting southwards on an annualised basis in August, according to official estimates.The country's PPI jumped 4.5% on a monthly basis owing to a noticeable increase in the indices of hydrocarbons and certain manufactured items such as refined petroleum products, chemicals, cement and beverages, according to figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).The PPI – which measures inflation from the perspective of costs to industry or producers of products as it measures price changes before they reach consumers – however saw a 32.23% plunge on an annualised basis in August 2023 on hydrocarbons, chemicals and basic metals.The PSA had released a new PPI series in late 2015. With a base of 2018, it draws on an updated sampling frame and new weights. The previous sampling frame dates from 2006, when the Qatari economy was much smaller than today and the range of products made domestically much narrower.The mining PPI, which carries the maximum weight of 82.46%, reported a 4.59% surge month-on-month in August 2023 owing to a 4.6% increase in the index of extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas.The mining sector PPI had seen a 34.73% plunge year-on-year in August 2023 as the index of crude petroleum and natural gas was seen dropping 34.77%, even as that of other mining and quarrying was up 0.02%.The manufacturing sector PPI, which has a weight of 15.85% in the basket, soared 4.28% on a monthly basis due to a 13.82% increase in the index of refined petroleum products, 4.46% in chemicals and chemical products, 2.64% in beverages, 2.63% in cement and other non-metallic mineral products and 0.03% in food products. However, there was a 7.18% contraction in the index of basic metals in August 2023.The manufacturing PPI, however, plummeted 18.32% on a yearly basis in August 2023 on account of a 25.37% contraction in the index of chemicals and chemical products, 21.41% in basic metals, 6.07% in refined petroleum products and 5.36% in rubber and plastics products.However, there was a 3.36% increase in the index of food products, 3.29% in beverages, 2.76% in cement and other non-metallic mineral products and 0.16% in printing and reproduction of recorded media in the review period.The index of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply reported 3.26% decline on a monthly basis but shot up 8.22% year-on-year in August 2023.The index of water supply soared 9.59% and 20.24% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in the review period.

Qatar Wednesday stressed the importance of developing regulatory frameworks that can address emerging risks, while maintaining the flow of trade and capital.This was articulated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Eid al-Thani, Head of Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU), at the 15th Middle East and North Africa Regulatory Summit, organised by the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and in the presence of HE Sheikh Bandar bin Mohamed al-Thani, the Qatar Central Bank Governor.Sheikh Ahmed emphasised the goal of creating a regulatory environment grounded in knowledge, development, and transparency, fostering dialogue and evaluation to support government efforts in combating financial crimes and driving economic growth.He also commended the role of financial investigation units within international organisations like MENAFATF (Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force) and Egmont Group, noting their contributions to shaping unified policies and finding solutions to common challenges.‏Nadim Najjar, managing director of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa at LSEG, echoed the importance of adapting to the evolving financial landscape as he discussed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in combating money laundering and emphasized the need for vigilant regulatory oversight in light of recent challenges, including the crypto token price crash and the rise of stable coins.Money laundering and associated offences affect not only the financial landscape of the region but also the very fabric of the society, he said, adding the challenges are getting increasingly sophisticated approach from regulators and corporations."In this evolving landscape, when digitalisation is accelerating, AI has become an essential tool to ensure that our financial system remain robust. The challenges we face are beyond the digital realm," he said.‏Najjar emphasised the delicate balance between protecting consumers and fostering innovation, particularly in the realm of fintech. He also highlighted the challenges faced by corporations in complying with anti-money laundering obligations and data protection laws.‏Xolisile Khanyile, former chair of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, shared insights into the critical importance of compliance.She highlighted that compliance is essential to prevent financial systems from being infiltrated by criminality, protect the integrity of institutions, and support intelligence-driven investigations, prosecutions, and asset recovery.The implementation of risk-based approaches is still in its early stages in many countries, she said, highlighting the need for better implementation of preventative measures by the private sector.She stressed that asset recovery remains a challenge, with countries recovering only a fraction of actual proceeds.Finding unintended consequences of overregulation, including the shrinking of civic space under the guise of compliance; she advocated for more holistic criminal justice frameworks and encouraged public-private partnerships (PPPs) to foster collaboration and information sharing.

Qatar's trade surplus rose 8.7% to QR21.36bn in August against the previous month's levels owing to faster growth in shipments to Asian markets, according to official statistics.However, the country registered a 41.1% year-on-year decrease in trade surplus in the review period, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).Qatar’s exports to Japan, China, Singapore and India were on the rise this August against those in August 2023.The share of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons in the country's total export basket was seen declining substantially; while those of crude and non-crude increased robustly in the review period.The country's total exports of goods (including exports of goods of domestic origin and re-exports) were up 8% month-on-month to QR31.42bn. On an annualised basis, it tanked 32.9% in August 2023.More than 63% of the exports went to China, South Korea, India, Japan and Singapore. In August 2023, Qatar's shipments to China amounted to QR7.51bn or 23.9% of the total exports of the country, followed by South Korea QR3.89bn (12.4%), India QR3.29bn (10.5%), Japan QR2.72bn (8.7%), and Singapore QR2.4bn (7.6%).On a monthly basis, Qatar's exports to Japan zoomed 33.83%, China by 24.61%, Singapore by 22.36% and India by 17.66%; whereas those to South Korea were down 5.9% in September 2023.On a yearly basis, the country's exports to Japan plunged 47.5%, India by 27.19%, Singapore by 13.87% and South Korea by 13.31%; while those to China shot up 38.98% in the review period.The country’s exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons were valued at QR17.65bn, which grew 3.9% on a monthly basis; crude at QR6.79% (26.7%), non-crude at QR3.15bn (13%) and other commodities at QR2.93bn (4%) in August 2023.On a yearly basis, the exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons plunged 47.4% and other commodities by 29.8%; even as those of crude surged 30.1% and non-crude by 8.4% in the review period.Petroleum gases constituted 57.81% of the exports of domestic products in August 2023 compared to 73.17% a year ago period; followed by crude 22.24% (11.39%), non-crude 10.32% (6.35%) and other commodities 9.6% (9.1%).Qatar's total imports (valued at cost insurance and freight) amounted to QR10.06bn, which showed a 6.6% increase month-on-month; even as it fell 4.8% on an annualised basis in August 2023.The country's imports from the US amounted to QR1.78bn, which accounted for 17.7% of the total imports; followed by China QR1.36bn (13.5%), Germany QR0.85bn (8.5%), India QR0.54bn (5.3%) and Italy QR0.51bn (5%) in the review period.On a monthly basis, the country's imports from Germany expanded 33.96%, the US by 31.86% and India by 4.87%; whereas those from Italy shrank 19.01% and China by 13.71% in August 2023.On a yearly basis, Qatar's imports from Italy declined 29.58%, China by 25.93% and India by 22.7%; whereas those from Germany surged 51.6% and the US by 17.14% in the review period.In August 2023, the group of "Turbojets, Turbo propellers and Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof" was at the top of the imported group of commodities and valued at QR0.51bn, showing an annual decline of 14.1%In the second place was “Parts of Aeroplanes or Helicopters, with QR0.49bn, showing an increase of 93.7% on an annualised basis in the review period.In third place was "Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for The Transport of Persons”, with QR0.48bn, which however showed an increase 3.9% year-on-year in August 2023.

The recent high energy prices have led to “significant" capital inflows, opening new opportunities for Qatar, which is also ideally placed to take advantage of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), according to a top official of HSBC.In an interview to Gulf Times, Lisa McGeough, co-head, Global Banking Coverage, HSBC, said recent high energy prices have brought significant inflows of capital to Qatar, which is already the world’s biggest exporter of LNG (liquefied natural gas) and plans to boost production by 63% by 2027."This capital opens a wealth of new opportunities aligned with the future economy and new industries," she said, ahead of her meeting with clients in Doha.There are countless global opportunities in both developed markets and the global south where commodities that will be a mainstay of future technologically-enabled economies reside and where climate change needs are most pressing, she said, adding taken together, these forces are shaping the next phase of the global economy’s evolution.The infrastructure that will provide the backbone of this phase is also in development, with a great example being the IMEC announced at the G20.This cost-effective, cross-border, ship-to-rail transit network will not only further secure regional supply chains but also increase trade accessibility, improve trade facilitation and support an increased emphasis on environmental social, and government (ESG) impacts."Qatar is ideally placed to take advantage of these new megatrends. Qatar’s National Vision 2030 is the embodiment of that," she said.Stressing that HSBC will use its unique global network in more than 60 countries and territories to support Qatar with reaching its ambitions; McGeough said that means helping unlock new ideas in Asia, the US, and Europe, broadening and deepening domestic capital markets and helping companies embrace both climate and sustainable finance-related opportunities.As far back as 2003, HSBC prioritised Qatar as a growth market globally, through what management back then called the ‘Managing for Growth’ strategy, she said, adding "that hasn’t changed. If anything, our focus has sharpened."On Qatar's capital market, she said the "progress is clear for all to see". Since securing MSCI Emerging Market status almost a decade ago, the market infrastructure has been strengthened through new legislation and the introduction of new products, which has led to a deepening of the investor base, both locally and internationally, according to her."It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that the share of foreign investors in QSE’s trading values has seen significant increases in 2022 and 2023," she said, adding "we see similar trends across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where capital markets are highly active."Asked about sustainability trends in the Gulf bourses, she said in January this year, Gulf exchanges announced unified ESG metrics for the GCC-listed companies.Enshrined in 29 standards aligned with the World Federation of Exchanges and Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, they comprise categories covering greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage, water usage, gender pay, employee turnover, gender diversity, data privacy, ethics and more, according to her."Whilst voluntary, they represent a significant step towards standardising ESG disclosures across the GCC region," she said.

Doha's non-energy private sector signalled “strong and stable” expansion in September with solid increases in output and new orders as employment rose at the fastest rate since June 2022, according to Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).The 12-month outlook for the non-energy private sector improved in September. Expectations were strongest among manufacturers and construction firms, said the QFC's latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey data.The PMI posted 53.7 in September, little-changed from 53.9 in August and indicating another strong improvement in business conditions. The latest figure was above the average for 2023 so far (53) and the long-run trend since 2017 (52.4). The PMI has remained in a narrow range of 53.7-55.6 since March, indicating "stable, solid" economic growth.The headline QFC PMI is a composite single-figure indicator of non-energy private sector performance. It is derived from indicators for new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times and stocks of purchases.The PMI indices are compiled from survey responses from a panel of around 450 private sector companies. It covers the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and services sectors, reflecting the structure of the non-energy economy according to official national accounts data.“The Qatar PMI continued its steady run in September, coming in at 53.7 and indicating another strong improvement in business conditions. Growth over the third quarter as a whole softened slightly compared with the second quarter, but remained comfortably above the long-run trend of the survey’s six-and-a-half year history," said Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief executive officer, QFC Authority.New business increased for the eighth successive month in September, and the growth rate stabilised at a strong pace. Construction provided a notable boost to demand during the month.Total business activity among Qatari non-energy private sector firms rose further. Output has risen every month for more than three years, except for a brief correction in January following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The latest rate of expansion was softer than in each of the prior four months, but still stronger than the long-run average."The soft patch in the PMI immediately following the FIFA World Cup in early-2023 was recently corroborated by the latest GDP figures, where annual growth slowed to 2.7% in the first quarter. The PMI is signaling a subsequent uplift to GDP growth in the second and third quarters,” al-Jaida said.Non-oil private sector employment expanded for the seventh month running in September, and at the fastest rate since June 2022. Companies reported efforts to gain experienced, highly qualified employees. Three of the four main monitored sectors registered solid increases in staffing, as did financial services.Purchasing of inputs expanded for the seventh consecutive month in September, but supply chains continued to improve as average lead times fell for the seventeenth successive month, a series-record sequence. Input inventories were broadly stable, as companies continued to manage stock levels efficiently.Total financial services activity and new business both increased at marked rates, albeit ones that eased slightly since August, while the 12-month outlook improved, the QFC said, adding September data signalled lower charges levied by finance companies in Qatar, the third instance of discounting in four months. Average input costs fell marginally.

Turkiye and Qatar are expected to enter into a comprehensive trade and economic agreement by the end of this year, which would stimulate and strengthen the bilateral commercial relations between the two countries.This was disclosed by Turkiye Minister of Trade Dr Omer Bolat as he unveiled the Ankara’s pavilion at the Expo 2023 Doha.The pavilion – one of the largest settlement areas of expo, covering an area of 1,024sq m – aims to promote environmentally friendly and environmentally sensitive approaches to agriculture, development, and technological advancement. It showcases Turkiye’s biodiversity, plant cultivation richness, plant cover, natural and geographical features.Attaching great importance to enhancing its trade relations and economic cooperation with Qatar, with which it has deep-rooted friendship bonds; he said “we are continuing our efforts to further advance the bilateral trade volume, which reached $2.3bn in 2022.” Turkiye’s exports increased by 30.7% to $1.5bn dollars in 2022, while imports decreased by 8.6% to $773mn, he said in the presence of O Volkan Agar, deputy minister of trade; M Mustafa Goksu, Turkish ambassador in Doha; and Ali Kilickaya, director general of exports.Optimistic that the bilateral economic relations have the potential to reach higher growth trajectory in the coming years; he said a comprehensive trade and economic agreement would be signed by the end of this year, which would stimulate investments flows (both ways) between the two countries.The proposed agreement would abolish customs duty, he said, adding it would augur well for trade and investments.Stressing that as many as 130 Turkish businessmen participating in the Turkish pavilion to review vistas of co-operation with their Qatari counterparts; the visiting minister said “we will like to work together” as he expect the expo to be fertile ground for co-operation.“We see this (expo) as beginning” (of strengthening the relations between the two countries in the agricultural sector, he said. Bolat said there are 720 Turkish firms working in Qatar in various fields, and about 120 Qatari firms operating in Turkiye and have successful investments.According to Qatar Chamber, the two countries’ bilateral trade volume reached QR8.1bn in 2022, showing an 18% annual increase, making Turkiye one of Qatar’s most significant trading partners.Qatari companies, with $9.9bn in direct investments in Turkiye since 2002, demonstrate the importance of investment relations between two countries, he said, adding big Qatari funds have invested in Turkiye’s large big projects amounting to $19bn.“We are doing our best (from both the sides) to stimulate bilateral investments into Turkiye and into Qatar in the near future,” according to him.He said the potential areas where Turkiye and Qatar could collaborate further in mutual investments are in the areas of tourism, banking and financial services, renewable energy, transportation, environmental protection, information technologies, construction, and consultancy.

Cargoes, livestock and building materials movement through Qatar's three main ports saw a robust year-on-year growth in September 2023, according to official statistics.The positive momentum in the country’s maritime sector is expected to continue in view of 12-month optimistic outlook, especially for the country’s non-energy private sector, as indicated by the latest purchasing managers’ index of the Qatar Financial Centre.The ports – Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais – showed growth in terms of number of vessels, containers, general cargoes and livestock on monthly basis in the review period, according to the figures released by Mwani Qatar.The number of ships calling on Qatar's three ports stood at 266 in September 2023, which saw a 3.62% decline compared to the previous year period; whereas it reported 6.83% increase on a monthly basis.Hamad Port – which offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman – had seen as many as 145 vessels moored in the review period.During the first nine months of this year, as many as 2,057 vessels had called on the three ports.The general cargo through three ports amounted to 163,103 tonnes in September this year, showing a robust 23.31% and 1.86% expansion on an annualised and monthly basis respectively.Hamad Port – which features an intermodal transport network that offers direct and indirect shipping services to more than 100 destinations, facilitating efficient transportation and logistics services locally and abroad – handled as much as 159,538 freight tonnes of breakbulk.On a cumulative basis, the general cargo movement through the three ports amounted to 1.46mn tonnes during January-September 2023.The three ports handled as many as 28,577 livestock heads in September 2023, which zoomed 339.71% and 65.85% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. The three ports together handled as many 347,027 livestock heads during the first nine months of this year.The building materials traffic through the three ports amounted to 45,079 tonnes in the review period, which shot up 64.74% on a yearly basis but was down 2.16% month-on-month. They had handled as much as 401,143 tonnes during January-September 2023.The container handling through three ports stood at 122,616 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), which fell 0.32% year-on-year but grew 2.23% month-on-month in September 2023. Hamad Port saw a total of 119,956 TEUs of containers handled in the review period.The container handling through the three ports cumulatively stood at 976,423 TEUs during the first nine months of this year.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhancing ease of doing business as well as supporting the achievement of economic diversification, which is one of the most important goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.The three ports handled 6,011 RORO in September 2023, which registered a 1.2% and 23.67% decline year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. Hamad Port alone handled 6,007 units in the review period. The three ports together handled as many as 60,092 vehicles during January-September 2023.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) has amended the list of securities eligible for market making, liquidity provision, margin trading, and covered short‐selling activities; making more companies eligible.This amendment – which aligns with the semi‐annual review of the QSE indices, based on the criteria established by the Qatar Financial Markets Authority – will be effective from October 2.The constituents of 20-stock Qatar Index and Al Rayan Islamic Index would be eligible for margin trading and covered short-selling.Stocks of companies with an annual turnover rate equal to or greater than 10%, and a quarterly turnover rate in their trades exceeding 80% of trading days in each quarter, have been made eligible through the amendments.Tradable units of the exchange traded funds QE Index ETF (QETF) and the Al Rayan Qatar ETF (QATR) are also eligible for margin trading and covered short selling. Companies with at least one liquidity provider or market maker are also eligible."If any stock is excluded from the qualified list, brokers will have a three‐month period to close open positions of the relevant activities," a QSE communique said, adding all securities qualified for covered short selling are eligible for lending and borrowing activities.The securities eligible for margin trading and covered short selling are Ooredoo, Qamco, Qatar Insurance, QATR, QETF, Qatar Electricity and Water, Qatar Islamic Bank, Woqod, Qatari German Medical Supplies, Nakilat, Qatar Islamic Insurance, QIIB, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Company, QLM, QNB, Qatar National Cement, Milaha, Qatar Oman Investment, Salam International Investment, United Development Company, Vodafone Qatar, Widam Food and Zad Holding.The list also includes Aamal Company, Al Khaleej Takaful, Baladna, Barwa, Commercial Bank, Dlala, Doha Bank, Dukhan Bank, Ezdan, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Gulf International Services, Gulf Warehousing, Estithmar Holding, Inma Holding, Industries Qatar, Masraf Al Rayan, Mannai Corporation, Medicare Group, Al Meera, Meeza, Mahhar Holding, Mekdam Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Mazaya Qatar and Alijarah Holding.The bourse also said all companies listed on the main market and the venture market, and all ETFs listed on the QSE are eligible for both market maker and liquidity provider activities.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Sunday experienced technical snag in the pre-opening, saw its key index lose more than 35 points, reflecting the last week’s continued rate concerns in the global markets.A higher than average selling pressure, especially in the insurance, consumer goods and banking counters led the 20-stock Qatar Index 0.35% to 10,216.15 points.The Gulf individuals turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 4.35%.The Arab retail investors were net sellers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.8bn or 0.46% to QR601.15bn with midcap segments losing the most.The foreign individuals turned bearish, albeit at lower levels, in the main market, which however touched an intraday high of 10,284 points.The Islamic index declined slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.32mn changed hands across 12 deals.The domestic individuals’ lower net buying had its influence in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Gulf funds’ weakened net buying also had its say in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.35%, All Share Index by 0.53% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.16% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover fell amidst higher volumes.The insurance sector index tanked 4.84%, consumer goods and services (0.84%), banks and financial services (0.63%) and industrials (0.11%); while transport shot up 0.66%, real estate (0.52%) and telecom (0.06%).Major losers in the main market included Qatar Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dukhan Bank, Woqod, Doha Bank and Widam Food. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Doha Insurance, Salam International Investment, Lesha Bank, Qamco, United Development Company, Milaha and Gulf Warehousing were among the gainers in the main bourse.The Gulf retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR2.91mn compared with net buyers of QR0.15mn on September 28.The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR2.84mn against net buyers of QR3.87mn the previous trading day.The foreign individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.22mn compared with net buyers of QR0.19mn last Thursday.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased significantly to QR20.51mn against QR37.7mn on September 28.The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR9.85mn compared to QR16.96mn the previous trading day.However, the local retail investors’ net profit booking declined substantially to QR5.75mn against QR26.6mn last Thursday.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking shrank markedly to QR18.65mn compared to QR32.68mn on September 28.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net sellers to the extent of QR0.11mn last Thursday.Trade volumes in the main market rose 8% to 197.87mn shares, while value declined 27% to QR414.02mn and deals by 34% to 11,656.The venture market saw a 17% contraction in trade volumes to 0.4mn equities, 19% in value to QR0.79mn and 15% in transactions to 74.

Qatar Fabrication Company (QFAB) is nearing the completion of construction of five wellhead jackets for the North Field South (NFS) project for which it has put in more than 4.3mn accident-free work hours."This important milestone is the culmination of more than 4.3mn LTI-free (lost time incident-free) work hours of fabrication and constructing the process module," said the latest issue of Nakilat's magazine 'Voyages'.The total weight of the jackets is approximately 18,000 tonnes and they were loaded out from Qatar Fabrication Company's (QFAB) facility in the QatarEnergy-owned and Nakilat-operated Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan Industrial City.QFAB, a joint-venture between Nakilat and McDermott International, is nearing the completion of the construction and loadout of five wellhead jackets, for its client McDermott on the NFS project, which, together with the North Field East, aims to increase Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity to 126mn tonnes per annum by 2027.“The sail away of the jackets is of key importance for the NFS project as it marks the conclusion of onshore construction, and with this the remaining installation and hook-up work on NFS will take place offshore where the jackets will be integrated with the wellhead topsides at the NFS site,” said John Macpherson, QFAB’s managing director.Highlighting it as an incredible milestone on the largest scope of offshore construction of its kind ever built in Qatar; he said "we are immensely proud that our work at QFAB contributes to the Qatar National Vision 2030 and is in line with the Tawteen and QatarEnergy’s In-Country Value (ICV) initiative."ICV is economic value added from local operations and spend retained in the country. It is measured using a formula that captures how much out of the revenue is contributed back into the economy.The wellhead jackets will be a crucial part of the NFS project development which will add new offshore wellhead topsides, pipelines, and onshore facilities to boost LNG production for export, the magazine said.The new development will add 50 wells on five wellhead platforms (WHP’s) located about 20-30 km from Ras Laffan with a water depth variation of 18 to 24 meters in the North Field.The five WHPs shall feed two LNG mega trains; one pair of WHPs shall support one LNG mega train. Each pair of WHPs is connected through an intrafield pipeline tying into a trunk line.In May this year, QatarEnergy had awarded $10bn engineering, procurement and construction contract for the NFS project to TotalEnergies, Shell, and ConocoPhillips, which together would hold 25% stake, with the remaining majority 75% being held by Qatar's hydrocarbon bellwether.

The interest rate concerns in the global markets had its dampening effect on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which experienced net profit booking pressure this week..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[82144]**The local retail investors were increasingly net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index lost 0.69% this week which saw Oxford Economics view that the Gulf Co-operation Council economies will experience an extended period of higher interest rates.The real estate, transport and industrials counters saw higher than average selling pressure in the main market this week which saw QTerminals, in which Milaha is an equity stakeholder, disclose its firm plans to construct and operate a new deep-well container terminal in Poland.The foreign individuals were increasingly into net profit booking in the main bourse this week which saw the global credit rating agency Fitch affirm Commercial Bank’s issuer default rating at ‘A-’ with positive outlook.The Arab retail investors’ net selling increased markedly in the main market this week which saw United Development Company (UDC) enter into agreement with Commercial Bank for QR2bn real estate financing.The Gulf individuals were seen into increased net selling in the main bourse this week which saw QNBFS terminate liquidity provision agreement with Estithmar Holding.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main market this week which saw Edaa amend foreign ownership limit in Qatar Insurance Company u to 100%.The Arab institutions were bearish, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.17mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.39mn trade across 33 deals.However, the domestic funds turned bullish in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.06mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.56mn change hands across 32 transactions.Market capitalisation melted QR1.29bn or 0.21% to QR603.95bn on the back of small and microcap segments this week which saw the industrials and banks together constitute about 62% of the total trade volume in the main bourse.The Total Return Index shed 0.69%, the All Islamic Index by 1% and the All Share Index by 0.21% this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The realty sector index plummeted 2.54%, transport (2.53%), industrials (1.07%), telecom (0.62%) and banks and financial services (0.07%); while insurance shot up 6.65% and consumer goods and services 1.84% this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.About 53% of the traded constituents were in the red with major shakers being Milaha, Doha Insurance, UDC, Commercial Bank, Industries Qatar, QIIB, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatar National Cement, Estithmar Holding, Barwa and Mazaya Qatar. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, QLM, Qatar Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf International Services, Beema, Lesha Bank, Woqod, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing and Qamco were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The local retail investors’ net selling rose substantially to QR61.41mn compared to QR25.06mn the week ended September 21.The foreign individuals’ net profit booking expanded significantly to QR14.75mn against QR0.61mn the previous week.The Arab individual investors’ net selling strengthened markedly to QR9mn compared to QR1.92mn a week ago.The Gulf individuals’ net selling grew noticeably to QR2.2mn against QR0.94mn the week ended September 21.The Arab funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.11mn compared with net buyers of QR0.21mn the previous week.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased drastically to QR6.25mn against QR66.78mn a week ago.However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR42.67mn compared with net sellers of QR26.96mn the week ended September 21.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR38.55mn against net profit takers of QR11.49mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 4% jump in trade volumes to 909.39mn shares, 12% in value to QR2.56bn and 6% in deals to 85,234 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes plunged 63% to 4.34mn equities, value by 57% to QR5.76mn and transactions by 13% to 422.

The Qatar Stock Exchange Thursday lost 13 points on the back of selling pressure, especially in the realty, transport and banking sectors..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[82144]**Interest rate concerns in the global markets continued to dampen sentiments as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.12% to 10,217.95 points.The foreign institutions turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 4.02%.The local retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR0.29bn or 0.05% to QR603.95bn with microcap segments losing the most.The Arab institutions turned bearish, albeit at lower levels, in the main market, which however touched an intraday high of 10,351 points.The Islamic index declined slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.12mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.29mn changed hands across 17 deals.The foreign individuals’ lower net buying had its marginal influence in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.However, the domestic funds were increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.12%, All Share Index by 0.16% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.02% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The real estate sector index tanked 1.06%, transport (0.84%) and banks and financial services (0.67%); while insurance gained 2.99%, telecom (1.75%), consumer goods and services (0.33%) and industrials (0.19%).Major losers in the main market included Estithmar Holding, United Development Company, Milaha, Qatar Oman Investment, QNB, QIIB and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Beema, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Insurance, Baladna, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Ooredoo were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR32.68mn compared with net buyers of QR21.68mn on September 27.The local retail investors’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR26.6mn against QR0.27mn the previous day.The Arab institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR0.11mn compared with no major net exposure on Wednesday.The foreign individuals’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.19mn against QR0.25mn on September 27.However, the domestic funds’ net buying expanded significantly to QR37.7mn compared to QR0.23mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR16.96mn against net profit takers of QR15.29mn on Wednesday.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR3.87mn compared with net sellers of QR5.48mn on September 27.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyer to the tune of QR0.15mn against net profit takers of QR1.02mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market rose 11% to 183.3mn shares and value by 23% to QR564.15mn, whereas deals shrank 4% to 17,548.The venture market saw trade volumes more than double to 0.48mn equities and value also more than double to QR0.97mn on 93% surge in transactions to 87.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Wednesday lost 61 points on the back of higher than average selling pressure, especially at the telecom, industrials, transport and insurance.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[81818]**counters. The Gulf institutions were increasingly into net profit booking as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.59% to 10,264.75 points, reflecting the global concerns on interest rates, which are already 20-year high in the region.The Gulf individuals were also increasingly bearish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 3.9%.About 60% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.63bn or 0.43% to QR604.24bn with midcap segments losing the most.The local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser vigour in the main market, which however touched an intraday high of 10,345 points.The Islamic index declined slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn changed hands across seven deals.The Arab individuals continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The foreign funds were increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.59%, the All Share Index by 0.5% and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.4% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The telecom sector index shrank 0.85%, transport (0.79%), industrials (0.76%), insurance (0.7%), banks and financial services (0.54%) and real estate (0.24%), while consumer goods and services gained 1.08%.Major losers in the main market included QLM, Qatar Oman Investment, Doha Insurance, Commercial Bank, Industries Qatar, Milaha, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatari German Medical Devices, and Qatar Electricity and Water. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Lesha bank, Woqod, Gulf Warehousing, Meeza and Masraf Al Rayan were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR15.29mn compared to QR3mn on September 26.The Gulf retail investors’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR1.02mn against QR0.41mn the previous day.However, the foreign institutions’ net buying rose marginally to QR21.68mn compared to QR21.16mn on Tuesday.The foreign individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR0.25mn against net sellers of QR1.34mn on September 26.The domestic funds turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.23mn compared with net sellers of QR0.53mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net selling weakened markedly to QR5.48mn compared to QR10.77mn on Tuesday.The local retail investors’ net profit booking eased noticeably to QR0.27mn against QR5.1mn on September 26.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the sixth consecutive session.Trade volumes in the main market fell 17% to 165.75mn shares, value by 20% to QR460.08mn and deals by 2% to 18,227.The venture market saw a 55% plunge in trade volumes to 0.19mn equities, 44% in value to QR0.35mn and 31% in transactions to 45.

QTerminals, in a joint venture with Belgian Deme Concessions, will construct and operate a planned new deep-water container terminal in Świnoujście port on the Baltic coast in Poland, as part of its strategy to expand and strengthen its presence in the global maritime sector.The new terminal, which is expected to become operational by 2028, will ultimately have an annual capacity of more than 2mn TEUs or twenty-foot equivalent units, said a top official of QTerminals, a joint venture between Mwani Qatar and Milaha."The initial capacity is 1mn TEU but with ability to build out to more than 2mn, depending on the demand and market conditions," QTerminals group chief business development and integration officer Charles Meaby told Gulf Times on the sidelines of fourth Qatar-Poland New Tech forum organised by Qatar-Poland Business Council and Embassy of Poland in Qatar.Asked about the total cost of the project and QTerminals’ share, he declined to give specific details citing confidentiality reasons but added financial closure is yet to be achieved.However, he said QTerminals will be a minority partner in the consortium that is building the port but would hold the operating contract as it could leverage from its expertise and experience in the field.The terminal -- which (according to reports) would be able to simultaneously service two ships, one with a length of 400m and one of 200m -- aims to cater to the western side of Poland and some parts of eastern Germany.QTerminals had signed initial agreement with port authorities in Poland and they have at present made application for environmental clearance. The shipping canal would allow vessels with a draft of up to 15m to enter, thus helping the planned container terminal to handle ocean-going vessels.The proposed terminal, which is located very close to liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal, will reduce the distance to the market and speed up the supply chains, Meaby said.Reports suggest that Polish container traffic volume is predicted to rise to 3.7mn TEUs by 2026, representing an average annual growth of 3% since 2021.Asked about QTerminals' future plans, the official said it is actively looking at all geographies, including Asia, and exploring all opportunities. "We are very selective in what we do," he added.QTerminals recently completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Kramer Holding, a provider of integrated logistics and container services located in the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.QTerminals had in 2020 won concession to develop, manage and operate Olvia port, in which it planned to invest some $120mn in the port during the concession term of 35 years.QTerminals had acquired a strategic 99.99% equity stake in Turkey’s Port Akdeniz, Antalaya, for an enterprise value of $140mn.

Reflecting the regional concerns that interest rates are expected to stay higher for a longer period, the Qatar Stock Exchange Monday lost 24 points on the back of selling pressure, especially in the real estate and industrials sectors.The foreign retail investors were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index declined 0.23% to 10,267.78 points.Oxford economics, in its latest research note, had said the Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC will experience an extended period of higher rates, which are now at their 20-year high.The Gulf individuals also turned net sellers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 3.87%.More than 57% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR0.66bn or 0.11% to QR602.95bn with microcap segments losing the most.The foreign institutions’ weakened net buying had its dampening influence in the main market, which however touched an intraday high of 10,311 points.The Islamic equities were seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.26mn changed hands across 15 deals.The Gulf funds’ lower net buying interests also had its say in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.23%, All Share Index by 0.07% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.45% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The real estate sector tanked 1.13%, industrials (0.57%), transport (0.2%) and consumer goods and services (0.11%); while insurance gained 0.33%, banks and financial services (0.22%) and telecom (0.12%).Major losers in the main market included Dukhan Bank, Mazaya Qatar, Qatari German Medical Devices, Barwa, Industries Qatar, Doha Bank, Inma Holding, Baladna and Meeza.Nevertheless, Qatar Oman Investment, Widam Food, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Gulf Warehousing, Qatar Electricity and Water, and QNB were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares appreciate in value.The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR16.08mn compared with net buyers of QR2.25mn on September 24.The Gulf retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.99mn against net buyers of QR0.07mn the previous day.The foreign institutions’ net buying declined substantially to QR5.6mn compared to QR22.78mn on Sunday.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased marginally to QR3.78mn against QR3.91mn on September 24.However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR6.87mn compared with net sellers of QR1.59mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.2mn against net sellers of QR1.82mn on Sunday.The local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened drastically to QR4.38mn compared to QR25.6mn on September 24.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth consecutive session.Trade volumes in the main market soared 25% to 200.15mn shares, value by 23% to QR530.15mn and deals by 47% to 18,360.The venture market saw trade volumes more than double to 2.3mn equities and value surge 84% to QR2.47mn on 8% jump in transactions to 117.

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has maintained status quo on its interest rates, following the US Federal Reserve's policy to pause rate hike in its latest meeting."QCB has assessed the current monetary requirements of Qatar and has decided to continue with the current interest rates" for deposit, lending and repo, the central bank said in its social media handle.The central bank said it will continue to assess the appropriate monetary policy, factoring in all aspects, which may affect financial stability and will review its monetary policy as and when appropriate to address changes in economic requirements.The QCB in July increased the repo, deposit and lending rates by 25 basis points, after the Fed raised the reference rates (by 25 basis points) to their highest level in more than two decades.Qatar has so far seen a cumulative 5% or 500 basis points hike in interest rates since January 2022, even as the QCB outlined four major priority sectors that would not bear the brunt of rate hike on their outstanding loans.Since January 2022, repo rate has risen from 1% to 1.25% in March, 1.75% in May, 2.5% in June, 3.25% in July, 4% in September, 4.75% in November, 5.25% in December, 5.5% in March, 5.75% in May 2023 and the 6% in July. In 2022, the average repo rate was 2.77%.The QCB lending rate has cumulatively increased by 3.75% or 375bps since the beginning of 2022, jumping from 2.5% in January to 2.75% in May, 3.25% in June, 3.75% in July, 4.5% in September, 5% in November, 5.5% in December, 5.75% in March, 6% in May and 6.25% in July.On credit facilities, the interest rate (weighted average) on loans less than one year was rose to 6.51% in July 2023 against 4.67% in July 2022; on loans from one to three years to 7.17% (3.82%); and on loans of three years and above to 6.81% (4.9%).However, the QCB had in July this year said there are various sectors that benefit from the non-increase in interest/return rates on the outstanding credit facilities in national banks.The eligible sectors include private housing and consumption loans to Qatari citizens; service sector; industrial manufacturing; and trading sector. Within the servicers sector that ought to benefit include tourism, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, mechanical workshops, exhibitions and machinery repairs.The QCB deposit rate has cumulatively jumped by 4.75% or 475bps, increasing from 1% in January 2022 to 1.5% in May, 2.25% in June, 3% in July, 3.75% in September, 4.5% in November, 5% in December 2022, 5.25% in March 2023, 5.5% in May 2023 and 5.75% this July.The rates on deposits of one-month stood at 4.59% in July 2023 against 2.08% year-ago period; three-month deposits 5.33% (2.3%); six-month deposits 5.07% (2.34%); one-year 4.74% (2.06%) and more than one year 5.16% (2.09%).The interest rates on demand deposits had a chequered path. From 0.29% in January 2023, it rose to 0.88% in February but only to fall to 0.51% in March. Again in April it rose to 0.55% but fell to 0.2% in May. In June this year, it soared to 0.84% but only to decline to 0.41% in July 2023.In the case of savings deposits, the rates have been on the increasing mode since March 2023. It was 0.38% in January, which fell to 0.18% in the subsequent month. After which it soared to 0.32% in March, 0.33% in April, 0.39% in May, 0.47% in June and 0.49% in July 2023.The weighted average overnight interbank interest rate (on riyal) noticeably shot up from January 2022 when it was 0.28%. In July 2022, it spurted to 1.68%, 2.62% in August, 2.61% in September, 3.7% in October, 4.31% in November, 4.68% in December, 4.97% in January 2023, 5.02% in February 2023, 5.12% in March 2023, 5.3% in April 2023, 5.51% in May 2023, 5.54% in June 2023 and 5.63% in 2023.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) treaded almost a flat path this week which otherwise saw the US Federal Reserve chose to maintain status quo on its benchmark rate.The Gulf institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled mere 0.04% higher this week which saw Gulf International Services board approve the final merger agreement of its catering subsidiary Amwaj.The insurance, telecom, industrials and transport notably witnessed higher than average demand in the main market this week which saw QTerminals, in which Milaha is an equity stakeholder, formally complete its acquisition of a majority stake in the Netherlands-based Kramer Holding.The Gulf institutions were seen marginally bullish in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar Oman Investment Company disclose its exit from Muzn Oman Commercial Company.The local retail investors’ substantially weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main market this week which saw Qatar Chamber disclose that the road transport sector reported five-fold jump to 444 companies during 2018-22.The Gulf individuals’ lower net selling also had its say in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar’s retail inflation jump 2.38% year-on-year in July 2023.The Islamic index was seen outperforming other indices in the main market this week which saw Qatar’s industrial production expand 1.6% in July 2023 on an annualised basis.However, the domestic institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.2mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.44mn trade across 22 deals.The foreign funds turned bearish in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.03mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.33mn change hands across 27 transactions.Market capitalisation was down by a marginal QR0.05bn or 0.01% to QR605.24bn on the back of microcap segments this week which saw the industrials and banks together constitute about 59% of the total trade volume in the main bourse.The Total Return Index added 0.04%, the All Islamic Index by 0.73% and the All Share Index by 0.09% this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The insurance sector index shot up 3.14%, telecom (1.88%), industrials (1.43%), transport (1.42%) and real estate (0.37%); while consumer goods and services declined 1.31% and banks and financial services (0.97%) this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Major gainers in the main bourse included Milaha, Inma Holding, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Oman Investment, Doha Insurance, Medicare Group, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qatar National Cement, Industries Qatar and Ooredoo. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Qatari German Medical Devices, Meeza, GIS, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Dukhan Bank, QIIB, Commercial Bank, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Beema, Mazaya Qatar, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat were among the shakers in the main bourse.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR66.78mn against QR19.91mn the week ended September 14.The Arab funds turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.21mn compared with net profit takers of QR0.4mn the previous week.The local retail investors’ net profit booking declined significantly to QR25.06mn against QR74.28mn a week ago.The Gulf individuals’ net selling weakened noticeably to QR0.94mn compared to QR7.18mn the week ended September 14.However, the domestic institutions’ net selling increased considerably to QR26.96mn against QR11.46mn the previous week.The foreign funds were net sellers to the tune of QR11.49mn compared with net buyers of QR50.42mn a week ago.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR1.92mn against net buyers of QR5.32mn the week ended September 14.The foreign individuals were net profit takers to the tune of QR0.61mn compared with net buyers of QR17.67mn the previous week.The main market witnessed 31% shrinkage in trade volumes to 872.53mn shares, 36% in value to QR2.28bn and 22% in deals to 80,343 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 11.76mn equities and value more than doubled to QR13.36mn on 14% jump in transactions to 487.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday gained more than 28 points and its key index surpassed the 10,300 levels on the back of buying interests, especially in the industrials and transport sectors.The domestic funds were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.27% to 10,322.96 points, despite the US Federal Reserve maintaining status quo on its benchmark interest rates.The foreign institutions turned bullish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 3.35%.About 52% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation rose QR1.54bn or 0.26% to QR605.24bn with small cap segments gaining the most.The Arab individuals’ net selling was seen weakening in the main market, which recovered from an intraday low of 10,295 points.The Gulf retail investors’ lower net profit booking had its influence in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.05mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.12mn changed hands across 15 deals.However, the local individuals were increasingly into net selling in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.28%, the All Share Index by 0.29% and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.43% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The transport sector index shrank 0.79%, industrials (0.79%), insurance (0.4%), real estate (0.2%), banks and financial services (0.05%) and consumer goods and services (0.02%); while telecom shrank 0.14%.Major gainers in the main market included Milaha, Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf International Services, Dlala, Aamal Company, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Oman Investment and Industries Qatar.In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Dukhan Bank, Widam Food, Mannai Corporation and Nakilat were among the losers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The domestic funds were net buyers to the tune of QR7.17mn compared with net profit takers of QR7.21mn on September 20.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR6.13mn against net sellers of QR13.07mn on Wednesday.The Arab individual investors’ net selling declined perceptibly to QR0.5mn compared to QR1.54mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking weakened marginally to QR0.08mn against QR0.53mn on September 20.However, the local retail investors’ net selling strengthened substantially to QR12.93mn compared to QR1.24mn on Wednesday.The foreign individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR0.34mn against net buyers of QR2.5mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net buying plummeted considerably to QR0.24mn compared to QR21.11mn on September 20.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second consecutive session.Trade volumes in the main market dipped 17% to 128.61mn shares, value by 12% to QR390.97mn and deals by 5% to 15,190.The venture market saw a 5% contraction in trade volumes to 1.26mn equities but on 8% jump in value to QR1.78mn and 21% in transactions to 111.