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Doha's cultural and creative industries (CCIS) contributed as much as QR20bn to the local economy during 2021, which is 3% gross domestic product (GDP), according to Invest Qatar.Their contribution reflected the economic value generated through the creation, production and distribution of products and services in CCIS, Invest Qatar said in its latest report.The top three CCI-related business activities are advertising and market research (QR1.5bn); computer programming, consultancy and related activities (QR1.4bn); and manufacturing of wearing apparel (QR0.8bn), it said."Qatar has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic melting pot for CCIS, underpinned by a solid foundation of support and enabling ecosystem," Invest Qatar said, adding the CCIS in Qatar are evolving and deeply impacting the nation, fostering innovation and driving sustainable economic growth."Highlighting that there were as many as 23,907 CCIS-related businesses in Qatar; it said design, infrastructure for urban transport and advertising and marketing lead the enterprise composition of Qatar’s CCIS.Of the 23,907 CCIS-related entities, as many as 4,453 or 19% were in design; 3,167 or 13% in infrastructure; 3,157 or 13% in advertising and marketing; 2,097 or 13% in film, TV, video, radio, photography and music; 2,589 or 11% in IT, software, computer services, programming and consultancy; 2,549 or 11% in creative, arts and entertainment activities; 1,614 or 7% in publishing; 1,587 or 7% in sports activities and, amusement and recreation activities; and 1,284 or 5% in print.The other CCIS-related businesses in Qatar's are 230 in education, 146 in manufacturing, 32 in intellectual property, and 25 in architecture.The success of Qatar's CCIS is supported by five enabling factors such as international influence of culture, talent development and education, policy environment and support, infrastructure and connectivity and environment for entrepreneurship and innovation.A roadmap for enhancing the CCIS provides a structured and holistic approach that requires a co-ordinated effort from all stakeholders, it said adding a legislative and regulatory framework is required for an equitable environment in which CCIS can thrive.The report suggested that nurturing creative talent for CCIS involves a multidimensional approach that focus on talent development and attraction.As part of CCIS employment, cultural professions have a growing share in Qatar's labour force, it said.The professions in the cultural fields include employment in “visual arts, crafts, design services, creativity, audio-visual and interactive media, as well as cultural and natural heritage, performing arts, celebrations, sports, recreation, books, the press, tourism and intangible heritage”.Design and creativity services hold the largest share of workers in cultural professions at 40%, followed by others (26%), cultural and natural heritage (23%), and visual arts and crafts (11%)."Qatar is positioned to develop into a vibrant centre for artistic and cultural talent, advancing forward-thinking projects on a global scale," the Invest Qatar report said.Qatar, with a strong foundation in education, globally renowned universities, and research centres, has been providing a transformative landscape for creative excellence.The report said Qatar's national vision recognises the transformative power of the CCIS in shaping a dynamic and prosperous future.Qatar has state-of-the-art infrastructure and high-speed digital connectivity, making it an attractive destination for investors in the CCIs.These resources provide a solid foundation for fostering innovation and facilitating the growth of CCIs, offering a competitive edge for international investors.Qatar not only provides a vibrant environment for entrepreneurship and innovation, offering ample opportunities for investors in the CCIs to flourish; but also enables creative ventures to thrive and innovate by placing a strong emphasis on fostering cutting-edge technologies and solutions, combined with supportive policies, according to the report.

In its latest credit note, the international rating agency said the government intends to reduce its overall debt-to-GDP ratio, repaying its maturing external debt."We expect the government's debt-repayment strategy to reduce total general government debt to 30% of GDP by 2026, from 46% in 2022," it said.The government's strategy of paying off maturing external debt has reduced debt-servicing costs to below 5% of general government revenue, it noted.Higher gas production related to the NFE or North Field Expansion, expected to come on-stream from end-2025, should further increase Qatar’s government revenue, it said.Highlighting that the country's strong general government net asset position remains credit strength; S&P said "we expect it to increase over the period to 2026, supported by investment returns on Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)."Averaging about 140% of GDP in 2023-26, the government's large liquid assets provide it with a strong buffer to mitigate the effects of external or financial shocks, it said.The government's net asset position "will remain a rating strength", averaging 103% of GDP over 2023-26, the rating agency added.S&P projected that the current account will maintain a surplus of about 20% of GDP on average over 2023-26, in line with its hydrocarbon production and price assumptions."The high level of assets accumulated within the sovereign wealth fund, the QIA, will continue to support Qatar's strong external position," the rating agency said.It estimated that, on average, Qatar's external liquid assets will surpass external debt by about 70% of current account payments in 2023-26.Despite the strong aggregate external position, Qatar stands out in the GCC as having a "significant" amount of net external banking sector liabilities, mainly divided between short-term non-resident deposits and, more recently interbank liabilities, which keep external financing needs high.Qatar ran current account surpluses over 2017-2019, but at the same time, materially increased the level of external debt in the economy to fund infrastructure investment within the country, according S&P.Nevertheless, it noted that banking sector external liabilities declined "significantly" over 2022, prompted by Qatar Central Bank (QCB) regulatory directives."At $60bn, foreign interbank liabilities now constitute the largest portion of bank foreign liabilities and, since end-2021, have increased by about half the amount that non-resident deposits have fallen. Still, we expect a continued regulatory push to further reduce the shorter-term external debt of the banking system particularly as credit growth slows in line with weaker economic activity," it said.

The softer-than-expected US jobs data and the Federal Reserve’s decision to pause rate hike had their overarching influence in the Gulf regional bourses, including Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key barometer gain 265 points and capitalisation add more than QR13bn this week.A higher than average demand, especially in the consumer goods and banking counters, led the 20-stock Qatar Index surge 2.73% this week which saw the Qatar Financial Centre’s purchasing managers’ index survey disclose that Doha’s non-energy private sector continued to see improved business conditions at the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2023.As much as 52% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main market this week which saw Ernst and Young find that Qatar reported the Middle East and North Africa’s second largest initial public offering during the third quarter of 2023 with Meeza raising as much as $163mn.The domestic institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse this week which saw Standard and Poor’s (S&P) view that a low cost liquefied natural gas supplier Qatar will remain relatively in a “strong competitive position even beyond 2030”.The local retail investors turned extremely bearish in the main market this week which saw S&P forecast that Qatar’s consumer price index inflation to moderate to 3% this year against as high as 5% in 2022.The foreign individuals were seen increasingly into net selling in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar’s producers’ price index surge 5.45% month-on-month in September 2023.The Arab retail investors were net profit takers in the main market this week, which saw a total of 0.06mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.13mn trade across 24 deals.The Islamic index outperformed the other indices in the main bourse this week which saw as many as 0.08mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.77mn change hands across 77 transactions.Market capitalisation was seen expanding QR13.54bn or 2.37% to QR585.32bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw the industrials and banks together constitute more than 56% of the total trade volume in the main market.Trade volumes and turnover were on the increase in the main bourse but they were on the decline in the venture market this week.The Total Return Index zoomed 2.73%, the All Share Index by 2.54% and the All Islamic Index by 2.77% this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The consumer goods and services sector index sector soared 4.49%, banks and financial services (3.83%), realty (2%) and industrials (1.91%); while telecom declined 2.04%, transport (1.08%) and insurance (1.02%) this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Major gainers in the main market included Masraf Al Rayan, Woqod, Dukhan Bank, Doha Bank, QNB, Inma Holding, Mannai Corporation, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Qatar Electricity and Water, Barwa and Mazaya Qatar. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week which saw Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) sign agreement with Qatar Development Bank to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.Nevertheless, Dlala, Qatar Oman Investment, GWC, Al Khaleej Takaful, Medicare Group, Widam Food, Qatari Investors Group, Gulf International Services, Ooredoo and Nakilat were among the shakers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week, which saw S&P affirm Commercial Bank’s long-term issuer credit ratings at 'A-/stable/A-2' with a "stable" outlook.The foreign institutions were net buyers to the tune of QR125.92mn against net sellers of QR147.56mn the week ended November 2.However, the local retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR102.69mn compared with net buyers of QR31.81mn a week ago.The foreign individuals’ net profit booking strengthened markedly to QR11.08mn against QR4.24mn the previous week.The Arab individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR8.58mn compared with net buyers of QR8.67mn the week ended November 2.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers to the extent of QR7.52mn against net buyers of QR76.44mn a week ago.The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the tune of QR0.44mn compared with net buyers of QR2.84mn the previous week.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased significantly to QR4.4mn against QR32.02mn the week ended November 2.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure compared with net buyers to the extent of QR0.03mn a week ago.The main market witnessed a 4% jump in trade volumes to 1.32bn shares and 5% in value to QR3.12bn but on 2% fall in deals to 100,768 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes plummeted 31% to 6.81mn equities, value by 38% to QR9.42mn and transactions by 21% to 692.

Qatar, a low-cost supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), will remain in a relatively strong competitive position even after 2030, according to Standard & Poor's (S&P), a global credit rating agency. Higher gas production related to the North Field Expansion or NFE, expected to come on stream from end-2025, should increase Qatar’s government revenue, it said, adding high oil prices and rising hydrocarbon production will support strong fiscal and external balances over 2023-26. Highlighting that the demand for LNG is likely to peak in the mid-2030s, it said the "stable" outlook reflects its view that Qatar's fiscal and external buffers should continue to benefit from the country's status as one of the world's largest exporters of LNG over the next two years, further boosted once production increases through the NFE over 2025-27. Expecting Qatar to remain one of the largest exporters of LNG globally, S&P said between 2025 and 2027, the government plans to increase Qatar’s LNG production capacity by 64%, to 126mn tonnes per year (mtpy) from 77 mtpy currently. "The strategic pivot away from Russian gas, particularly by European economies, suggests there will be demand for additional exports from Qatar. In our forecast, we assume that actual LNG production will be largely flat until 2025 but increase about 30% over 2026-27. We expect the full increase in capacity will take some time to materialise," the note said. QatarEnergy, the state-owned hydrocarbons bellwether, is responsible for all phases of the oil and gas industry in Qatar, including the NFE. It has maintained an interest of about 75% in the increase in LNG production capacity of 49 mtpy (to 126 mtpy from 77 mtpy). So far, QatarEnergy has signed LNG sale and purchase agreements with its joint venture partners amounting to up to 18 mtpy for terms, about 38% of the capacity increase. The contracts include those with China National Petroleum and China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) for 4 mtpy each, Shell and TotalEnergies up to 3.5 mtpy each, ConocoPhillips up to 2 mtpy (this contract is for at least 15 years, the others are for 27 years), and Eni up to 1 mtpy. The credit rating agency also noted that once the NFE project boosts LNG production after 2025, per capita income levels of the country would increase further. Qatar's income levels remain among the highest of rated sovereigns, supporting its credit profile, it said, adding high GDP per capita, estimated at $77,200 in 2023, mitigates the effects of relatively weak trend growth, measured by the weighted average 10-year per capita real GDP growth rate. Expecting capital spending to remain strong, with a moderation in government investment mitigated by QatarEnergy's investment in the NFE project; S&P projects government investment of about QR60bn (6% of GDP or gross domestic product) by 2026, against a peak of about QR103bn (19% of GDP) in 2016, as some major infrastructure projects have been completed. "However, we expect QatarEnergy will invest about 8% of GDP on average per year over 2022-25. Public sector investment makes up about two-thirds of the gross capital formation in Qatar's economy," it said. Expecting a narrowing fiscal surplus in 2023, because of the decline in the oil price to average about $82 per barrel, from about $100 in 2022, S&P said with its expectation of largely flat oil production and prices from 2023, until production begins to pick-up in 2026, the budgetary surplus is slated to remain at about 4% of GDP annually over the period.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Wednesday shed 82 points on the back of selling pressure, especially in the telecom and industrials sectors. .text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[99507]**The domestic funds were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index lost 0.81% to 10,038.27 points, as the markets expect the US Federal Reserve to increase interest rates.Dr Federico Sturzenegger, an economist and former president of Argentina Central Bank recently told Gulf Times that the US inflation is far from being resolved, hence “forcing the Fed to keep interest rates high for some time”.The Gulf retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 6.02%.About 75% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.26bn or 0.55% to QR588.8bn with small and microcap segments losing the most.The foreign institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, whose index had touched an intraday high of 10,107 points.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 5,050 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR0.01mn trade across two deals.The local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Arab and foreign local retail investors also continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.81%, the All Share Index by 0.66% and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.99% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The telecom sector index tanked 1.37%, industrials (1.11%), real estate (0.77%), banks and financial services (0.55%) and transport (0.54%); while consumer goods and services was up 0.02% and insurance 0.01%.Major shakers in the main market included Mazaya Qatar, Aamal Company, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ooredoo, Dukhan Bank, Meeza, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Ezdan and Gulf Warehousing.In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Ahlibank Qatar, Mannai Corporation, Doha Bank, Qatar Oman Investment and Qatar Islamic Insurance were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The domestic institutions were net sellers to the tune of QR6.73mn compared with net buyers of QR1.35mn on November 7.The Gulf individuals’ net profit booking strengthened marginally to QR0.26mn against QR0.19mn the previous day.The foreign institutions’ net buying decreased noticeably to QR30.86mn compared to QR38.02mn on Tuesday.However, the local individuals’ net selling declined perceptibly to QR13.5mn against QR22.11mn on November 7.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking weakened markedly to QR7.26mn compared to QR8.6mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net selling shrank notably to QR2mn against QR5.64mn on Tuesday.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking eased perceptibly to QR1.11mn compared to QR2.83mn on November 7.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market fell 37% to 187.13mn shares, value by 25% to QR519.52mn and deals by 17% to 17,794.The venture market witnessed 10% decline in trade volumes to 1.13mn equities, 20% in value to QR1.38mn and 10% in transactions to 124.

Qatar has reported the Middle East and North Africa's (Mena) second-largest initial public offering (IPO) during the third quarter (Q3) of 2023 with Meeza, an established end-to-end managed IT services and solutions provider, raising as much as $193mn, according to Ernst and Young (EY), a global consultant.Meeza, which became Qatar's first IPO through book building, was listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) in August 2023.As many as 324.49mn shares were offered for subscription, representing 50% of the total capital. Some 121.39mn shares were offered for qualified investors who participated in the book-building process, representing 18.71% of the capital, and 203.1mn shares for Qatari individual and corporate investors, representing 31.29% of the company's capital.The Mena markets otherwise saw six IPOs during Q3-2023, raising $523mn. This however represented a 14% decrease in the number of maiden offers and a 66% drop in proceeds compared with the previous year period.EY said the first-day returns were "positive", with all six listings registering a gain. Meeza shares were seen vaulting 6% on debut, although it touched an intra-day high of 10%."Investor confidence in the region continues, with 21 out of the 29 year-to-date (YTD) IPOs ending Q3-2023 with a gain in share price since listing," said Brad Watson, EY Mena Strategy and Transactions Leader.At the end of Q3-2023, there were a total of 29 IPOs YTD in Mena with total proceeds of $5.8bn, marking a 6% reduction in volume and a 61% decline in funds raised year on year. All YTD listing activity took place in the Gulf Cooperation Council region."Despite the lower levels of proceeds from Mena listings, the IPO pipeline for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023 and into 2024 remains promising, particularly driven by Saudi Arabia, where 27 companies have announced their intention to list on the Tadawul," EY said.The IPOs remain driven by the dominant economies of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are pursuing their strategic agenda of increasing capital market activity on the local exchanges and stepping up efforts to attract foreign investment, according to Watson.“Despite a slow Q3 2023, we are still optimistic that the remainder of 2023 and 2024 will show a healthy number of IPOs on the Mena markets based on current pipelines. The Q4-2023 is already off to a strong start with three IPOs successfully completed in Saudi Arabia, and we are expecting additional IPOs toward the end of 2023 in the UAE," said Gregory Hughes, EY Mena IPO and Transaction Diligence Leader.EY said sustainability initiatives continue to gain prominence in the region, with companies increasingly realising the importance of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) to investors.With the UAE gearing up to host the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) this year, Mena stock exchanges are doing their part in supporting ESG reporting and adoption.

The jurisdiction of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) is expected to extend to Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and Media City.The country is also slated to see unification of regulatory regime across special economic zones (SEZs) to promote certainty for businesses, according to QICDRC chief executive officer Faisal Rashid al-Sahouti."Currently, the QICDRC has jurisdiction over Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) and Qatar Free Zone (QFZ), with the potential to cover other SEZs (special economic zones)," he said in Lexis Middle East Law Alert, a publication from LexisNexis Legal and Professional, a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics.There are currently four SEZs in Qatar: the QFC, the QSTP, the QFZ and the emerging Media City, he said."One of the key roles of the QICDRC is to unify the different regimes and rules in order to promote certainty for business and the consistent application of justice across the SEZs," he said.This is coupled with robust enforcement powers, which help increase investor confidence and promote business practices, which benefit all SEZ stakeholders, the SEZ themselves and by extension, the whole of Qatar, according to him.In support of this, al-Sahouti said in the QFC and the QFZ, which come under the QICDRC jurisdiction, there have been growth, job creation, increasing investor confidence, and a real entrepreneurial spirit in developing."SEZs clearly have a significant role in Qatar’s future growth plans," he said, adding there was a need to improve, promote and invest in SEZs to drive the country towards achieving the aims that are enshrined in the National Vision 2030.The influx of high quality companies and investment into Qatar shows that these SEZs are fertile ground for investment, economic growth and job creation, he said."As we advance, a range of SEZ hubs will help foster investment in advanced technologies in the same geographic area, which in turn will help cross-fertilisation and partnerships," al-Sahouti said.The QICDRC play a "significant" role in strengthening and supporting the benefits of establishing a business in a SEZ, he said.SEZs are bespoke jurisdictions created by Qatar where special business-friendly laws apply. These can include favourable ownership rules, lower taxation and rules allowing full repatriation of profits.He said one of the ideas behind QSTP or Media City was to combine international expertise and investment with local entrepreneurs and local workforce, which therefore also supports three of the four pillars of the 2030 National Vision such as human, economic and environmental development.“The advantage of this approach to development is that it can be replicated on a sector-by-sector basis comparatively quickly, particularly in a country like Qatar, which already has a number of successful SEZs,” al-Sahouti said.The QICDRC – which is made up of a civil and commercial court, along with a regulatory tribunal -- has a panel of judges, who come from as many as 13 jurisdictions across the world, including Qatari judges.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Monday witnessed foreign funds’ increased buying interests as its key index gained more than 157 points, reflecting the optimism in the.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[98662]**regional markets in view of the softer-than-expected US jobs data.Stronger buying, especially in the banks and real estate counters, led the 20-stock Qatar Index gain 1.57% to 10,152.13 points.The domestic funds turned net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated further to 4.95%.The Gulf retail investors were net bullish, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR7.32bn or 1.25% to QR593.35bn with midcap segments gaining the most.The local individuals’ weakened net selling had its influence in the main market, whose index regained from an intraday low of 9,935 points.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.06mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.45mn trade across 42 deals.However, the Gulf institutions turned net sellers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Arab local retail investors were also bearish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index gained 1.57%, All Share Index by 1.29% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.82% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The banks and financial services sector index shot up 2.21%, realty (1.88%), industrials (0.86%) and transport (0.31%); while insurance declined 1.64%, consumer goods and services (0.41%) and telecom (0.39%).Major movers in the main market included Masraf Al Rayan, Dukhan Bank, Barwa, QNB, Qamco, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Vodafone Qatar, Doha Insurance, Mannai Corporation, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatari German Medical Devices and Gulf Warehousing were among the shakers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased markedly to QR29.94mn compared to QR23.54mn on November 5.The domestic institutions were net buyers to the tune of QR11.43mn against net sellers of QR14.16mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.12mn compared with net sellers of QR0.48mn on Sunday.The local individuals’ net profit booking declined noticeably to QR26.86mn against QR37.78mn on November 5.However, the Gulf funds were net sellers to the tune of QR5.58mn compared with net buyers of QR21.59mn the previous day.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR5.36mn against net buyers of QR9.11mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking grew perceptibly to QR3.68mn compared to QR1.84mn on November 5.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third straight session.Trade volumes in the main market fell 8% to 335.31mn shares, while value grew 19% to QR825.21mn and deals by 21% to 25,148.In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 2.38mn equities and value almost tripled to QR3.64mn on almost tripled transactions to 246.

Qatar, which is heavily integrated into world energy markets, benefits from a fixed exchange regime; and interest rates are expected to remain high as the US inflation remains far from being resolved, according to Argentina's former central bank president."For economies like Qatar, which is so heavily integrated into world energy markets, it benefits from having fixed exchange parity," Dr Federico Sturzenegger told Gulf Times in an interview.Stressing that a half of the countries in the world have fixed exchange rate system, he said typically, the countries that have very large trade share, they value a lot for the stability.Fixed exchange has the great benefit that it eases trade, he said, adding the local prices are stabilised with the international prices."The benefits are clearly established and Qatar's economy has been diversifying its economic base so as to not get hit by shocks in commodity prices," according to him.On interest rates, he said the US inflation is far from being resolved. In support of this, he said the US has increased its money supply (M2) by 40% since the crisis and prices by 15%."What I conclude from that is more inflation (is) coming in the US, which is going to force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates high for some time."Finding that the monetary policy of the US feeds into the monetary policy of Qatar; Sturzenegger said: "If someone expects quick reduction in the interest rates in the US, which would imply a quick reduction in Qatar, I think that is not going to happen.""I wouldn't be even surprised if they (US) need to increase interest rates," he said, adding “with fixed exchange, there is not much Qatar can do, it has to live with high interest rates.”Qatar has so far seen a cumulative 5% or 500 basis points hike in interest rates since January 2022, even as the Qatar Central Bank outlined four major priority sectors that would not bear the brunt of rate hike on their outstanding loans.

Doha's non-energy private sector kept experiencing improved business conditions at the start of the final quarter of 2023 and the 12-month outlook remained “upbeat”, according to the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).Output, new orders and employment expanded in October, and profitability improved as firms hiked prices for goods and services at the fastest rate since February; while average input prices fell for the first time in the year so far, according to the QFC's latest purchasing managers' index (PMI)."Business conditions in Qatar's non-energy private sector economy continued to improve moving into the final quarter of 2023, albeit at a slightly reduced tempo," QFC Authority chief executive officer Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida said.The Qatar PMI indices are compiled from survey responses from a panel of around 450 private sector firms. The panel covers the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and services sectors, and reflects the structure of the non-energy economy according to official national accounts data.The PMI posted 50.8 in October, from 53.7 in September, but the overall growth has been maintained since February, although the headline figure dipped below its long-run average (52.3, since 2017) in the latest period.Business activity among Qatari non-energy private sector firms rose further in October, with firms often reporting higher customer numbers.Output has risen every month since July 2020, except for a brief correction in January following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The overall rate of expansion was the softest in 2023 so far, but construction continued to post a solid rebound in activity.New business increased for the ninth successive month in October, with strong demand at wholesalers and retailers in particular. The overall rate of growth eased since September, however.Non-oil private sector employment expanded for the eighth month running in October, driven by construction firms and manufacturers, who also held the strongest 12-month outlooks for activity in October.Supply chains continued to improve in October, as lead times for inputs shortened for the 18th consecutive month. Purchasing of inputs rose for the eighth straight month, but only fractionally, as firms aimed to stabilise their inventory levels. Input stocks were unchanged since September.The survey found wages and salaries were only fractionally up since the previous month.Qatari financial services companies saw another marked increase in total business activity in October. The seasonally adjusted financial services business activity index posted 58.3, well above the overall private sector figure of 51.4 and a slight improvement on September.Demand was still strong overall and more robust than the non-energy sector average. Meanwhile, employment at financial services firms rose for the seventh month running, it said."Data on financial services suggested the sector continued to outperform the wider economy in October," al-Jaida said.

An across the board buying, particularly in the consumer goods and industrials sectors, led the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) gain 283 points and its key index inched towards.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[98329]**10,000 levels, and capitalisation add more than QR14bn. Reflecting last week’s sentiments after the US Fed maintained status quo on the benchmark rate and the softened US job data, the 20-stock Qatar Index sustained its bullish momentum for the sixth straight session as it soared 2.91% to 9,995.11 points.The foreign institutions turned net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated further to 6.42%.As much as 80% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR14.25bn or 2.49% to QR586.03bn with large and midcap segments gaining the most.The Gulf institutions were increasingly bearish in the main market, whose index regained from an intraday low of 9,751 points.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.25mn trade across 30 deals.The Arab individuals turned net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.However, the local retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index gained 2.91%, All Share Index by 2.68% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 3.33% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The consumer goods and services sector index shot up 5.89%, industrials (3.95%), telecom (2.26%), banks and financial services (2.22%), real estate (1.77%), insurance (0.97%) and transport (0.89%).Major movers in the main market included Woqod, Salam International Investment, Industries Qatar, Doha Bank, Qamco, Masraf Al Rayan, QNB, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Electricity and Water, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa and Vodafone Qatar. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their equities appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Ahlibank Qatar, Meeza, QLM, Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat were among the shakers in the main market.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR23.54mn against net sellers of QR5.42mn on November 2.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased marginally to QR21.59mn compared to QR21.23mn the previous trading day.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR9.11mn against net profit takers of QR6mn last Thursday.However, the local individuals’ net selling strengthened substantially to QR37.78mn compared to QR7.8mn on November 2.The domestic institutions’ net selling expanded considerably to QR14.16mn against QR1.64mn the previous trading day.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR1.84mn compared to QR1.79mn last Thursday.The Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.84mn against net buyers of QR1.4mn on November 2.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market soared 30% to 362.95mn shares, value by 21% to QR691.85mn and deals by 4% to 20,736.The venture market witnessed 25% contraction in trade volumes to 1mn equities, 31% in value to QR1.23mn and 32% in transactions to 84.

A stronger monthly double-digit growth in sales of private vehicles and motorcycles as well as trailers led Qatar's automobile sector traverse in top gear this September, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).The country witnessed 8,446 new vehicles registered in September 2023, expanding 11.9% and 0.9% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in the review period.The number of driving licences however saw a 1.1% month-on-month decline to 9,187 in September 2023 with those issued to Qatari females and non-Qatari males clocking 7.8% and 2.4% contraction; even as those to Qatari males and non-Qatari females reported 7.9% and 5.1% growth respectively.The registration of new private vehicles stood at 6,074; which surged 16.6% and 13.9% on a monthly and yearly basis respectively in September 2023. Such vehicles constituted 72% of the total new vehicles registered in the country in the review period.The registration of new private transport vehicles stood at 1,053; which nevertheless fell 7.9% and 36.1% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in September 2023. Such vehicles constituted 12% of the total new vehicles in the review period.The registration of new private motorcycles stood at 299 units, which soared 19.1% on a monthly basis but plummeted 50.5% year-on-year in September 2023. These constituted 3% of the total new vehicles in the review period.The registration of new heavy equipment stood at 154, which constituted 2% of the total registrations this September. Their registrations had seen 38.6% and 22.6% shrinkage on monthly and annualised basis respectively in the review period.As many as 54 trailers were registered in September 2023, which zoomed 20% month-on-month but tanked 34.9% year-on-year. These constituted 1% of the total new vehicles in the review period.The new registration of other non-specified vehicles stood at 812 units, which soared 25.7% and 61.8% on monthly and yearly basis respectively this September. These constituted 10% of the total new vehicles registered in the country in the review period.The clearing of vehicle-related processes stood at 123,044 units, which was down 1.9% and 2% on a monthly and yearly basis respectively in the review period.The renewal of registration was reported in 70,539 units, which saw 3% contraction month-on-month but grew 7.2% year-on-year in September 2023. It constituted 57% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The transfer of ownership was seen in 32,435 vehicles in September 2023, which fell 0.5% and 3.1% on a monthly and annualised basis respectively. It constituted 26% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The modified vehicles’ registration stood at 3,855; which shrank 14.7% and 28.2% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in September 2023. They constituted 3% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of lost/damaged vehicles stood at 3,389 units, which was down 0.1% and 56.5% on a monthly and yearly basis respectively in September 2023. They constituted 3% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of cancelled vehicles was 2,658; surging 9.1% month-on-month but declined 17.2% on an annualised basis in September 2023. They constituted 2% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of vehicles meant for exports stood at 1,655 units, which plunged 23.5% month-on-month but shot up 10.2% year-on-year in September 2023. It constituted 1% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The re-registration was done in 177 vehicles, which expanded 28.5% and 41.9% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in September 2023.

The US Federal Reserve's decision to pause rate hike and the expectations regarding it had their reflection on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key index amass 393 points in key index and add QR21bn in capitalisation this week.An across the board buying - particularly in telecom, transport, real estate and banking sectors – led the 20-stock Qatar Index surge 4.22% this week which saw the QSE-listed companies report a total net profit of QR37.42bn in the first nine months (9M) of this year.More than 86% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main market this week which the QSE disclose that it will move to a shorter settlement period of ‘T+2’ from ‘T+3’, effective from January 2, 2024.The Arab retail investors were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw Qatari Investors Group enter into a pact with Electronic Recycling Factory.The Gulf individuals turned bullish in the main market this week which saw Qatar National Cement sell its dysfunctional Plant 1 to Arab International Metal Trading Company for QR10mn.The Arab funds were seen net buyers, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar’s maritime sector see a 39% year-on-year jump in transshipment volumes in October 2023.The domestic institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market this week, which saw Qatari Cinema and Film Distribution announce plans to open a new cinema hall in Al Thumama Mall.The local retail investors were also net buyers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse this week which saw Ooredoo report QR2.66bn net profit in 9M-2023.The Islamic index outperformed the other indices in the main market this week which saw a total of 0.03mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.07mn trade across 21 deals.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly into net selling in the main bourse this week which saw as many as 0.07mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.66mn change hands across 61 transactions.Market capitalisation was seen expanding QR21.29bn or 3.87% to QR571.78bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw the industrials and banks together constitute more than 52% of the total trade volume in the main market.Trade volumes and turnover were on the increase in both the main bourse and venture market this week which saw Qatar Insurance and Gulf International Services report net profit of QR446.29mn and QR414.61mn respectively in 9M-2023.The Total Return Index zoomed 4.22%, the All Share Index by 3.91% and the All Islamic Index by 4.54% this week, which saw as many as 0.13mn sovereign bonds valued at QR1.29bn trade across three transactions.The telecom sector soared 9.59%, transport (6.95%), realty (6.16%), banks and financial services (4.47%), insurance (2.58%), consumer goods and services (2.43%) and industrials (0.43%) this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Major gainers in the main market included Widam food, Salam International Investment, Alijarah Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Commercial Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Baladna, Dlala, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco, Estithmar Holding, Ezdan, Ooredoo and Nakilat. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, QLM, Beema, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company and Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the juniour bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR76.44mn compared to QR14.97mn the week ended October 26.The Arab individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR8.67mn against net profit takers of QR3.98mn a week ago.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR2.84mn compared with net sellers of QR2.71mn the previous week.The Arab funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.03mn against net sellers of QR0.05mn the week ended October 26.However, the foreign funds’ net selling grew considerably to QR147.56mn compared to QR113.43mn a week ago.The foreign individuals’ net profit booking strengthened markedly to QR4.24mn against QR0.4mn a week ago.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased significantly to QR32.02mn compared to QR67.13mn the week ended October 26.The local individual investors’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR31.81mn against QR38.46mn a week ago.The main market witnessed a 51% jump in trade volumes to 1.27bn shares, 38% in value to QR2.98bn and 24% in deals to 102,562 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes expanded 16% to 9.88mn equities, value by 20% to QR15.22mn and transactions by 8% to 877.

Qatar's maritime sector witnessed a robust 39% year-on-year jump in transshipment volumes this October, as 118,448 containers and 77,868 tonnes of cargo were handled at the Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports, according to Mwani Qatar.As many as 263 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in October 2023, which however was lower by 1.13% and 17.55% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in October 2023, the official data suggested.Hamad Port – whose strategic geographical location offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman – saw as many as 144 vessels call (excluding military) on the port in the review period.A total of 2,320 ships had called on the three ports during January-October this year.The three ports were seen handling 41,959 livestock in October 2023, which showed 46.83% and 90.34% surge on monthly and yearly basis respectively. As many as 387,266 livestock heads were handled by three ports during the first 10 months of this year.The building materials traffic through the three ports stood at 54,679 tonnes in October 2023, which soared 21.3% month-on-month but was down 4.22% on an annualised basis.As much as 455,822 tonnes of building materials were handled by Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports during the 10-month ended October 2023.The three ports handled 6,494 RORO (vehicles) in October 2023, which registered an 8.04% growth on a monthly basis but declined 2.49% year-on-year.Hamad Port alone handled 6,483 units in October this year. A total of 66,586 RORO units were handled by three ports during January-October 2023.Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, especially in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the latest data of the Planning and Statistics Authority.The container handling through the three ports shrank 2.58% and 7.72% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in October this year.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhance ease of doing business and support economic diversification, which is one of the most vital goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.Hamad Port, which is the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, saw 117,708 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers handled this October. The container volume at the three ports totalled 1.1mn TEUs during January-October 2023.The general and bulk cargo handled through the three ports reported 52.26% and 51.7% plunge on monthly and yearly basis respectively in the review period.Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock – handled as much as 57,297 freight tonnes of breakbulk and 16,289 freight tonnes of bulk in October this year.A total of 1.54mn freight tonnes of general and bulk cargoes were handled by the three ports during the first 10 months of this year.

The Qatar Stock Exchange Wednesday saw bullish momentum for the fourth consecutive session on the back of buying interests, especially in the transport, industrials and.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[96490]**banking counters.The Arab individuals were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 56 points or 0.59% to 9,579.35 points, ahead of a policy decision by the US Federal Reserve. The Gulf retail investors turned bullish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 10.31%.The Arab funds were seen net buyers, albeit at lower levels, on the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR3.17bn or 0.56% to QR564.81bn with small cap segments gaining the most.The foreign institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main market, whose index regained from an intraday low of 9,471 points although it touched an intraday high of 9,623 points before winding up below 9,600 levels.The Islamic index gained slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.35mn trade across 33 deals.The Gulf individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The foreign retail investors were seen increasingly squaring off their position in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index gained 0.59%, the All Share Index by 0.55% and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.25% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The transport sector index rose 0.7%, industrials (0.68%), banks and financial institutions (0.6%), telecom (0.52%), consumer goods and services (0.23%) and real estate (0.16%); while insurance was down 0.06%.About 47% of the traded constituents in the main market extended gains with major movers being Al Meera, Salam International Investment, Alijarah Holding, Gulf International Services, Milaha, Qatari German Medical Devices, Widam Food, Baladna, Industries Qatar, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo and Gulf Warehousing.In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar Oman Investment, Medicare Group, Dukhan Bank, Vodafone Qatar and Mekdam Holding saw their stocks depreciate in value. In the junior bourse, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The Arab individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.64mn compared with net sellers of QR7.76mn on October 31.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.49mn against net profit takers of QR0.11mn on Tuesday.The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.03mn compared with no major net exposure the previous six sessions.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking decreased significantly to QR10.49mn against QR54.05mn on October 31.However, the foreign retail investors’ net selling grew marginally to QR2.34mn compared to QR1.98mn on Tuesday.The domestic institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR1.98mn against net buyers of QR28.4mn the previous day.The local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.2mn compared with net buyers of QR5.17mn on October 31.The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR9.85mn against QR30.32mn on Tuesday.Trade volumes in the main market tanked 34% to 171.22mn shares, value by 37% to QR433.13mn and deals by 30% to 16,929.The venture market witnessed an 18% contraction in trade volumes to 1.79mn equities, 12% in value to QR2.89mn and 7% in transactions to 166.

Doha's listed entities reported a cumulative net profit of QR37.42bn during the first nine months (9M) of 2023 as the insurance and telecom sectors witnessed robust expansion in their net earnings, according to the data compiled by the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE).However, the net earnings of the listed companies declined 7.69% year-on-year during January-September 2023 against a 19.29% growth the previous year period, reflecting the challenging macroeconomic environment of geopolitical uncertainties and growing concerns on hawkish monetary policies.The 9M-2023 net profitability contraction was mainly on account of weakened earnings in the industrials, consumer goods and real estate sectors as well as slowdown in the net profit growth in the transport and banking sectors.The banking and financial services, and industrials sectors together contributed more than 77% of the cumulative net profits during 9M-2023.The industrials sector, which has 10 listed constituents, saw a 40.9% year-on-year plunge in net profitability to QR7.01bn against a 24.4% surge in the year-ago period. The sector contributed 18.73% to the overall net profitability during 9M-2023 against 30.06% during 9M-2022.Within the industrials sector, the country’s underlying firms that have direct linkages with the hydrocarbons sectors saw their earnings growth weaken substantially owing to the subdued demand across most commodity sectors.The consumer goods and services sector, which has 10 listed entities, saw its total net profit tank 40.9% year-on-year to QR1.1bn at the end of nine-month ended September 2023 against a 25.78% growth the previous-year period. The sector contributed 2.94% to the overall net profitability in the review period against 4.19% during 9M-2022.The realty segment, which has four listed entities, saw total net earnings decline 4.12% year-on-year to QR1.25bn during 9M-2023 compared to a 12.08% increase the year-ago period. The sector constituted 3.34% to the overall net profitability in the review period compared to 3.3% during 9M-2022.However, the insurance sector, which has seven companies, registered a 334.92% annual surge in net earnings to QR0.85bn against 79.08% shrinkage the year-ago period. The sector contributed 2.27% to the overall net profitability during the review period against 0.43% during January-September 2022.The proposed mandatory health insurance and the substantial expansion planned in the North Field are expected to augur well for the insurance sector in the future, according to reports.The telecom sector, which has two constituents, reported a net profit of QR3.06bn, which was 8.18% of the total net profits during 9M-2023 compared to 6.04% the previous-year period.The transport sector, which has three listed constituents, saw total net profits grow 3.11% year-on-year to QR2.23bn compared to a 18.67% jump during the corresponding period of 2022. The sector's net profit constituted 5.96% to the total net profit of the listed companies during 9M-2023 against 5.48% the year-ago period.The banks and financial services sector, which has 13 listed entities, reported a 4.74% year-on-year jump in total net profit to QR21.94bn against a 4.9% expansion the comparable period of 2022. The sector contributed 58.61% to the total net profits of the listed companies in January-September 2023 compared to 50.46% during 9M-2022.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday saw strong selling pressure at the industrials and real estate counters but robust buying in the telecom sector led the overall index.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[96490]**settle marginally higher.The Gulf institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index was up five points or 0.05% to 9,523.53 points.The domestic institutions were also increasingly bullish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses declined to 10.84%.The foreign funds’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR0.85bn or 0.15% to QR561.64bn with microcap segments gaining the most.The local retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, whose index regained from an intraday low of 9,457 points and it touched an intraday high of 9,597 points.The Islamic index shrank vis-à-vis gains in the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 4,472 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.01mn trade across three deals.The Arab individuals were seen net profit takers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The foreign retail investors were seen squaring off their position in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index was up 0.05% and the All Share Index by 0.17%, while the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.02% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The telecom sector index shot up 4.63%, banks and financial services (0.74%), insurance (0.54%) and consumer goods and services (0.03%); while industrials declined 1.6%, realty (1.33%) and transport (0.43%).Major gainers in the main market included Widam Food, Qatari German Medical Devices, Ooredoo, Meeza, Vodafone Qatar and QNB.In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, more than 55% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Al Meera, Beema, Ezdan, Mannai Corporation, Gulf International Services, Doha Bank, Qatar National Cement, Industries Qatar, Barwa, Milaha and Gulf Warehousing. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR30.32mn compared to QR15.74mn on October 30.The domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR28.4mn against QR14.16mn the previous day.The foreign funds’ net profit booking decreased noticeably to QR54.05mn compared to QR64.49mn on Monday.However, the Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR7.76mn against net buyers of QR7.53mn on October 30.The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR1.98mn compared with net buyers of QR1.87mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.11mn against net buyers of QR0.03mn on Monday.The local retail investors’ net buying weakened drastically to QR5.17mn compared to QR25.16mn on October 30.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the sixth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market tanked 27% to 259.52mn shares, value by 17% to QR683.18mn and deals by 6% to 24,356.The venture market witnessed a 25% jump in trade volumes to 2.17mn equities, 23% jump in value to QR3.28mn and 16% in transactions to 178.

Ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s meeting on the interest rates, the Qatar Stock Exchange Monday gained more than 159 points on an across the board buying, especially .text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px; }@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;} } **media[95922]** in the realty, telecom and transport sectors. The local retail investors were increasingly into net buying as the 20-stock Qatar Index shot up 1.7% to 9,518.55 points. The Gulf institutions were seen bullish in the main market, whose year-to-date losses declined to 10.88%. About 88% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR10.51bn or 1.91% to QR560.79bn with mid and small cap segments gaining the most. The domestic institutions were seen net buyers in the main market, whose index regained from an intraday low of 9,385 points and touched an intraday high of 9,593 points. The Islamic index was gaining slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.16mn trade across 15 deals. The foreign individuals were increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.13mn sovereign bonds valued at QR1.29bn changes across three transactions. However, the foreign funds were seen increasingly squaring off their position in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The Total Return Index gained 1.17%, the All Share Index by 1.69% and the Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.62% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase. The realty sector index zoomed 3.84%, followed by telecom (3.45%), transport (2.71%), consumer goods and services (1.57%), banks and financial services (1.57%), insurance (1.57%) and industrials (1.02%). Major gainers in the main market included Ooredoo, Qamco, Ezdan, Commercial Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Mazaya Qatar, Gulf International Services, Baladna, Masraf Al Rayan, Nakilat, Widam Food, Qatari German Medical Devices, Mannai Corporation, Qatar Oman Investment, Dlala, Alijarah Holding and Al Meera. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares appreciate in value. Nevertheless, QLM, Lesha Bank, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Aamal Company and Qatar Electricity and Water were among the losers in the main bourse. The local retail investors’ net buying increased noticeably to QR25.16mn compared to QR10.49mn on October 29. The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR15.74mn against net profit takers of QR0.7mn on Sunday. The domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR14.16mn compared with net sellers of QR6.94mn the previous day. The foreign individual investors’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR1.87mn against QR0.01mn on October 29. However, the foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR64.49mn compared to QR13.13mn on Sunday. The Arab individual investors’ net buying decreased markedly to QR7.53mn against QR9.25mn the previous day. The Gulf retail investors’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.03mn compared to QR1.02mn on October 29. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fifth straight session. Trade volumes in the main market soared 69% to 353.55mn shares, value by 78% to QR826.41mn and deals by 70% to 26,021. The venture market witnessed a 39% contraction in trade volumes to 1.74mn equities, 42% jump in value to QR2.66mn and 40% in transactions to 153.