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Oil price strength and brightened expectations on interest rate cuts in the US on Tuesday helped Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) to gain as much as 22 points in index and more than QR2bn in capitalisation.The local retail investors were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.19% to 11,121.58 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,102 points.The consumer goods, insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 5.21%.About 56% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.15bn or 0.32% to QR666.01bn; mainly on mid and small cap segments.However, the domestic and foreign institutions were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.09mn trade across 13 deals.The Arab individuals turned net sellers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen gaining faster than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign retail investors were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.19%, the All Share Index by 0.29% and the All Islamic Index by 0.21% in the main market.The consumer goods and sector index gained 0.91%, insurance (0.51%), banks and financial services (0.35%), industrials (0.2%) and real estate (0.16%); while transport and telecom declined 0.2% and 0.07% respectively.As many as 29 stocks gained, while 21 declined and two were unchanged.Major gainers in the main market included Baladna, Qatar German Medical Devices, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Al Mahhar Holding, Medicare Group, Estithmar Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco and Ezdan.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Ahlibank Qatar, Nakilat, QIIB, Commercial Bank and Gulf Warehousing were among the shakers in the main market.The local retail investors’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR28.16mn compared to QR1.22mn on September 15.The Arab institutions’ net buying remained flat at QR0.05mn against the previous day.However, the domestic institutions’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR10.49mn compared to QR4.58mn on Monday.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR10.33mn against QR7.79mn on September 15.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.06mn compared with net buyers of QR5.29mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR2.08mn against net buyers of QR1.33mn on Monday.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.41mn compared with net buyers of QR5.08mn on September 15.The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR0.82mn against QR0.61mn the previous day.The main market saw a 69% surge in trade volumes to 244.52mn shares, 36% in value to QR542.96mn and 11% in deals to 25,733.In the venture market, a total of 0.1mn equities valued at QR0.25mn changed hands across 14 transactions.

NEXX, a logistics AI (artificial intelligence) company, in association with Zipto Supply Chain, a leading Chinese cross-border E-commerce logistics provider, is expanding into Qatar market as it establishes advanced smart fulfillment center at Milaha Logistics City, Qatar, to enhance cross-border E-commerce logistics capabilities in the region.In this regard, NEXX officially announced strategic partnerships with Zipto Supply Chain and Middle East delivery leader iMile, during the Belt and Road Summit held in Hong Kong."Together with Zipto's expertise in Chinese market access and iMile's last-mile excellence, powered by our AI-driven fulfillment center, we are positioned to transform the region's logistics landscape and revolutionise service standards in this sector," said Hui Ka, Oscar, chief executive officer of NEXX.Operated jointly by NEXX, Milaha and Hong Kong E-commerce logistics company KEC, the 5,000sqm smart fulfillment center is equipped with an agentic AI management system, automated sorting robots, and pharmaceutical logistics certification.It offers end-to-end warehousing and fulfillment services tailored for cross-border B2C E-commerce customers. The center also supports B2B operations and features a bonded warehouse. It is scheduled to commence full operations in the fourth quarter of this year.On NEXX's strategic partnership with Zipto to expand into the Qatar market, this partnership will see Zipto utilise the former's advanced smart fulfillment center as its primary Qatar operational base, harnessing the facility's sophisticated automation capabilities to serve Chinese E-commerce businesses expanding into the Qatari market, with planned subsequent expansion into the UAE.In a complementary agreement, NEXX has partnered with iMile, which will establish its Qatar headquarters within NEXX's smart fulfillment center, utilising the facility's intelligent logistics infrastructure to enhance and expand its delivery services across the country through integrated technological solutions."We are pleased to support NEXX and its partners Zipto and iMile as they bring innovative logistics solutions to Qatar. Our commitment to fostering international collaboration and sustainable business growth is strengthened by these important partnerships, which will position Qatar as a central player in the region's E-commerce landscape," said Sheikh Ali Alwaleed al-Thani, chief executive officer of Invest Qatar.NEXX had recently announced a strategic investment from Rasmal Ventures — the first independent venture capital fund supported by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). It disclosed that Ibrahim al-Derbasti, executive vice president of Offshore and Marine at Milaha, as co-founder of NEXX Middle East.

HE Ali Bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, Minister of Finance, held a bilateral meeting with Mathias Cormann, the secretary of The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in France.During the meeting, various pressing subjects related to both parties were discussed, particularly in the areas of finance and economy.Moreover, both parties expressed their intention to cooperate meaningfully for mutual benefits and shared interests.

Ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting later this week, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Monday fell about 32 points on the back of foreign institutions’ selloff.The telecom and industrials counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.29% to 11,099.97 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,142 points.The domestic institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 5%.The Arab retail investors’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation eased QR0.55bn or 0.08% to QR663.86bn, mainly on microcap segments.The Gulf institutions were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 8,091 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn trade across 12 deals.The foreign individuals turned bullish 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 local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.29%, the All Share Index by 0.13% and the All Islamic Index by 0.48% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.08%, industrials (0.93%), consumer goods and services (0.28%), real estate (0.11%) and transport (0.04%); while insurance gained 0.61% and banks and financial services 0.21%.As many as 25 stocks gained, while 23 declined and five were unchanged.Major losers in the main market included Industries Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Woqod, Qamco and Barwa.In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Ezdan, Estithmar Holding, Widam Food, Qatar Insurance, Baladna, Mazaya Qatar and Gulf Warehousing were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR7.79mn compared with net buyers of QR11.08mn on Sunday.The Arab individual investors’ net buying declined noticeably to QR5.29mn against QR9.7mn the previous day.The Arab institutions’ net buying eased marginally to QR0.05mn compared to QR0.06mn on September 14.However, the Gulf institutions’ net buying strengthened markedly to QR5.08mn compared to QR3.06mn on Sunday.The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.33mn against net sellers of QR0.48mn the previous day.The local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR1.22mn compared with net sellers of QR4.79mn on September 14.The domestic institutions’ net profit booking weakened substantially to QR4.58mn against QR17.68mn on Sunday.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling shrank marginally to QR0.61mn compared to QR0.95mn the previous day.The main market saw a 24% jump in trade volumes to 145.08mn shares, 44% in value to QR398.55mn and 28% in deals to 23,142.In the venture market, a total of 0.67mn equities valued at QR1.72mn changed hands across 69 transactions.

Market EyeThe US interest rate cut hopes had its reflection on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) , which Sunday opened the week on a stronger note with its key index gaining 39 points and capitalisation adding about QR2bn.The foreign institutions were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.35% to 11,131.75 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,101 points.The insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved further to 5.3%.The Arab retail investors were seen bullish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR1.82bn or 0.27% to QR664.41bn, mainly on small and microcap segments.The foreign individuals’ weakened net selling had its marginal effect on the main market, which saw as many as 4,688 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn trade across seven deals.The Gulf institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, whose trade turnover shrank amidst higher volumes.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the main barometer of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The local retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.35%, the All Share Index by 0.3% and the All Islamic Index by 0.3% in the main market.The insurance sector index gained 0.53%, banks and financial services (0.4%), consumer goods and services (0.29%), industrials (0.22%), real estate (0.22%) and transport (0.11%); while telecom declined 0.25%.As many as 32 stocks gained, while 16 declined and four were unchanged.Major gainers in the main market include Mannai Corporation, Widam Food, Estithmar Holding, QLM, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar and Ezdan.Nevertheless, Ahlibank Qatar, Qatar National Cement, Ooredoo, Salam International Investment, Medicare Group and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR11.08mn compared with net sellers of QR6.73mn on September 11.The Arab individual investors were net buyers to the extent of QR9.7mn against net sellers of QR2.29mn last Thursday.The Arab institutions’ net buying increased marginally to QR0.06mn compared to QR0.05mn the previous trading day.The foreign individual investors’ net profit booking shrank marginally to QR0.48mn against QR0.62mn on September 11.However, the domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR17.68mn compared with net buyers of QR5.56mn last Thursday.The local retail investors’ net profit booking strengthened noticeably to QR4.79mn against QR2.07mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR0.95mn compared with net buyers of QR0.92mn on September 11.The Arab institutions’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR3.06mn against QR0.05mn last Thursday.The main market saw a 19% jump in trade volumes to 116.54mn shares but on 6% fall in value to QR277.74mn amidst 1% growth in deals to 18,063.In the venture market, a total of 1.32mn equities valued at QR3.41mn changed hands across 167 transactions.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has issued Circular No. (3) of 2025, requiring all car dealerships to refrain from exporting new vehicles that have been registered for less than one year.The circular exempts authorised car agents and vehicles intended for personal use by individuals.The measure is designed to protect consumers, while maintaining the availability of new vehicles in the local market.It seeks to preserve a fair balance between supply and demand, prevent unjustified price increases, and avoid practices that may mislead consumers.The circular also shields commercial establishments from penalties under the Consumer Protection Law for practices such as withholding goods or removing them from local market through export.The Law No. (8) of 2008 on Consumer Protection and its executive regulations, issued under Ministerial Decision No. (68) of 2012, define suppliers’ obligations and enforcement mechanisms.Article 10 prohibits suppliers from withholding goods, refusing to sell them to manipulate market prices, imposing purchase conditions, or charging more than the publicly announced price.Article 14 forbids creating false or misleading impressions for consumers, including providing inaccurate information about product details (the country of origin).The circular takes effect from the date of issuance, and the ministry urges all car dealerships to comply with the circular to avoid violations and legal action.The MOCI will take strict action against any negligence or failure to comply with Law No. (8) of 2008 and its executive regulations, and will intensify inspection campaigns to ensure full adherence.

Qatar's non-energy sector rose for the seventh consecutive month, indicating the country's resilience amidst tariff uncertainties and elevated volatility in the global economy, particularly in the first half (H1) of 2025, according to the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows will remain strong and is expected to pick up towards the tail-end of 2025, QFC said in its latest update."Qatar’s non-oil private sector PMI (purchasing managers’ index) averaged 51.1 for H1-2025 despite tariff uncertainty and geo-political risks. Qatar’s non-energy sector maintained its growth into second half of 2025," QFC said.Qatar’s economy continues to do well with the Standard & Poor Global PMI showing that the non-oil sector remains in expansion territory, while FDI inflows continue to increase and banking assets grow by 9% on an annualised basis. The real estate sector remains robust after a strong H1-2025.Inward FDI into Qatar has been comparatively strong in 2025, with the country having attracted $2.4bn (more than 86% of 2024 total FDI inflows) in FDI capex so far this year, the report said, adding FDI inflows into Qatar for 2025 have also contributed to the creation of 8,262 jobs so far."With four months left until the end of 2025, Qatar is well placed to attract FDI inflows in line with those witnessed in 2024 of $2.8bn," QFC said.Data from 2020-24 indicated that on average the last four months of the year see FDI inflows of $342.8mn on average, it said.Highlighting that the UAE, France and the US are the top three markets contributing to Qatar’s FDI inflows; the report said together these three contributed a total of $1.52bn or 62.9% of all FDI inflows into Qatar so far in 2025."The strong flow of inward FDI highlights the positive sentiment investors continue to have towards Qatar. We remain positive that FDI inflows will remain strong for the remainder of the year, as historically FDI inflows tend to pick up towards the tail-end of the year," the report said.Real estate transactions amounted to QR6bn in the second quarter of 2025, an 88.9% increase on an annualised basis. This growth builds on the momentum gained in the first quarter of 2025 where real estate activity totalled QR4.1bn, putting real estate deals for 2025 in excess of QR10.1bn, which is QR2.5bn more than in H1-2024.As of August 31, 2025, real estate activity equated to QR804mn with residential property accounting for 17% (QR137.1mn) of Qatar’s total real estate activity.The Qatar Stock Exchange was largely flat in August with the index rising from 11,187.76 on the first trading day 11,222.33 on the last trading day.

Market EyeHeightened expectations of rate cut in the US had its overarching influence during the last leg of trading session of the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which continued to be on a bearish mode for the fourth consecutive week, but on a lesser note.The Arab individuals were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index was down 0.05% this week which saw the QSE welcome the Gulf bourses' unified investor relations' guideline 2025 that is expected to enhance the collective ability to attract quality institutional investments at the local, regional, and international levels.The foreign retail investors were seen bearish in the main market this week which saw Doha Bank register 3.7 times oversubscription to its $500mn international bond.The domestic funds’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse this week which saw Baladna Food Industries, a subsidiary of Baladna, achieve a major milestone by securing an In-Country Value certification score of 82.47% under Qatar’s “Tawteen” programme.As much as 66% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market this week which saw Mannai Corporation shareholders approve board's decision to dispose of the UAE-based Damas International (a wholly-owned direct subsidiary) to Titan Holdings International.The Gulf institutions’ lower net buying had its effect on the main bourse this week which saw a total of 23,939 AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.06mn trade across 21 deals.The Gulf individuals’ weakened net buying had its effect on the main market this week which saw 1,648 Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.02mn change hands across 11 transactions.The Islamic index was seen making gains vis-à-vis decline in the other indices of the main market this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.Market capitalisation was flat at QR662.59bn amidst selling pressure on microcap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the main market; while it was on the rise in the venture market this week which saw the consumer goods, industrials and realty sectors together constitute about 73% of the total trade volumes.The Total Return Index was down 0.05% and the All Share Index by 029%, while the All Islamic Index rose by 0.29% this week.The banks and financial services sector index tanked 1.21%, transport (0.89%), consumer goods and services (0.36%) and realty (0.1%); whereas telecom gained 3.06%, industrials (1.51%) and insurance (0.84%).The market was skewed towards shakers with as many 35 constituents declining, while 18 made gains this week.As much as 66% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market with major losers being Mannai Corporation, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Qatar Oman Investment, QNB, Al Mahhar Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, Dlala, Mekdam Holding, Gulf International Services, United Development Company, Mazaya Qatar, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Estithmar Holding, Ooredoo, QLM, Industries Qatar, Baladna, Meeza, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main market this week.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR21.79mn compared with net buyers of QR20.51mn the previous week.The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR0.33mn against net buyers of QR7.8mn the week ended September 4.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined perceptibly to QR10.99mn compared to QR14.53mn a week ago.The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened significantly to QR9.09mn against QR16.27mn the previous week.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying shrank noticeably to QR1.6mn compared to QR6.06mn the week ended September 4.The Arab institutions’ net buying decreased marginally to QR0.1mn against QR0.32mn a week ago.However, the Qatari individuals’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR53.63mn compared to QR7.61mn the previous week.The foreign institutions’ net selling weakened considerably to QR53.29mn against QR73.11mn the week ended September 4.The main market saw a 6% contraction in trade volumes to 538.14mn shares and 2% in value to QR1.62bn but on 2% jump in deals to 98,865 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 2.72mn equities and value more than doubled to QR7.27mn on more than doubled transactions to 487.

The Qatar Stock Exchange today snapped three consecutive days of bearish run to close 16 points higher on the back of buying interests, especially in the industrials, insurance and telecom counters. The foreign funds’ weakened net selling had its influence as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.14% to 11,093.12 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,114 points. The Gulf individuals were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 4.94%. The Arab retail investors’ lower net profit booking had its effect on the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR1.26bn or 0.37% to QR662.59bn, mainly on small cap segments. The domestic funds continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main market, which saw as many as 1,128 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR2,909 trade across seven deals. The local retail investors turned net sellers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline. The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The foreign individuals’ weakened net selling had its impact on the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index rose 0.14%, the All Share Index by 0.09% and the All Islamic Index by 0.33% in the main market. The industrials sector index shot up 1.26%, insurance (0.66%), telecom (0.28%) and real estate (0.2%); whereas consumer goods and services declined 0.36%, banks and financial services (0.3%) and transport (0.04%). Major gainers in the main market include Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Industries Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Electricity and Water, Ezdan and Vodafone Qatar. Nevertheless, about 54% of the traded constituents in the main bourse were in the red with major losers being Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Widam Food, Al Mahhar Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices and Dukhan Bank. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. The Gulf individual investors’ net buying increased marginally to QR0.92mn compared to QR0.84mn the previous day. The foreign institutions’ net selling declined substantially to QR6.73mn against QR35.67mn on September 10. The Arab retail investors’ net selling weakened markedly to QR2.29mn compared to QR8.41mn on Wednesday. The foreign individual investors’ net profit booking shrank noticeably to QR0.62mn against QR2.99mn the previous day. The Arab institutions continued to be net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn against Wednesday levels. However, the local individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR2.07mn compared with net buyers of QR18.36mn on September 10. The domestic institutions’ net buying weakened drastically to QR5.56mn against QR22.07mn the previous day. The Gulf institutions’ net buying eased marginally to QR5.17mn compared to QR5.78mn on Wednesday. The main market saw 3% contraction in trade volumes to 97.71mn shares, 170% in value to QR295.68mn and 10% in deals to 17,943. In the venture market, a total of 0.07mn equities valued at QR0.17mn changed hands across 18 transactions. (Ends)

Qatar and Sweden have entered into an agreement to establish a joint business council (JBC), which aims to strengthen collaboration between the private sectors, open new channels for investment and partnership, and contribute to building a more sustainable future.The agreement was signed by Ali bin Abdullatif al-Misnad, the Qatar Chamber’s board member, and Sara Radu, vice president of the Business Sweden, in the presence of HE Dr. Ahmed bin Mohamed al-Sayed, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; and Benjamin Dousa, Minister of International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Sweden.The agreement was signed on the sidelines of a meeting of a high-level business delegation from Sweden, led by Dousa, with Qatar Chamber to focus on cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the commercial and economic fields. They also addressed the investment climate and opportunities available in both countries, as well as the role of the private sector in stimulating mutual and joint investments and enhancing trade exchange.The meeting also saw the participation of Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, chairman of Qatar Chamber; Gautam Bhattacharyya, Ambassador of Sweden to Qatar; and Nadya bint Ahmad al-Sheebi, Ambassador of Qatar to Sweden.The signing of the Qatari–Swedish JBC marks a pivotal step in enhancing cooperation, Sheikh Khalifa said, affirming that the council will serve as a platform to bring together business leaders and companies from both nations, facilitate joint investments, and boost bilateral trade exchanges."Qatar is steadily advancing toward building a sustainable, knowledge-based economy, offering significant opportunities for Swedish companies to establish investments and forge strategic partnerships in the country," he said, calling on Swedish companies to invest in Qatar and collaborate with Qatari businesses.Welcoming the agreement to establish the Qatari–Swedish JBC; Dousa expressed satisfaction on the growing momentum of investment relations between the two nations and the active presence of many Swedish companies in Qatar, particularly in health, digitalisation, and technology sectors.The Swedish Minister called on Qatari companies to invest in Swedish technology, noting that his country is among the world’s top-ranked countries in innovation.He also highlighted the alignment between Sweden’s vision and Qatar National Vision 2030, which provides diverse opportunities for cooperation, trade development, and addressing shared challenges.According to al-Misnad, Qatar and Sweden enjoy strong and rapidly growing commercial and economic ties. At the private sector level, there are abundant opportunities for partnership and collaboration between Qatari and Swedish companies, particularly in technology and innovation sectors, he said.Jan Larsson, chief executive officer of Business Sweden, said the Swedish delegation looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Qatari companies and investing in Qatar.The business meet included presentations from both sides, featuring Invest Qatar, the Qatar Free Zones Authority, and Mwani Qatar, alongside leading Swedish companies.

Market Eye The foreign funds Wednesday hurriedly squared off their position in the Qatar Stock Exchange, which closed in the negative for the third straight session. The transport, insurance, industrials, consumer goods and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed more than 30 points or 0.27% to 11,077.07 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,119 points. The Arab individuals were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 4.79%. About 79% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.02bn or 0.37% to QR661.33bn, mainly on small and microcap segments. The foreign retail investors were seen increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 2,642 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across six deals. However, the domestic funds were increasingly 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 local retail investors were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index shrank 0.27%, the All Share Index by 0.31% and the All Islamic Index by 0.14% in the main market. The transport sector index tanked 1.84%, insurance (0.73%), industrials (0.58%), consumer goods and services (0.41%), real estate (0.38%) and banks and financial services (0.1%); while telecom gained 1.24%. Major shakers in the main market include Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, QLM, Milaha, Nakilat, Gulf Warehousing Company, Commercial Bank, Salam International Investment, Qatar Electricity and Water, and Mazaya Qatar. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, Ooredoo, QIIB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahlibank Qatar and Widam Food were among the gainers in the main market. The foreign institutions’ net selling expanded substantially to QR35.67mn compared to QR6.14mn the previous day. The Arab retail investors’ net selling strengthened noticeably to QR8.41mn against QR3.69mn on September 9. The foreign individuals’ net profit booking increased marginally to QR2.99mn compared to QR2.51mn on Tuesday. However, the domestic institutions’ net buying grew drastically to QR22.07mn against QR0.64mn the previous day. The local individual investors’ net buying rose perceptibly to QR18.36mn compared to QR15.44mn on September 9. The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.78mn against net profit takers of QR3.78mn on Tuesday. The Gulf individual investors’ net buying increased marginally to QR0.84mn compared to QR0.05mn the previous day. The Arab institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn against no major net exposure for the last seven days. The main market saw 18% contraction in trade volumes to 101.23mn shares, 10% in value to QR354.14mn and 21% in deals to 19,895. In the venture market, a total of 0.5mn equities valued at QR1.31mn changed hands across 60 transactions.

Qatar and Oman Wednesday called for efforts to activate the business council and develop a joint executive action plan to boost trade as Muscat outlines 78 investment opportunities for Qatari investors in variegated fields.Oman showcased investment opportunities in fisheries, food and pharmaceutical industries, manufacturing, technology, minerals, renewable energy, tourism, and agriculture at a meeting hosted by Qatar Chamber (QC) with Qais bin Mohammed al-Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion of Oman, and his accompanying delegation.Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar Chamber chairman, who received the delegation, said the bilteral economic relations have witnessed remarkable development in recent years, as the volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Oman reached about QR6.2bn in 2024, recording a growth of 17% on an annualised basis.Apart from exploring the possibility of organising an annual Qatari-Omani trade exhibition, the meeting "underlined the need to activate the Qatari-Omani business council and to develop a joint executive action plan aimed at boosting trade exchange and expanding areas of cooperation."Highlighting the promising and diverse opportunities in both countries, Sheikh Khalifa said they provide a solid foundation for enhancing cooperation and implementing joint projects of added value.He called on business owners in both countries to explore the investment opportunities available in both sides.The Omani minister said the Qatari-Omani business forum, held on the sidelines of the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Oman, had a significant impact on strengthening relations between the business communities of the two countries and paved the way for further cooperation between companies on both sides.He said that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are in the process of entering into several free trade agreements with a number of countries, which will create greater opportunities for cooperation between Qatari and Omani investors to access foreign markets.The Omani delegation highlighted that the 22 free economic and industrial zones provide investment opportunities in logistics, food industries, tourism, mining, education, innovation, technology, health, and additional sectors.Rashid bin Hamad al-Athba, second vice-chairman of the Qatar Chamber, said Qatari businessmen enjoy strong ties with their Omani counterparts and highlighted the shared desire to further enhance this cooperation, with the aim of contributing to stimulating mutual and joint investments and strengthening trade exchange between the two countries.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) yesterday continued to be under bearish spell for the second straight session as its key index lost more than 17 points and capitalisation melted in excess of QR1bn, even as the market was skewed towards movers. The banks and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.16% to 11,107.45 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,072 points. The foreign and Gulf institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 5.07%. The Arab individuals turned bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.17bn or 0.18% to QR663.35bn, mainly on small and microcap segments. The foreign retail investors were seen net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 6,793 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across three deals. The local individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase. The Islamic index was seen gaining vis-à-vis decline in the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The Gulf retail investors’ lower net buying had its impact on the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index shrank 0.16% and the All Share Index by 0.26%, while the All Islamic Index was up 0.09% in the main market. The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.83% and real estate 0.2%; whereas telecom gained 1%, consumer goods and services (0.6%), industrials (0.54%), insurance (0.16%) and transport (0.11%). Major shakers in the main market include Meeza, Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB, QIIB, Dukhan Bank and Gulf International Services. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, about 59% of the traded constituents extended gains with major movers being QLM, Estithmar Holding, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Ooredoo, Commercial Bank, Woqod, Al Mahhar Holding, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Mazaya Qatar and Vodafone Qatar. The foreign institutions’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR6.14mn compared to QR5.31mn the previous day. The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR3.78mn against QR1.18mn on Monday. The Arab retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.69mn compared with net buyers of QR4.61mn on September 8. The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR2.51mn against net buyers of QR3.67mn the previous day. The local retail investors’ net buying decreased perceptibly to QR15.44mn compared to QR18.01mn on Monday. The Gulf individual investors’ net buying weakened markedly to QR0.05mn against QR2.63mn on September 8. However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.64mn compared with net sellers of QR22.44mn the previous day. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the seventh straight session. The main market saw a 26% surge in trade volumes to 123.06mn shares, 30% in value to QR391.77mn and 8% in deals to 25,081. In the venture market, a total of 0.94mn equities valued at QR2.47mn changed hands across 132 transactions.

Laiwyer.ai - Qatar’s first 100% Qatari-owned, Meta-accelerated entity - is in talks with Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and other institutions, as it plans to expand artificial intelligence (AI) powered legal research across the Gulf and into the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) jurisdictions.The AI-based legal research platform - which reduces research time by up to 80% and provides direct access to legal primary sources, allowing professionals to focus on case strategy, client advisory, and decision-making - is actively exploring collaborations with law schools in Qatar and beyond to support education, research, and training in legal technology.Laiwyer.ai was recently selected by Meta and Startupbootcamp Mena as one of only 23 regional companies in the Llama Design Drive - a bold initiative positioning the Middle East at the forefront of real-world applications of large language models (LLMs)."The potential is enormous. Qatar’s National Vision 2030 calls for stronger institutions, improved efficiency, and knowledge-driven development - and legal technology is at the core of this," said Ahmad al-Kuwari and Mohammed al-Kuwari, co-founders of Laiwyer.ai, which aspires to be a leading AI-powered legal research platform in the Arab region.The company is still in the early stages of its commercial rollout, yet adoption is growing rapidly across all jurisdictions it covers - Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt."We plan to expand coverage further across the GCC and into wider Mena jurisdictions. At the same time, strengthening our base in Qatar remains a priority. Qatar is not only our home market; it is where we are developing the bilingual AI capabilities that can later be scaled regionally," they said.To date, Laiwyer.ai has more than 700 active users since its launch weeks ago, reflecting the strong demand for AI-powered legal research in the region with strongest interest coming from law firms, in-house legal departments and sovereign institutions exploring enterprise-level integrations."Momentum (of gaining clients) is accelerating consistently across the region," they said, adding the aim is to increase the productivity of lawyers and legal institutions across the Middle East."Our long-term plan is to establish Laiwyer.ai as the leading AI-powered legal research platform in the region...In parallel, we have built relationships with technology partners in cloud, data security, and analytics to ensure that Laiwyer.ai remains robust, scalable, and secure as adoption grows," they said.Highlighting that it is well-positioned with the capital secured to date, which allows it to operate and scale efficiently in the near term; they however said like any growth-stage company, it is currently evaluating strategic funding opportunities to accelerate regional expansion.It includes further developing its bilingual AI models, and expanding the product offering to more markets across the Mena region."At present, we are in discussions with the QDB and other institutions across Qatar that support innovation and local entrepreneurship," they said.The founders stressed that their preference is to establish headquarters in Qatar and relocate the global AI engineering team - currently based in Portugal and India - to Doha."Our goal is to build in Qatar now by attracting world-class AI talent to a market that is still in its early stages, creating high-skilled jobs, and developing local capabilities, while keeping our intellectual property rooted in Qatar as we work toward longer-term regional growth and leading Qatar’s shift to an AI-driven economy,” they added.Laiwyer.ai is developing bilingual legal-AI capabilities locally as it trains its models not only to understand Arabic and English legal language, but also to handle the context, terminology, and reasoning styles unique to this region."It is progressing very well. This goes far beyond translation - it ensures accuracy and trust in a bilingual environment where many professionals move between Arabic statutes and English contracts or court filings. Developing this capability locally also builds national talent and keeps intellectual property rooted in Qatar," according to them.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) has welcomed the Gulf bourses' unified investor relations' (IR) guideline 2025, saying it is expected to enhance the collective ability to attract quality institutional investments at the local, regional, and international levels. The GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) Financial Markets Committee yesterday launched the GCC exchanges' unified investor relations’ guideline 2025. This guide aims to unify investor relations practices across the region, enhancing the quality and transparency of investor-focused communication in alignment with the global standards. "We highly value this pioneering strategic initiative, which reflects the spirit of genuine cooperation and true integration among GCC financial markets, and represents a qualitative leap in the development of a unified and advanced investor relations framework in the region," said Abdulla Mohammed al-Ansari, chief executive officer of QSE. The issuance of this unified guide is a pivotal step toward embedding the highest standards of transparency, governance, and disclosure in financial markets, thereby enhancing the collective ability to attract quality institutional investments at the local, regional, and international levels, he said. The unified IR guideline provides listed companies with a structured framework for implementing transparent communication, effective disclosure, ESG or environmental, social and governance integration, and strategic stakeholder engagement. It is designed to support establishing credible investor relations functions and to strengthen engagement with both regional and international capital markets. The GCC financial markets committee comprises Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group, Dubai Financial Market, Bahrain Bourse, Saudi Stock Exchange, Muscat Stock Exchange, QSE, and Boursa Kuwait. The committee aims to support the growth of regional capital markets, create an advanced capital market ecosystem in the GCC region, and elevate their position on the global stage. In this guide, the GCC financial committee outlined a set of unified principles and best practices designed to streamline processes, improve market efficiency, and ensure alignment with international standards. “By adopting these guidelines, we seek to create a more integrated, resilient, and competitive regional financial ecosystem. We believe that collaboration is key to the continued success of the GCC’s financial markets, and these guidelines are a testament to our collective efforts to achieve this goal. Together, we will pave the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for the GCC region and beyond,” the committee said.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) has welcomed the Gulf bourses' unified investor relations' (IR) guideline 2025, saying it is expected to enhance the collective ability to attract quality institutional investments at the local, regional, and international levels.The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Financial Markets Committee launched the GCC exchanges unified investor relations’ guideline 2025.This guide aims to unify investor relations practices across the region, enhancing the quality and transparency of investor-focused communication in alignment with the global standards."We highly value this pioneering strategic initiative, which reflects the spirit of genuine cooperation and true integration among GCC financial markets, and represents a qualitative leap in the development of a unified and advanced investor relations framework in the region," said Abdulla Mohammed al-Ansari, chief executive officer of QSE.The issuance of this unified guide is a pivotal step toward embedding the highest standards of transparency, governance, and disclosure in financial markets, thereby enhancing our collective ability to attract quality institutional investments at the local, regional, and international levels, according him.The unified IR guideline provides listed companies with a structured framework for implementing transparent communication, effective disclosure, ESG or environmental, social and governance integration, and strategic stakeholder engagement.It is designed to support establishing credible investor relations functions and to strengthen engagement with both regional and international capital markets.The GCC financial markets committee, comprises Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group, Dubai Financial Market, Bahrain Bourse, Saudi Exchange, Muscat Stock Exchange, QSE, and Boursa Kuwait.The committee aims to support the growth of regional capital markets, create an advanced capital market ecosystem in the GCC region, and elevate their position on the global stage.

QTerminals has introduced hold cleaning services at Hamad Port for the vessels, a move that ensures faster turnaround time and higher operational efficiency.In this regard, QTerminals, a terminal operating company jointly established by Mwani Qatar (51% shareholding) and Milaha (49% shareholding), has signed an agreement with GAC in Qatar, a shipping and logistics service provider, for the professional hold cleaning services at the Hamad Port.This partnership enhances QTerminals’ services delivery, enabling vessel operators to benefit from improved readiness, faster turnaround times and higher operational efficiency.The signing ceremony at QTerminals’ head office in Doha was attended by Charles Meaby, managing director of Hamad Port; and Jacob Rubensson, GAC’s general manager in Qatar, as well as senior officials including Hussain Ahmad al-Maqeef, executive VP Commercial – Commercial Affairs Sector at Mwani Port Authority, and Abdulhadi Fahad A M al-Hajri, Business Development and Commercial Director at Hamad Port.Through this partnership, GAC’s expert team will clean the holds of dry bulk vessels after discharging a wide range of bulk commodities such as coal, pet coke, alumina, and cement to meet international standards.The service is designed for time-critical scenarios, ensuring vessels are promptly ready for their next cargo. This quick turnaround helps owners and operators meet load port schedules within the laycan period, reducing delays and saving costs.The introduction of this new service reinforces Hamad Port’s position as one of the region’s premier gateways and is expected to attract more vessels to Qatar and boost customer satisfaction.It also reflects QTerminals’ commitment to continuously expanding value-added services and supporting Qatar’s vision to become a leading maritime and logistics hub within the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Market Eye The Qatar Stock Exchange Monday fell about seven points on selling pressure especially in the consumer goods, insurance and banking sectors. The domestic funds were seen net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index was down 0.06% to 11,124.83 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,164 points. The foreign institutions turned net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 5.24%. The Gulf funds were seen bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation however added QR0.23bn or 0.03% to QR664.52bn, mainly on microcap segments. However, the local retail investors turned net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 2,657 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR8,041 trade across nine deals. The Arab individuals were seen net buyers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes. The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The foreign retail investors were increasingly bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index was down 0.06%, the All Share Index by 0.03% and the All Islamic Index by 0.05% in the main market. The consumer goods and services sector index shed 0.52%, insurance (0.14%), banks and financial services (0.1%) and telecom (0.04%); while transport gained 0.47%, industrials (0.11%) and real estate (0.07%). About 58% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse with major shakers being Mannai Corporation, Al Mahhar Holding, QLM, Doha Bank, Estithmar Holding, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatar German Medical Devices, Baladna and Al Faleh Educational Holding. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, Meeza, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Ezdan, Milaha, QNB, Industries Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat were among the gainers in the main market. The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR22.44mn compared with net buyers of QR5.15mn on Sunday. The foreign institutions were net profit takers to the extent of QR5.31mn against net buyers of QR0.56mn the previous day. The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.18mn compared with net buyers of QR3.1mn on September 7. However, the local individual investors’ net buying expanded substantially to QR18.01mn against QR3.89mn on Sunday. The Arab retail investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR4.61mn compared with net sellers of QR12mn the previous day. The foreign individuals’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR3.67mn against QR2.13mn on September 7. The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the tune of QR2.63mn compared with net sellers of QR2.84mn on Sunday. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the sixth straight session. The main market saw 17% contraction in trade volumes to 97.91mn shares and 11% in value to QR301.26mn but on 83% jump in deals to 23,238. In the venture market, a total of 0.57mn equities valued at QR1.54mn changed hands across 140 transactions.