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Geopolitical uncertainties in the region and the US’ tariff policies continued to play its part in dampening sentiments in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Monday closed below 10,200 levels with selling pressure seen the most in telecom and industrials counters. The foreign funds squared off their position as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 82 points or 0.8% to 10,185.7 points, having touched an intraday high of 10,301 points. The Gulf institutions were seen increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 3.65%. About 68% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR4.46bn or 0.74% to QR598.16bn on the back of large and midcap segments. The Arab individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn change hands across seven deals. However, the domestic funds were seen increasingly bullish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise. The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The local retail investors turned net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index declined 0.8%, the All Share Index by 0.72% and the All Islamic Index by 0.75% in the main market. The telecom sector index tanked 1.95%, industrials (1.8%), banks and financial services (0.74%), real estate (0.67%) and insurance (0.42%); while transport gained 0.53% and consumer goods and services 0.03%. Major losers in the main market included Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Ooredoo, Al Faleh Educational Holding, QIIB, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatari German Medical Devices, Mannai Corporation, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company and Qatari Investors Group. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, Estithmar Holding, QLM, Zad Holding, Ezdan, Gulf Warehousing and Qamco were among the gainers in the main market. The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased drastically to QR52.25mn compared to QR1.23mn on March 23. The Gulf institutions’ net selling strengthened noticeably to QR9.87mn against QR7.24mn the previous day. The Arab individual investors’ net selling expanded marginally to QR2.5mn compared to QR2mn on Sunday. The foreign retail investors’ net buying weakened marginally to QR2.03mn against QR2.65mn on March 23. However, the domestic funds’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR41.45mn compared to QR19.83mn the previous day. The local individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR20.31mn against net sellers of QR12.51mn on Sunday. The Gulf retail investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR0.83mn compared to QR0.5mn on March 23. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third straight session. The main market witnessed 36% surge in trade volumes to 120.78mn shares, 45% in value to QR305.23mn and 79% in deals to 14,754. In the junior bourse, trade volumes were down 4% to 0.02mn equities and value by 4% to QR0.06mn amidst flat seven transactions.

Leading international hotel brands accounted for 60% of Qatar's total 40,755 hotel rooms during 2024, according to Knight Frank, a global property consultancy."As of the end of 2024, Qatar’s total supply of quality hotel rooms stood at approximately 40,755 keys, with internationally branded properties accounting for 60% of this inventory," Knight Frank said in its latest report.The global brands’ growing exposure highlights the international appeal of the country, which according to the UN Tourism, has ‘emerged as the dominant force’ in the Middle East tourism market.The recently held 51st UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East underscores Qatar’s growing status as a regional and global hub in the tourism sector and its leadership role in promoting both regional and international co-operation.The total number of visitors to Qatar reached 5.08mn during 2024, reflecting a 25% increase on an annualised basis.The successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup has positioned Qatar as a key regional and global tourist destination.Highlighting that December alone witnessed as many as 594,079 visitors, marking a 14.6% year-on-year rise; Amar Hussain, Associate Partner (Research, Middle East) said, this surge underscores Qatar’s growing appeal as a tourism destination, driven by enhanced infrastructure, global events, and continued investments in hospitality and leisure sectors.As a result of the increased influx of tourists, the hotel performance indicators in Qatar improved steadily in 2024, he added.The average daily rates (ADR) increased by 7.9% to QR441, while average occupancy levels rose by 19.1% to 68.8%. As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR) shot up 28.5% to QR304.On retail sector, Knight Frank report said luxury and experience-driven retail continue to dominate, with high-end malls maintaining high occupancy levels despite some downward rent adjustments.Secondary malls are facing challenges, as newer lifestyle destinations like Lusail Boulevard and The Pearl attract more tenants.E-commerce growth is also reshaping retail strategies, with Qatar’s online sales surpassing QR4.1bn in December 2024, marking an annual 32.2% increase, highlighting the emerging challenge for bricks and mortar stores.Qatar’s retail market, otherwise, experienced a 1.5% decline in average annual lease rates, bringing the average rate to QR204 per sq m per month."This reflects ongoing adjustments in rental pricing mainly due to increased supply," thecreport said.Lifestyle retail developments in prime locations command the highest rents at QR243 per sq m per month, driven by strong demand for premium brands and high consumer footfall.While, lifestyle retail food and beverage follows closely at QR242 per sq m per month, highlighting the steady demand for experiential dining and entertainment-driven retail, the report said.

Reflective of the risk aversion in view of the region's geopolitical uncertainties, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Sunday lost 76 points in key index and more than QR3bn in capitalisation.The local retail investors were seen increasingly net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.7% to 10,267.61 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,344 points.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 2.87%.About 62% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.22bn or 0.53% to QR602.62bn on the back of mid and small cap segments.The Arab individuals were seen bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.06mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.13mn change hands across 10 deals.The foreign funds continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index declined 0.36%, the All Share Index by 0.39% and the All Islamic Index by 0.19% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index shed 0.77%, insurance (0.69%) and real estate (0.28%); while telecom gained 0.41%, transport (0.14%) and industrials (0.03%). The index of consumer goods and services was rather flat.Major losers in the main market included Commercial Bank, QLM, Qatari Investors Group, Salam International Investment, Widam Food, Qatar Islamic Bank, Alijarah Holding, Dlala and Estithmar Holding. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Aamal Company, Vodafone Qatar, Milaha, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding were among the gainers in the main market.The local individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR12.51mn compared with net buyers of QR8.97mn on March 20.The Gulf institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR7.24mn against net buyers of QR0.89mn the previous trading day.The Arab individual investors turned net profit takers of QR2mn compared with net buyers of QR2.47mn last Thursday.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased significantly to QR19.83mn against QR30.01mn on March 20.The foreign individuals’ net buying weakened markedly to QR2.65mn compared to QR4.86mn the previous trading day.However, the Gulf retail investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR0.5mn against QR0.24mn last Thursday.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking weakened drastically to QR1.23mn compared to QR47.44mn on March 20.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.The main market witnessed 44% plunge in trade volumes to 88.96mn shares, 66% in value to QR210.98mn and 51% in deals to 8,253.The junior bourse saw as many as 0.03mn equities valued at QR0.07mn change hands across seven transactions.

Qatar's consumer price index (CPI) inflation is expected to average to 1.6% in 2025 compared to 1.1% the previous year, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) report."Our 2025 average inflation forecast remains at 1.6%, up from 1.1% last year. Survey data suggest inflation was mild in January, as firms absorb rising input costs rather than pass them on to consumers as they prioritise increasing sales volume," said the ICAEW report, prepared by Oxford Economics.According to the latest Article IV report on the country, the International Monetary Fund had said Qatar's headline inflation will likely ease to 1% in 2024 and converge to around 2% over the medium term.The ICAEW report said policy easing by the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) will now be slower, as it thinks the US Federal Reserve will hold policy steady until December, when it expects a 25 bps (basis points) rate cut. "This is down from our previous forecast of three rate cuts this year," it added.The IMF had said inflation (in Qatar) declined from 5% in 2022 to 3% in 2023 (period average). It decelerated further to 1.2% in 2024 through October as rent and recreation services inflation weakened. Producer price and wage inflation remained contained.Forecasting that the aggregate GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) inflation projection for 2025 remains at 2.3%; ICAEW said "we see inflation stabilising around 2% in the medium-term".Recent readings show inflation is below 1% in Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, while in Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy, inflation averaged 1.7% in 2024, driven almost exclusively by upward pressure from housing rents.Housing prices are also pushing inflation up in Dubai, where inflation readings have hovered around 3%, but this is offset but much lower readings in other emirates. At 2.9%, Kuwait had the highest inflation rate in the region in 2024.Inflation in Bahrain has remained low, averaging 0.9% in 2024, with prices of food and restaurant hotels being the key driver of upward pressure, ICAEW said, adding "we think prices will rise to 2.8% this year, which may hinder consumer spending, before stabilising around 2% in the medium-term."Finding that policy easing by GCC central banks will now slow against the backdrop of US dollar-pegged currencies; the report said the US Federal Reserve delivered a cumulative 100bps of cuts in 2024 before pausing in January and "we now think it will hold policy steady until December, when we expect a 25 bps rate cut."Consequently, the recent pick-up in lending growth may lose momentum in the near-term, albeit remaining supportive for non-energy sector growth, it added.

Escalating regional geopolitical tensions had its impact on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key index lose as much as 80 points and capitalisation melt around QR3bn this week.The foreign funds squared off their position as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.76% this week, which saw the Qatar Central Bank keep the rates unchanged, following the US Federal Reserve’s move to maintain status quo on its benchmark rates.The banking and telecom counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main bourse this week which saw a PricewaterhouseCoopers report that said Qatar's $500mn funding deal to expand artificial intelligence and data centre infrastructure would strengthen Middle East's digital transformation.The domestic institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main market this week which saw the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the England and Wales (ICAEW) report that forecast Qatar's economy to expand by 2.1% this year with growth expected to more than double in 2026 as additional liquefied natural gas capacity comes online.The local individual investors’ lower net buying also had its say on the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.05mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.11mn trade across 21 deals.The foreign retail investors’ net buying was seen slackening in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.02mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.17mn change hands across 23 transactions.The Gulf institutions continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse this week which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw Barwa outline its 2025 strategic plan that will help increasing revenues – including commencing development of the Madinatna Schools project and the first phase of the Barwa Hills project – and rationalising expenditures.Market capitalisation eroded QR2.96bn or 0.49% to QR605.84bn on the back of small and microcap segments this week which saw Nakilat celebrate steel cutting ceremony marking the commencement of construction of six gas carriers at HD Hyundai Samho (HSHI) shipyard in South Korea.Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the main market; while the junior market’s trade volume and value were on the decline this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shrank 0.64%, the All Islamic Index by 0.39% and the All Share Index by 0.58% this week which saw the consumer goods, real estate and banking sectors together constitute more than 72% of the total trade volumes.The banks and financial services sector index tanked 1.33%, telecom (0.89%) and insurance (0.27%); while consumer goods and services gained 1.1%, realty (0.7%), transport (0.27%) and industrials (0.26%) this week which saw Techno Q, celebrating the 29th anniversary this year, all set make further inroads into the neighbouring countries as it seeks to strengthen its position as the region's leading systems integrator.Major losers in the main market included Mannai Corporation, Qatari Investors Group, Al Khaleej Takaful, Beema, QIIB, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, Doha Insurance, Qatar Insurance and Ooredoo this week which saw the ICAEW view that Doha's recent transformative strategies – including the revamp of bankruptcy laws and public private partnership (PPP) – will help "unlock" stronger inflows of foreign direct investments.Nevertheless, about 60% of the traded constituents in the main bourse extend gains with major movers being Qatar German Medical Devices, Estithmar Holding, Medicare Group, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Lesha Bank, Dukhan Bank, Salam International Investment, Widam Food, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Qamco.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased significantly to QR222.6mn compared to QR170.13mn the week ended March 13.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined noticeably to QR185.4mn against QR210.2mn the previous week.The Qatari individual investors’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR26.7mn compared to QR30.64mn a week ago.The foreign retail investors’ net buying shrank markedly to QR2.55mn against QR12.02mn the week ended March 13.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR0.75mn compared to QR1.77mn the previous week.However, the Arab retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR11.83mn against net sellers of QR10.83mn a week ago.The Arab funds were net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn compared with no major net exposure the week ended March 13.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined drastically to QR4.63mn against QR73.38mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 22% surge in trade volumes to 861.14mn shares and 16% in value to QR2.22bn on more than doubled deals to 137,814 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes plummeted 75% to 0.11mn equities, value by 75% to QR0.31mn and transactions by 65% to 37.

Rising geopolitical tensions on Wednesday had its reflections on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which closed 77 points lower as more than 69% of the stocks were in the red.The foreign institutions hurriedly squared off their position as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.73% to 10,384.72 points although it touched an intraday high of 10,465 points.The banks and telecom counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 1.76%.The Gulf institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR4.74bn or 0.77% to QR607.83bn on the back of midcap segments.The domestic funds were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 2,189 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn change hands across seven deals.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Arab individuals were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index declined 0.62%, the All Share Index by 0.68% and the All Islamic Index by 0.57% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index tanked 1.23%, telecom (0.91%), consumer goods and services (0.39%), insurance (0.1%) and realty (0.09%); while transport gained 0.54%. The industrials index was flat.Major losers in the main market included Qatari Investors Group, Qatar German Medical Devices, QIIB, Qatar Oman Investment, Meeza, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Dukhan Bank, Lesha Bank and Ooredoo.In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance Group, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Estithmar Holding, Baladna, Vodafone Qatar, Nakilat and Milaha were among the gainers in the main bourse.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR104mn compared to QR31.22mn on March 18.The foreign individual investors’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR3.83mn against QR0.5mn on Tuesday.However, the domestic funds’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR63.54mn compared to QR41.19mn the previous day.The local individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR31.96mn against net profit takers of QR3.98mn on March 18.The Arab individual investors’ net buying increased markedly to QR9.85mn compared to QR0.07mn on Tuesday.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR3.29mn against net sellers of QR0.48mn the previous day.The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.01mn compared with no major exposure on March 18.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking weakened drastically to QR0.81mn against QR5.07mn on Tuesday.The main market witnessed a 31% shrinkage in trade volumes to 155.34mn shares, 2% in value to QR465.41mn and 35% in deals to 25,408.In the venture market, trade volumes tanked 66% to 0.01mn equities, value by 66% to QR0.04mn and transactions by 69% to 4.

The Middle East commercial aviation market is expected to trend upward, supported by a growing demand for air travel, budget carriers entering the market, and significant aircraft orders, according to Oliver Wyman, a leading international management consulting firm.The region’s fleet is projected to grow at an annual 5.1%, driven primarily by narrow bodies; it said its latest report.In a region where wide bodies have long dominated, the report said narrow bodies will climb from 43% to 47% of the fleet over the decade, equalling wide bodies’ share of the fleet.Representing just over 60% of this market, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leaders of this growth in the region, with carriers in each serving the market differently.In Saudi Arabia, domestic flying makes up 45% of seats whereas the UAE air travel is solely based on international traffic. Both countries have plans to significantly grow and monetise their aviation-related assets.In Saudi Arabia, the Vision 2030 plan seeks to diversify the economy through investment, especially targeting growth in tourism.The next largest is Qatar, representing another 15% of the market, it said, adding the market has essentially doubled its capacity every six years.Despite this growth, the region has struggled with profitability given the competitive nature of the market and the domination of Emirates and Qatar Airways in the region, particularly when it comes to product offerings.The global fleet is projected to exceed 38,300 aircraft by 2035, with production challenges prompting airlines to delay retiring older planes, pushing up the average age of the fleet. Narrow body aircraft will continue to dominate the future fleet, with the share increasing from 62% to 68% by 2035.North America will continue to remain the largest market, but emerging regions like China, India, and the Middle East are expected to capture a larger share, highlighting the shifting dynamics in the global aviation sector, according to the report.The Middle East will continue to see its global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market share increase, driven by a large order book, especially for the narrow body A320 and 737 MAX aircraft.Legacy wide body fleet types, such as the A380 and 777, will raise MRO demand, along with new entrants including the A350 and 777X.While currently comparable in market size to Asia’s MRO demand, MRO in the Middle East will grow at a slightly more modest annual rate of 2.4% over the next 10 years, the report said.Despite this lower rate, the (Middle East) region will gain 25% in market size by the end of the forecast period.

Doha’s recent transformative strategies – including the revamp of bankruptcy laws and public private partnership (PPP) – will help “unlock” stronger inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI), according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the England and Wales (ICAEW).“The planned revamp of key laws governing bankruptcy and PPP will likely help unlock stronger FDI inflows in support of non-energy expansion,” the ICAEW said in its latest report.Highlighting that authorities continue to take steps to attract investment and broaden diversification; it said in the last month, the government unveiled a 50% discount on business rates in industrial, logistics and commercial zones, slashed start-up fees within the Qatar Financial Centre, and launched a Digital Skills Framework, all aligned with the National Development Strategy.The country plans to introduce three new laws as part of a sweeping review of legislation designed to make Qatar more attractive to foreign investors, the Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal al-Thani had said in an interview to Reuters news agency.The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), in collaboration with the Qatari Economic Zones Company (Manateq), has reduced leasing rates up to 50% for five years in industrial, logistics, and commercial zones.More than 4,000 investors will benefit from the reduced rental prices. The decision applies to Jery Al Samur Logistics Park, Small and Medium Industries Zone, Al Wakra Logistics Park, Aba Saleel Logistics Park, Mesaieed Industrial Zone, and Birkat Al Awamer Logistics Park.The QFC has implemented a substantial reduction in the application fee for licensing an entity on its platform, dropping it from $5,000 to $500. The new fee structure applies to all applicants seeking a license to conduct non-regulated activities in the QFC, except for the activities of single family offices.The digital skills framework, developed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, is designed to empower individuals and organisations with essential skills to support Qatar’s digital transformation.

Qatar's economy is slated to expand by 2.1% this year, with growth expected to more than double in 2026 as additional LNG (liquefied natural gas capacity) comes online, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) has said in its latest report.Estimating that the economy to have grown by 1.9% last year, it said the recent third quarter (Q3) gross domestic product (GDP) revealed output grew by 2% year-on-year, lifting the expansion in the first three quarters of last year to 1.4%.The near-term outlook for the energy sector remains weak and expected to grow by just 0.6% this year, it said, adding this will still be an improvement on last year – weak industrial production data for Q4 (fourth quarter) confirm energy output likely contracted overall, according to the report.The oil output has been relatively flat in recent years at around 600,000 barrels per day. However, the North Field gas expansion project will have a positive medium-term impact as the LNG capacity is raised to 126mn tonnes per annum or Mtpa in 2027, from 77 Mtpa currently.The report projected the non-energy economy will grow by 2.9% this year, remaining the primary growth engine and mitigating weakness in industry.Overall, the non-energy sectors continued to drive growth, boosting the expansion in the first three quarters to 2.9% y/y, while the continued decline in energy sector output resulted in a contraction to 1.1% over the same period.Tourism has provided significant support to non-energy growth and will remain a driver of future activity and employment, the ICAEW said.Data show the number of foreign arrivals neared 4.5mn last year up to November amid sustained double-digit annual growth."We estimate overnight arrivals reached 5mn by end-2024, a 23% increase on 2023 and 134% higher than 2019 levels. The launch of the pan-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) visa will likely help extend the positive performance this year, lifting the number of arrivals to 5.3mn," according to the report.Forecasting fiscal surplus of QR27.3bn (3.3% of GDP), it said this is a significantly better outcome than the deficit of QR13.2bn penciled into this year's budget.Given this projected gap and a nearing maturity, Qatar returned to debt markets this month, raising $3bn in a double-tranche, oversubscribed transaction.The bonds will not be included in the universally tracked emerging market bond index, following a recent reclassification to a developed market from an emerging markets status.The goods trade surplus remained wide in 2024, although it narrowed to $59.2bn from $66.3bn a year earlier, reflecting slightly weaker exports and stronger imports."We expect the surplus to widen modestly this year, which underpins the broader external surplus projection for 2025 of $34bn (14.9% of GDP).

The domestic institutions’ increased buying support on Tuesday helped the Qatar Stock Exchange stay afloat in the positive trajectory with its key index gaining as much as 58 points and capitalisation add more than QR2bn.An across the board buying, particularly in the transport, was instrumental in lifting the 20-stock Qatar Index 0.55% to 10,461.48 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,395 points.The local retail investors’ wakened net selling had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 1.04%.About 69% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.41bn or 0.39% to QR612.57bn on the back of small and microcap segments.The Gulf individuals’ lower net profit booking had its say in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn change hands across six deals.However, the foreign funds were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.55%, the All Share Index by 0.51% and the All Islamic Index by 0.43% in the main market.The transport sector index zoomed 3.78%, consumer goods and services (0.54%), real estate (0.43%), insurance (0.41%), industrials (0.33%), telecom (0.15%) and banks and financial services (0.12%).Major gainers in the main market included Qatar German Medical Devices, Medicare Group, Nakilat, Milaha, Lesha Bank, Dlala, Baladna, Mekdam Holding, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qamco and United Development Company. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Al Khaleej Takaful, QIIB, Ezdan, Mannai Corporation and Aamal Company were among the shakers in the main bourse.The domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR41.19mn compared to QR34.19mn on March 17.The local individual investors’ net selling declined substantially to QR3.98mn against QR12.83mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking weakened perceptibly to QR0.48mn compared to QR2.16mn on Monday.However, the foreign institutions’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR31.22mn against QR22.87mn on March 17.The Gulf institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR5.07mn compared with net buyers of QR1.21mn the previous day.The foreign individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.5mn against net buyers of QR1.86mn on Monday.The Arab individual investors’ net buying shrank marginally to QR0.07mn compared to QR0.6mn on March 17.The Arab institutions had no major for the 16th straight session.The main market witnessed a 9% jump in trade volumes to 225.25mn shares, 8% in value to QR474.44mn and 46% in deals to 38,947.In the venture market, trade volumes surged 61% to 0.04mn equities, value by 61% to QR0.12mn and 30% in transactions to 13.

In a move that would help the logistics sector, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and the Ministry of Transport (MoT) have permitted the integration of the land, maritime and air freight activities in a single commercial registration."This initiative aims to simplify procedures, reduce costs and enhance the business environment for companies operating in the logistics sector," MoCI said in its social media handle X.Furthermore, freight sector companies can now utilise one warehouse for all their shipping activities -- land, maritime or air, it said.Detailing the steps involved for availing the integrated registration, the MoCI said there was a need to add the activity to the current commercial registration, obtain the required licences from the authorities concerned and then submit a request for the commercial licence.Qatar has established itself as a global leader in logistics and supply chain due to its strategic location -- situated at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa and has invested heavily in developing a robust infrastructure including modern ports, airports and road networks, according to Invest Qatar.Additionally, Qatar's free zones and logistics parks, along with advancement in ICT (information, communication and technology), contribute to a robust and efficient logistics and supply chain network, making it a vital hub connecting major global markets.Showcasing Doha's value proposition in the global logistics sector, Invest Qatar had said two-third of the world's population lives within eight hours of flight from the country and connects 2.5bn people and $8.5tn in combined GDP (gross domestic product) within 3,000km."The state’s significant investment in the (logistics) sector is reflected by the size of the transportation market valued at around $9.9bn," it said.The Qatar freight and logistics market size is estimated at $10.14bn in 2025, and is expected to reach $13.49bn by 2030, showing a compound annual growth rate of 5.89% during 2025-30, according to Mordor Intelligence.The MoCI had last year organised a round-table with several logistics firms as part of its efforts to reach out to the crucial sector and address the main challenges facing them.In Qatar, logistics services play a vital role, extending beyond the transportation of goods from one point to another to include bolstering trade flows, supporting sustainable development goals, and driving economic diversification, Gulf Warehousing Company Group Managing Director Sheikh Abdullah bin Fahad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani had said last year.The Warehouse Management System (WMS) market in Qatar is witnessing significant growth, driven by the expansion of logistics and e-commerce sectors, according to 6Wresearch.

Barwa has outlined a 2025 strategic plan, which will help increasing revenues – including commencing development of the Madinatna Schools project and the first phase of the Barwa Hills project – and rationalising expenditures."We have prepared a clear strategic plan for the year 2025, focusing on several key areas that represent the foundation for the group’s direction in the coming phase," Barwa Chairman HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said in its 2024 annual report, presented before shareholders.The group aims to achieve sustainable growth in revenue and shareholder returns by maintaining a balanced mix of operational projects that meet the demands of the real estate market while ensuring minimal risks."In the short to medium term, we aim to increase occupancy rates in new real estate projects such as Madinatna and the Argentine Neighbourhood, as well as Phase three of the Madinat Al Mawater’s project, while also maintaining and improving occupancy in other real estate projects," he said.Additionally, the company plans to benefit from the operational returns and maintenance services of the Qatar Schools project (First Package). For the long term, it believes that Qatar’s National Vision 2030 will serve as the main driver for sustained growth.Key goals for 2025 include commencing development of the Madinatna Schools project and the first phase of the Barwa Hills project, completing the leasing of the remaining spaces in phase three of Madinat Al Mawater, and studying and working on master plans and feasibility studies for new projects such as phase four of Madinat Al Mawater and the remaining phases of Barwa Hills in Lusail.The goal also include taking advantage of new legal and economic regulations in the real estate market in Qatar, which is undergoing significant development following the Cabinet decision No. 28 of 2020, which outlines areas where non-Qataris can own and benefit from properties.These include Lusail, where the majority of the group’s land inventory is located. In line with this, the first phase of Barwa Hills has been launched, with further phases planned as part of the group’s strategy to maximise the utilisation of its land assets and enhance returns for shareholders.The 2025 goals include strengthening the level of strategic partnership with the public sector and the government to meet the real estate sector’s needs by participating in available tenders, in accordance with the public private partnership law.Additionally, the company remains committed to developing real estate projects that contribute to meeting the needs of citizens and residents and support the realisation of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, in fulfilment of Barwa Real Estate’s role as a leading national entity in the field of realty development."In 2025, the company will continue to explore available ways to rationalise operational, administrative, and financing expenses to ensure the maximum benefit from these expenditures and assess the possibility of reducing them without impacting the quality of projects and services provided," al-Attiyah said.

The foreign funds’ increased net selling Monday dragged the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) as much as 18 points, even as its capitalisation made marginal gains.The transport, banking, insurance and telecom counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.17% to 10,403.87 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,438 points.The local retail investors turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 1.53%.The Gulf individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation however added QR0.87bn or 0.14% to QR610.16bn on the back of small cap segments.The domestic institutions were however seen increasingly bullish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.11mn change hands across 10 deals.The foreign individuals were seen increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The Islamic index was seen gaining vis-à-vis declines in the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf retail institutions turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index was down 0.17% and the All Share Index by 0.13%; while the All Islamic Index rose 0.17% in the main market.The transport sector index shed 1.4%, insurance (0.88%), banks and financial services (0.29%) and telecom (0.28%); whereas real estate gained 1.06%, consumer goods and services (0.89%) and industrials (0.41%).Major losers in the main bourse Doha Insurance, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Nakilat, Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar Insurance.Nevertheless, as much as 64% of the traded constituents in the main market extended gains with major gainers being Qatar German Medical Devices, Widam Food, Ezdan, Salam International Investment, Mekdam Holding, Lesha Bank, Dukhan bank, Medicare Group, Baladna, Al Mahhar Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Aamal Company, Estithmar Holding and United Development Company. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR22.87mn compared to QR17.06mn on March 16.The local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR12.83mn against net buyers of QR2.57mn on Sunday.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR2.16mn compared to QR0.15mn the previous day.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR34.19mn against QR16.48mn on March 16.The foreign individual investors’ net buying rose markedly to QR1.86mn compared to QR0.16mn on Sunday.The Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR1.21mn against net sellers of QR0.85mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.6mn compared with net sellers of QR1.16mn on March 16.The Arab institutions had no major for the 15th straight session.The main market witnessed a 78% surge in trade volumes to 206.31mn shares and 91% in value to QR439.59mn but on 11% decline in deals to 26,734.In the venture market, trade volumes surged 23% to 0.03mn equities, value by 23% to QR0.08mn and 25% in transactions to 10.

Global apprehensions over an expected economic slowdown in the US on tariff tensions and the regional uncertainties had their reflections on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which closed 90 points lower this week.The foreign funds were increasingly net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shrank 0.86% this week which saw the QSE completely waive trading fees on exchange-traded funds (ETFs), effective next week.The real estate witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main bourse this week which saw global credit rating agency Fitch affirm ratings on Nakilat Inc's $850mn series A senior secured bonds (senior debt) due 2033 at 'AA-' and the $300mn series A subordinated second-priority secured bonds (junior debt) due 2033 at 'A+' with "stable" outlook.The Gulf institutions’ higher net selling had its influence in the main market this week which saw Meeza’s plans to scale its infrastructure to meet the growing needs of enterprises, government agencies, and hyperscalers.The Arab individual investors were increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.17mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.4mn trade across 46 deals.However, the domestic institutions were increasingly bullish in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.07mn change hands across 11 transactions.The local individual investors turned net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw Nakilat mark a significant milestone with the steel cutting ceremony for eight of its new liquefied natural gas carriers at Hanwha Ocean Shipyard in South Korea.Market capitalisation eroded QR7.27bn or 1.18% to QR608.8bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw an International Monetary Fund working paper view a financial conditions index as imperative for Qatar to assess the current state of financial conditions and evaluate the relationship between financial indicators and future growth distribution.Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in both the main and junior markets this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shrank 0.39%, the All Islamic Index by 1.33% and the All Share Index by 0.52% this week which saw the industrials and banking sectors together constitute about 58% of the total trade volumes.The realty sector index tanked 1.16%, insurance (0.85%), banks and financial services (0.68%), industrials (0.42%), transport (0.23%) and telecom (0.07%); while consumer goods and services gained 0.13% this week.About 68% of the traded constituents in the main market were in the red with major losers being Salam International Investment, Barwa, United Development Company, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Ooredoo, QNB, Lesha Bank, Dukhan Bank, Dlala, Qatar German Medical Devices, Baladna, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Estithmar Holding, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, QLM, Mekdam Holding, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Qamco, Nakilat and Alijarah Holding were among the movers in the main bourse this week.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased significantly to QR170.13mn compared to QR136.98mn the week ended March 6.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking strengthened drastically to QR73.38mn against QR23.77mn the previous week.The Arab retail investors’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR10.83mn compared to QR9.18mn a week ago.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying grew substantially to QR210.2mn against QR191.89mn the week ended March 6.The Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR30.64mn compared with net sellers of QR4.8mn the previous week.The foreign retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR12.02mn against net profit takers of QR12.52mn a week ago.The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.77mn compared with net sellers of QR4.64mn the week ended March 6.The Arab funds had no major net exposure for the second week in succession.The main market witnessed a 38% surge in trade volumes to 704.5mn shares, 24% in value to QR1.91bn and 7% in deals to 68,285 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes grew more than six-fold to 0.43mn equities and value also rose more than six-fold to QR1.22mn on more than quadrupled deals to 106.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Wednesday continued to reel under selling pressure, especially from the foreign funds, as its key index lost more than 46 points and capitalisation eroded about QR4bn.The consumer goods and services counter witnessed higher than average profit booking as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.44% to 10,437.96 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,483 points.The Arab retail investors turned bearish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 1.26%.About 64% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.94bn or 0.64% to QR609.08bn on the back of small and microcap segments.The Gulf institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.13mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.32mn change hands across 29 deals.The domestic funds were seen increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.18%, the All Share Index by 0.22% and the All Islamic Index by 0.56% in the main market.The consumer goods and services sector index declined 0.94%, banks and financial services (0.35%), industrials (0.29%), insurance (0.27%) and real estate (0.06%); while transport gained 0.36% and telecom (0.41%).Major losers in the main bourse include Salam International Investment, Ooredoo, Qatar German Medical Devices, Estithmar Holding, Woqod, Dukhan bank, Aamal Company, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Ezdan. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Nakilat, Vodafone Qatar, Al Meera and Lesha Bank were among the movers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR71.9mn compared to QR6.51mn on March 11.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.36mn against net buyers of QR1.72mn on Tuesday.The foreign retail investors’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR0.08mn compared to QR3.73mn the previous day.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR48.58mn against QR18.58mn on March 11.The local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR30.61mn compared with net sellers of QR4.75mn on Tuesday.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying expanded marginally to QR1.59mn against QR1.51mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking decreased markedly to QR7.6mn compared to QR14.29mn on March 11.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.The main market witnessed a 7% contraction in trade volumes to 147.94mn shares but on 7% jump in value to QR421.38mn despite 7% lower deals at 14,844.In the venture market, trade volumes rose 4% to 0.1mn equities and value by 4% to QR0.27mn; whereas transactions tanked 38% to 20.

Global credit rating agency Fitch has affirmed ratings on Nakilat Inc’s $850mn series A senior secured bonds (senior debt) due 2033 at ‘AA-’ and the $300mn series A subordinated second-priority secured bonds (junior debt) due 2033 at ‘A+’ with “stable” outlook.The ratings reflect two-notch uplift from the senior and junior bonds’ Standalone Credit Profiles (SCP) at ‘a’ and ‘a-’, respectively, capturing the strong incentives by the government to provide or facilitate extraordinary support to the project directly or via time charters. The SCPs reflect the project’s stable cash flow, supported by consistent operating and financial performance.Nakilat is 100% owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company (QGTC), a joint-stock entity partly owned by state-owned QatarEnergy LNG and government funds. The special shares owned by QatarEnergy enable the government to have extensive decision-making power in QGTC.Highlighting that LNG exports form a large contribution to Qatar’s income (40% of GDP or gross domestic product) and Qatar is progressing toward full LNG value-chain integration; Fitch believes that replacing Nakilat would be possible, but not without a temporary disruption to Qatar’s LNG exports.Nakilat’s junior debt’s ‘a-’ SCP reflects the availability-based nature of revenue with limited exposure to cost risk and an average debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) of 1.27x for 2025-33 under Fitch Rating Case (FRC).The senior debt’s higher SCP reflects its senior ranking and a 24-month standstill period in a junior debt default. The one-notch SCP differential also reflects the junior bondholders’ enforcement rights over the security after the standstill period elapses, resulting in similar probabilities of default on both the senior and junior debt.However, the senior debt’s higher resilience to temporary stress may result in a junior debt default without triggering a default of the senior debt, if the default is remedied before the end of the standstill period.Revenues have historically increased after a rise in operating costs. An operations and maintenance reserve of $300,000 per vessel is in place, as well as a dry-docking reserve, which is funded by daily distributions of $1,900 per vessel. Voyage costs, fuel costs and port charges are borne by charterers.Ship management has so far been outsourced to Shell International Trading and Shipping Company which has historically seen strong operating performance. However, operations are progressively being transferred to Nakilat from Shell. Fitch expects the quality of operations to remain “high”.Nakilat derives its revenue from availability-based charter payments for its 25 vessels. There is no pass-through of availability deductions but historically these have been minimal and are expected to remain at similar levels, according to Fitch.Finding that the time charters also include a generous time allowance for the assets to be unavailable during dry-docking, without incurring any deductions; it said, “We view the charterers QatarEnergy as a strong counterparty. Nakilat is strategic to QatarEnergy and, consequently, in the Qatari LNG value chain, leading to little incentive for the charterers to terminate the contracts.Each LNG vessel has a 40-year design life, which is well beyond the tenor of Nakilat’s debt. It has a long asset life and Nakilat’s fleet is fairly new and modern, reducing the need for major maintenance and repairs in the early life of the assets. Dry-docking exercises that take place every five years address the ongoing maintenance needs of the fleet.

Continued apprehensions on US economic downturn over tariff woes and the regional concerns had their dampening effects on the Qatar Stock Exchange, which Tuesday closed 47 points lower.An across the board selling led the 20-stock Qatar Index knock off 0.45% to 10,484.47 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10.531 points.The domestic institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 0.82%.The real estate, transport and insurance counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.95bn or 0.64% to QR613.02bn on the back of small and microcap segments.The Gulf institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.04mn change hands across five deals.The local retail investors also continued to be net sellers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign funds continued to be net profit takers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.31%, the All Share Index by 0.42% and the All Islamic Index by 0.6% in the main market.The realty sector index declined 1.05%, transport (0.88%), insurance (0.75%), telecom (0.53%), industrials (0.41%), banks and financial services (0.32%) and consumer goods and services (0.06%).As much as 67% of the traded constituents in the main bourse were in the red with major losers being Barwa, Vodafone Qatar, Ezdan, Meeza, Aamal Company, QNB, Qatar German Medical Devices, Baladna, Gulf International Services, Qamco, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar and Milaha. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Mekdam Holding, Al Meera, Woqod, Dukhan Bank and Qatar Islamic Bank were among the gainers in the main market.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR18.58mn compared to QR56.89mn on March 10.However, the foreign retail investors’ net buying increased noticeably to QR3.73mn against QR1.65mn the previous day.The Arab individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.72mn compared with net sellers of QR3.21mn on Monday.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR1.51mn against net sellers of QR1.06mn on March 10.The foreign institutions’ net selling weakened substantially to QR6.51mn compared to QR21.39mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking decreased markedly to QR14.29mn against QR19.3mn on Monday.The local retail investors’ net selling shrank considerably to QR4.75mn compared to QR13.59mn on March 10.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.The main market witnessed a 30% jump in trade volumes to 158.79mn shares, 1% in value to QR393.98mn and 5% in deals to 15,965.In the venture market, trade volumes shrank 57% to 0.09mn equities, value by 58% to QR0.26mn and transactions by 33% to 32.

With Qatar witnessing excessive demand for data centres, Meeza is scaling its infrastructure to meet the growing needs of enterprises, government agencies, and hyperscalers.“Our upcoming data centre expansions will significantly enhance our capacity, efficiency, and artificial intelligence (AI) readiness, allowing us to support high-performance computing, machine learning, and sovereign cloud solutions,” Mohamed Ali al-Ghaithani, chief executive officer, Meeza said in its 2024 annual report, which was recently presented before shareholders at the annual general assembly meeting.With data centre demand in Qatar exceeding supply, Meeza is committed to aggressively scaling its infrastructure to meet the growing needs of enterprises, government agencies, and hyperscalers, he said.Scaling data centre is one of Meeza’s three key priorities that drive sustainable growth and long-term value creation.Given that Meeza’s data centre facilities are now fully utilised, it has begun the next phase of expansion to achieve the vision to enhance its data centre offering to support the country’s ambitions, according to Meeza chairman Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Jassim al-Thani.The company operates five certified data centres (M-Vaults 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), providing a total of 14MW of IT capacity, with expansion plans already underway to expand M-Vault 4 and advanced design phases in M-Vault 6 and M-Vault 7 to meet increasing demand from enterprises, government entities, and hyperscalers.With digital transformation accelerating across sectors, Meeza is committed to expanding its secure, high-availability data centre footprint to support the increasing demand for computing power, data storage, and sovereign cloud solutions.Meeza is investing in the expansion of its M-Vault data centre portfolio, increasing capacity to support high-growth workloads, the report said, adding the company is designing high-performance computing (HPC) environments into its new data centres, enabling AI training, machine learning, and data-intensive applications.Meeza continues to provide secure, regulatory-compliant data centre colocation services, ensuring data sovereignty and local cloud adoption.“Through these initiatives, Meeza is not only meeting Qatar’s growing digital infrastructure needs but also reinforcing its role as a trusted partner for hyperscalers, enterprises, and government institutions,” it said.Stressing that AI is at the core of Meeza’s future growth strategy, the board report said through Meeza.AI, the company is developing AI solutions that enhance automation, security, and data intelligence across its service offerings.As businesses and governments continue to migrate towards cloud-first strategies, Meeza said it is committed to delivering secure, scalable, and high-performance cloud solutions that cater to enterprise, hyperscalers, and regulatory requirements.Highlighting that Meeza has shown strong fundamentals and is in a favourable position to capitalise on global industry trends; the board said the combination of high-growth, high-margin, and defensive revenue streams makes it a compelling long-term investment.