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India's multinational automotive major Ashok Leyland is strengthening its presence in Qatar with it entering into a pact with Al Futtaim to distribute its full range of trucks and buses in the Gulf country. The partnership was cemented at a signing ceremony in Dubai’s Intercontinental Festival City, attended by senior executives from both companies. Through its subsidiary FAMCO Qatar, Al Futtaim will now introduce Ashok Leyland’s full range of commercial vehicles (CVs) to the local market. Pioneers in the CV space, Ashok Leyland is a flagship of the Hinduja group, and is the secnd largest manufacturer of CVs in India, and fourth largest manufacturer of buses and 19th largest manufacturer of trucks in the world. This strategic alliance aligns with Al Futtaim’s vision to deepen its presence in high-growth GCC or Gulf Cooperation Council markets, uniting two industry leaders to address Qatar’s evolving mobility, infrastructure, and logistics requirements. "This milestone underscores Al Futtaim’s strategic commitment to delivering best-in-class mobility solutions that power economic growth and infrastructure development," said Ramez Hamdan, managing director of Al Futtaim Industrial Equipment. Ashok Leyland’s reputation for quality and reliability, combined with FAMCO Qatar’s expertise in tailored transport solutions, will support the country’s growth by providing vehicles that set the highest standards in performance, efficiency, and dependability, according to him. Shenu Agarwal, managing director and chief executive officer of Ashok Leyland said its partnership with Al Futtaim marks an important milestone as it enters the Qatari market with its full range of best-in-class commercial vehicles. "With Al Futtaim’s proven leadership and deep expertise in the region, we are confident of delivering unmatched value to customers through products that embody reliability, innovation, and performance. Together, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the future of mobility and the growth of Qatar’s transport and logistics sector," he said.

Market EyeThe Gulf institutions' stronger buying interests led the Qatar Stock Exchange to surge 112 points and its key index surpassed 11,400 levels and capitalisation add in excess of QR8bn.The banks, consumer goods and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.99% to 11,405.5 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,265 points.The Gulf individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, whose year-to-date gains widened to 7.89%.However, the foreign funds were seen net profit takers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR8.06bn or 1.2% to QR679.79bn mainly on large and midcap segments.The local retail investors turned bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 3,240 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across seven deals.The domestic institutions were seen increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index saw slower gains than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign individuals turned net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index soared 0.99% and the All Share Index by 1.14% and the All Islamic Index by 0.64% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector shot up 1.66%, consumer goods and services (1.48%), industrials (1.16%) and real estate (0.36%); while telecom declined 1.56%, insurance (0.17%) and transport (0.16%).Major movers in the main market included Meeza, QNB, Industries Qatar, Woqod, Qatar Islamic Bank and Qatar Electricity and Water.Nevertheless, QLM, Ooredoo, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Gulf International Services, Qatar German Medical Devices, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Al Mahhar Holding, Estithmar Holding, Mazaya Qatar and Gulf Warehousing were among the shakers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.The Gulf institutions’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR180.48mn compared to QR6.82mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking weakened marginally to QR0.52mn against QR0.97mn on August 25.However, the foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR105.83mn compared with net buyers of QR5.83mn on Monday.The local retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR45.84mn against net buyers of QR6.61mn the previous day.The domestic institutions’ net profit booking expanded perceptibly to QR22.51mn compared to QR19.74mn on August 25.The foreign individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.24mn against net buyers of QR2.1mn on Monday.The Arab retail investors’ net selling increased noticeably to QR1.98mn compared to QR0.67mn the previous day.The Arab institutions were net profit takers to the extent of QR0.56mn against no major net exposure on August 25.In the main market, trade volumes almost doubled to 238.65mn shares and value more than tripled to QR949.52mn on more than doubled deals to 34,915.In the venture market, a total of 0.23mn equities valued at QR0.62mn changed hands across 40 transactions.

Techno Q has reported net profit of QR9.8mn on revenues of QR103mn in the first half (H1) of 2025.The majority of the revenue (70.27%) was generated by the company’s core activities relating to the audiovisual systems, hospitality solutions, business solutions and lighting systems.The subsidiary, Techno Q Security Systems accounted for 29.38% of the revenue, primarily from ELV (extra low voltage) and security systems services. A minor contribution came from operations in Saudi Arabia.The H1-2025 performance translated into a gross profit of QR33.6mn."Our H1 performance reflects disciplined execution, margin expansion, and a stronger balance sheet... With a healthy secured backlog and a robust pipeline of Qatar-hosted events, we are confident in our ability to capture additional opportunities across ICT (information, communication and technology), security systems, hospitality solutions, and systems integration," said Zeyad al-Jaidah, co-founder and managing director of Techno Q.However, net earnings declined from QR12.9mn in H1-2024, resulting in a net margin to ease to 9.5% in H1-2025 against 11.7% the year-ago period.Techno Q continues to be in a strong financial position with its total equity at QR120.8mn.The company significantly reduced its bank financing by 60.33% year-on-year to QR0.4mn in H1-2025.The group strengthened its liquidity with cash rising from QR56.1mn in H1-2024 to QR73.4mn in H1-2025, while borrowings decreased from QR1.1mn to QR0.4mn and despite 2024 dividend payments of QR12mn.As a result, total net cash improved from QR43.2mn in H1- 2024 to QR61mn in H1-2025, reflecting enhanced financial flexibility and lower leverage.

MEEZA, Doha's leading managed IT (information technology) services and solutions provider, has secured a QR800mn commodity murabaha facility from Dukhan Bank, marking a significant milestone in its growth journey.This strategic financing will power MEEZA’s bold expansion plans to add 44MW (mega watt) of data centre capacity.The first phase alone will deliver 24MW, with 6MW purpose-built to support advanced AI (artificial intelligence) services, positioning MEEZA at the forefront of Qatar’s digital and artificial intelligence infrastructure.The long-term facility, structured under Shariah-compliant commodity murabaha principles, underscores Dukhan Bank’s confidence in MEEZA’s vision, operational excellence, and sustainable growth strategy.The funding will enable MEEZA to strengthen Qatar’s digital infrastructure, increase capacity for enterprise clients, and provide advanced cloud and cybersecurity solutions to meet the growing demand in both domestic and regional markets."Securing this facility from Dukhan Bank is a strategic milestone for MEEZA. It equips us with the financial strength to deliver one of the most significant data centre expansions in Qatar’s history — adding 44MW of capacity, including 6MW purpose-built for advanced AI services," said Mohamed Ali al-Ghaithani, chief executive officer of MEEZA.Ahmed I. Hashem, acting Group chief executive officer of Dukhan Bank said as a leading Shariah-compliant financial institution, it remains committed to enabling the growth of companies that play a vital role in advancing Qatar’s economic diversification.

Market EyeMirroring the global sentiments over uncertainties in the US Federal Reserve's rate cut path, the Qatar Stock Exchange Monday fell more than 29 points and its key index retreated below 11,300 levels and capitalisation eroded about QR3bn.The domestic funds were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.26% to 11,293.42 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,350 points.The consumer goods, transport, banks and industrials counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 6.83%.More than 65% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation shed QR2.88bn or 0.43% to QR671.73bn mainly on small and microcap segments.The Arab individuals turned bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.04mn trade across six deals.However, the Gulf institutions were net buyers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index saw slower decline than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The local retail investors and foreign funds were seen net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.26% and the All Share Index by 0.38% and the All Islamic Index by 0.22% in the main market.The consumer goods and services sector index declined 0.56%, transport (0.54%), banks and financial services (0.38%), industrials (0.37%), insurance (0.23%), telecom (0.18%) and real estate (0.11%).Major losers in the main market included Baladna, Medicare Group, Alijarah Holding, Estithmar Holding, Milaha, QNB, Mannai Corporation and Industries Qatar.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Doha Bank, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, QLM, Al Mahhar Holding and Meeza were among the gainers in the main market.The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR19.74mn compared with net buyers of QR4.54mn the previous day.The Arab individuals were net profit takers to the extent of QR0.67mn against net buyers of QR6.09mn on August 24.However, the Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.82mn compared with net sellers of QR7.1mn on Sunday.The local retail individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR6.61mn against net sellers of QR2.4mn the previous day.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.83mn compared with net sellers of QR1.3mn on August 24.The foreign individual investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR2.1mn against QR1.58mn on Sunday.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking weakened perceptibly to QR0.97mn compared to QR1.41mn the previous day.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second consecutive session.The main market saw a 6% jump in trade volumes to 121.84mn shares, 18% in value to QR311.22mn and 15% in deals to 13,997.In the venture market, a total of 0.6mn equities valued at QR1.66mn changed hands across 99 transactions.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Sunday opened the week weak with its key index losing 20 points despite gainers outnumbering losers by wide margin.The Gulf institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.18% to 11,322.64 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,388 points.The banks and insurance counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 7.11%.The Gulf individuals turned bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation shed QR1.11bn or 0.16% to QR674.61bn mainly on microcap segments.The local retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 45 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank) valued at QR108 trade across one deal.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The Islamic index made gains vis-à-vis decline in the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign funds continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index was down 0.18% and the All Share Index by 0.23%; while the All Islamic Index was up 0.05% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.69%, insurance (0.34%) and telecom (0.18%); while industrials gained 0.57%, real estate (0.48%), transport (0.4%) and consumer goods and services (0.27%).Major losers in the main market included Baladna, QNB, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Insurance, Mekdam Holding, Commercial Bank, QIIB, AlRayan Bank and Ooredoo.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, about 59% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse with major gainers being QLM, Medicare Group, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices, Qatar Electricity and Water, Dlala, Mannai Corporation, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Qamco, Ezdan and Nakilat.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR7.1mn compared with net buyers of QR1.45mn last Thursday.The local retail individuals’ net selling increased marginally to QR2.4mn against QR2.18mn the previous trading day.The Gulf individuals were net profit taker to the extent of QR1.41mn compared with net buyers of QR0.4mn on August 21.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased perceptibly to QR4.54mn against QR5.94mn last Thursday.However, the Arab individuals’ net buying expanded noticeably to QR6.09mn compared to QR2.32mn the previous trading day.The foreign retail investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR1.58mn against QR1.34mn on August 21.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking decreased markedly to QR1.3mn compared to QR9.1mn last Thursday.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net sellers to the extent of QR0.16mn the previous trading day.The main market saw a 9% contraction in trade volumes to 114.74mn shares, 24% in value to QR263.28mn and 46% in deals to 12,153.In the venture market, a total of 0.37mn equities valued at QR1.05mn changed hands across 54 transactions.

The Qatar Stock Exchange listed Aamal Company's joint venture, Frijns Steel Construction Middle East, has been awarded a QR113mn contract by Consolidated Contractors Group (CCG).Under this contract, which extends until July 2027, Frijns, a leading fabricator of high-quality for the petrochemical and process industries, will undertake the supply, fabrication, and painting of pipe support works for Qatar Energy’s North Field South LNG (liquefied natural gas) facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City, strengthening Frijns’ position as a leading provider of structural steel solutions in Qatar's energy sector.Rashid bin Ali al-Mansoori, chief executive officer of Aamal Company, said this significant contract win for Frijns Steel Construction ME underscores the strength and diversity of Aamal's portfolio of companies."We are proud to support Frijns in their contribution to Qatar's vital energy sector and are confident in their ability to deliver exceptional results on this project. Aamal is committed to supporting Qatar's National Vision 2030, and this project aligns with our strategic focus on contributing to the country's infrastructure development," he said.Rob Frijns, managing director and partner of Frijns Steel Construction Middle East, said it brings decades of experience and a dedication to excellence to this North Field South LNG project."We value this partnership with CCG and are confident that our expertise will ensure the successful and timely completion of this critical infrastructure," he said.

Market Eye The failed US-Russia talks and uncertainties around rate cut decision by the US Federal Reserve had their overarching influence on the Gulf bourses, including the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key index plummet 306 points and capitalisation erode in excess of QR17bn this week. The foreign funds were seen squaring off their position as the 20-stock Qatar Index plunged 2.63% this week which saw the listed companies in the main market earn total net profit of QR26.68bn in the first half (H1) of 2025. The foreign individuals were seen net sellers this week which saw Al Faleh Educational Holding contemplate increasing the foreign ownership limit to 100% as part of efforts to attract additional investment, enhance market liquidity, and broaden the shareholder base. More than 77% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market this week which saw Qatar register a total of 51.7mn transactions valued at QR16.13bn through the country's payment system in July 2025. The Gulf institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse this week which saw a QNB Financial Services (QNBFS) study that said total assets of commercial banks in Qatar expanded by 2.8% month-on-month to QR2.125tn in June. The domestic institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market this week which saw Beema enter into a strategic partnership with PayLater; Qatar’s first Qatar Central Bank-licensed, Shariah-compliant ‘Buy Now, Pay Later provider’. However, the local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.07mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.02mn trade across 15 deals. The Arab individuals turned bullish in the main market this week which saw 0.05mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.06mn change hands across 14 transactions. The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. Market capitalisation eroded QR17.12bn or 2.47% to QR675.72bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills. Trade turnover and volumes were on the decline in the main market; whereas the junior bourse saw substantially increased volumes and turnover this week which saw the consumer goods, realty and industrials sectors together constitute more than 76% of the total trade volumes. The Total Return Index tanked 2.31%, the All Islamic Index by 2.55% and the All Share Index by 2.23% this week. The telecom sector index plummeted 3.32%, banks and financial services (2.39%), real estate (2.39%), transport (2.06%), consumer goods (1.92%), industrials (1.8%) and insurance (0.82%) this week. The market was skewed towards shakers with as many 41 constituents declining, while 11 made gains and one was unchanged this week. Major losers in the main market included Mannai Corporation, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Ooredoo, Qatar Electricity and Water, Qamco, QNB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, QIIB, AlRayan Bank, Dukhan Bank, Alijarah Holding, Qatar Oman Investment, Woqod, Baladna, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qatari Investors Group, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Barwa and Milaha this week. Nevertheless, QLM, Qatar German Medical Devices, Medicare Group, Widam Food, Vodafone Qatar, Beema and Ezdan were among the movers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value this week. The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR87.73mn compared with net buyers of QR130.78mn the previous week. The foreign individual investors were net profit takers to the extent of QR1.84mn against net buyers of QR1.02mn a week ago. The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR33.52mn compared to QR36.34mn the week ended August 14. However, the local individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR86.1mn against net sellers of QR70.65mn the previous week. The Arab retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR6.95mn compared with net sellers of QR8.57mn a week ago. The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.54mn against net buyers of QR0.25mn the week ended August 14. The domestic funds’ net profit booking declined substantially to QR41.37mn compared to QR88.49mn the previous week. The Arab institutions’ net selling eased marginally to QR0.18mn against QR0.68mn a week ago. The main market saw 47% contraction in trade volumes to 771.17mn shares, 35% in value to QR1.8bn and 13% in deals to 101,437 this week. In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 1.65mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR4.53mn on more than quadrupled transactions to 367.

Qatar is expected to see new office developments in prime areas within next two years, as the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) output from North Field East slated to come online, according to Cushman and Wakefield Qatar (CWQ)."New office development in prime areas may emerge within two years, but only if rental growth supports project viability," CWQ said in its latest report.Despite elevated vacancies in some secondary locations, the tightening availability of high quality office accommodation suggests that upward pressure on prime rents is "likely in the near term."As of second quarter of 2025, the prime Category A offices typically command QR100-140 per sq m per month, while shell-and-core space is usually available below QR100 per sq m per month, the report said.CWQ said office demand continues to be driven primarily by the government and the oil and gas sectors.In support of the strong macroeconomic fundamentals, the report highlighted that in the energy sector, Qatar's LNG expansion is moving ahead, with production capacity set to reach 142mn tonnes per annum by 2030 and the first output from North Field East project expected in mid-2026.Over the past two years, large government requirements - often for entire buildings - have dominated activity, accounting for more than 170,000sqm of leasing in West Bay and Msheireb, it said.Although leasing activity in Qatar's office market remained quiet in Q2-2025, CWQ said this followed an 18-month of strong government demand that had absorbed significant Grade A supply, pushing "vacancy rates to their lowest level since 2016."In West Bay, total office stock (gross leasable area or GLA) is around 1.9mn sq m with less than 150,000sq m currently available for lease.In Lusail Marina district, there is about 700,000sq m of Grade A space, of which just more than 100,000sq m is vacant, the report said, adding Msheireb Downtown, which comprises approximately 230,000sq m, is now fully occupied.Across the main business districts - Lusail, The Pearl, West Bay and Msheireb Downtown - Grade A vacancy is estimated at 12%, equivalent to about 375,000sqm, it said."The pipeline of new office supply remains limited," it said, adding outside of Lusail Towers, where three of the four landmark buildings have already been sold or pre-leased.In the Marina district, Marina 31 is fast approaching completion and will deliver more than 20,000sq m of GLA, the report said.

Market EyeThe domestic institutions' buying interests Thursday helped the Qatar Stock Exchange to snap four consecutive days of bearish run as its key index gained as much as 36 points and capitalisation added in excess of QR1bn.The transport, insurance and telecom sectors saw higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.32% to 11,342.57 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,267 points.The foreign institutions’ weakened net profit booking had its influence on the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 7.3%.The Arab individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR1.48bn or 0.22% to QR675.72bn mainly on microcap segments.The Gulf funds also continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main market, which saw as many as 1,445 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across six deals.The foreign retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the local retail investors were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index gained 0.36%, the All Share Index by 0.28% and the All Islamic Index by 0.13% in the main market.The transport sector index rose 0.87%, insurance (0.81%), telecom (0.8%), banks and financial services (0.2%), industrials (0.19%) and consumer goods and services (0.1%); while real estate fell 0.25%.Major gainers in the main market included Qatar Islamic Bank, Medicare Group, Qatar Insurance, Nakilat, Ezdan, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Meeza, Qamco and Ooredoo.Nevertheless, Widam Food, Mannai Corporation, Inma Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa and Industries Qatar were among the shakers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.The domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.94mn compared with net sellers of QR22.24mn the previous day.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking decreased substantially to QR9.1mn against QR38.87mn on August 20.However, the local individuals were sellers to the extent of QR2.18mn compared with net buyers of QR33.03mn on Wednesday.The Arab institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.16mn against no major net exposure the previous day.The Arab retail investors’ net buying declined perceptibly to QR2.32mn compared to QR12.63mn on August 20.The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR1.45mn against QR7.95mn on Wednesday.The foreign individuals’ net buying shrank markedly to QR1.34mn compared to QR4.12mn the previous day.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying decreased notably to QR0.4mn against QR3.36mn on August 20.The main market saw a 7% contraction in trade volumes to 126.15mn shares, 6% in value to QR346.36mn and 6% in deals to 22,324.In the venture market, a total of 0.36mn equities valued at QR1.01mn changed hands across 124 transactions.

Al Faleh Educational Holding is contemplating increasing the foreign ownership limit to 100% as part of efforts to attract additional investment, enhance market liquidity, and broaden the shareholder base.In this regard, Al Faleh Educational Holding will convene the extraordinary general assembly to obtain shareholders’ nod, following which the company will proceed to complete the necessary approvals from the relevant regulatory authorities and the Council of Ministers."The board of directors has resolved to recommend to the extraordinary general Alassembly an amendment to Article (21) of the company’s Articles of Association," it said in a regulatory filing with the Qatar Stock Exchange.The proposed amendment seeks to raise the maximum permitted foreign ownership limit from 49% to 100% of the company’s share capital.The company's issued and paid-up capital is QR240mn, divided into 240mn ordinary shares, the nominal value of each share being QR1.Qatar's legal framework enables 100% foreign ownership across multiple sectors, reflecting Doha's ’s commitment to fostering a welcoming and competitive business environment.

Market EyeThe Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), like other Gulf bourses, witnessed strong selling pressure Wednesday, leading its index to plunge 185 points and capitalisation to erode more than QR9bn.The transport and banking counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index declined 1.61% to 11,306.78 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,490 points.The foreign institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 6.96%.More than 71% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR9.27bn or 1.36% to QR674.24bn mainly on large and midcap segments.The domestic funds were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 4,595 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.03mn trade across eight deals.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the local retail investors were seen increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index tanked 1.61%, the All Share Index by 1.44% and the All Islamic Index by 1.27% in the main market.The transport sector index plummeted 1.95%, banks and financial services (1.83%), real estate (1.43%), industrials (0.81%), telecom (0.8%) and consumer goods and services (0.5%); while insurance was up 0.11%.Major shakers in the main market included Qatar Islamic Bank, Doha Bank, Commercial Bank, Milaha, Qatar Electricity and Water, QNB, Qatar Oman Investment, Gulf International Services, Estithmar Holding, Barwa, Ezdan, Milaha and Nakilat.Nevertheless, Qatar German Medical Devices, QLM, Mannai Corporation, Dlala and Qatar Industrial Manufacturing were among the movers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR38.87mn compared to QR18.03mn on August 19.The domestic institutions’ net selling expanded significantly to QR22.24mn against QR12.7mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net buying declined noticeably to QR7.95mn compared to QR11.25mn on Tuesday.However, the local individual investors’ net buying expanded markedly to QR33.03mn against QR23.75mn on August 19.The Arab retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR12.63mn compared with net sellers of QR2.05mn the previous day.The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.12mn against net profit takers of QR4.28mn on Tuesday.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR3.36mn compared to QR2.17mn on August 19.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net sellers to the tune of QR0.11mn the previous day.The main market saw a 10% contraction in trade volumes to 135.8mn shares and 8% in value to QR367.17mn but on 19% jump in deals to 23,870.In the venture market, a total of 0.68mn equities valued at QR1.86mn changed hands across 131 transactions.

Qatar recorded a total of 51.7mn transactions valued at QR16.13bn through the country's payment system in July 2025, according to the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) data.While the number of transactions witnessed 5.78% decline, total value was up 1.51% month-on-month in July 2025, the QCB said in its social media handle X.The point-of-sales constituted 51% of the payment system transaction, followed by e-commerce 27%, Fawran or instant payment system at 20% and Qatar Mobile Payment or QMP at 2% in the review period.There were 40.33mn card transactions through point-of-sales – which enables merchants to process payments and log transactions – valued at QR8.22bn in July 2025. The card transactions however saw 6.82% and 4.97% month-on-month decline in volume and value respectively.The e-commerce transaction saw as many as 9.18mn transactions valued at QR4.36bn in the review period. The number of transactions shrank 4.77% even as value was up 1.87% compared with June 2025.The point-of-sales and e-commerce together amounted to QR12.58bn in July 2025, which fell 2.71% on a monthly basis.Fawran, a real-time payment service in Qatar, allowing users to send and receive money instantly and securely within the country, registered as many as 1.87mn transactions valued at QR3.27bn in the review period, registering 7.47% and 18.91% growth respectively on a monthly basis. There have been a total of 3.24mn total registered Fawran accounts, growing by 1.57% month-on-month.Fawran was launched in 2024 and system members are QNB, Commercial Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahli Bank, Dukhan Bank, Doha Bank, QIIB and AlRayan Bank.QMP – which allows immediate transfer of funds between registered customers through any registered payment service providers – saw as many as 320,097 transactions valued at QR277.05mn in July 2025, accelerating 53.16% and 32.19% against June 2025 levels. There has been a total of 1.2mn registered wallets, a 12.41% contraction on a monthly basis.The QMP is a centralised payment system that was launched in 2020, to enable individuals and corporates to perform instant fund transfers between e-wallets within payment service providers in Qatar. The system members are QNB, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ahli Bank, QIIB, Arab Bank, HSBC Qatar, AlRayan Bank, Dukhan Bank, i-pay and Ooredoo Money.Qatar Payment System (QPS) is designed on the concept of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and electronic straight through processing (e-STP). QPS is based on the SWIFT network and messages standards and utilises the SWIFT messages to reconcile and settle the local payments and securities ownership transfers.QPS is linked to the QCB clearing system, book-entry government securities system, and currency issuing application. All applications are driven by swift messages such as (MT202, MT203).Qatar's retail payment system comprise electronic cheque clearing system; national network system for ATMS and Points of Sales (NAPS); QMP; direct deposit and debit (QATCH); electronic payment gateway (QPay); wage protection system (WPS); and Fawran.

Market EyeAwaiting rate clues from Washington, DC, investors, especially foreign institutions, squared off their position in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Tuesday fell for the third straight session as its key barometer retreated below 11,500 levels.The telecom, consumer goods, insurance, industrials and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 24 points or 0.21% to 11,491.59 points, even as it touched an intraday high of 11,524 points.The domestic institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 8.71%.More than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1bn or 0.66% to QR683.51bn mainly on microcap segments.The foreign individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 761 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR1,936 trade across four deals.The Arab retail investors were seen increasingly net profit takers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Arab institutions were seen net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.21%, the All Share Index by 0.1% and the All Islamic Index by 0.38% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.98%, consumer goods and services (0.91%), insurance (0.66%), industrials (0.35%) and real estate (0.32%); while transport gained 0.27% and banks and financial services 0.25%.Major shakers in the main market included Ooredoo, Baladna, Mannai Corporation, Commercial Bank, Qatar German Medical Devices, QIIB, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Woqod, Qatar Electricity and Water, Gulf International Services, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Widam Food, Medicare Group, QNB, Beema, Vodafone Qatar, Meeza and Mekdam Holding were among the movers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR18.03mn compared to QR11.75mn on August 18.The domestic institutions’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR12.7mn against QR9.54mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors’ net selling expanded markedly to QR4.28mn compared to QR3.74mn on Monday.The Arab individual investors’ net profit booking strengthened considerably to QR2.05mn against QR0.22mn on August 18.The Arab institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.11mn compared with net buyers of QR0.09mn the previous day.The local individual investors’ net buying weakened notably to QR23.75mn against QR29.59mn on Monday.However, the Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR11.25mn compared with net sellers of QR3.67mnon August 18.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.17mn against net profit takers of QR0.78mn the previous day.The main market saw 16% contraction in trade volumes to 151.62mn shares, 3% in value to QR399.91mn and less than 1% in deals to 20,104.In the venture market, a total of 0.09mn equities valued at QR0.23mn changed hands across 24 transactions.

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is expected to make further inroads in Qatar’s financial landscape with more banks set to sign strategic pact with fintechs providing "growth enabling" services, according to experts."The lenders are seized of its (BNPL) opportunities in the banking space. Fintechs are enablers than competitors, there is a symbiotic relationship between the two," said a top official of a private sector bank, which is planning to enter in a strategic relationship with BNPL provider.This symbiotic relationship leverages the strengths of both entities, leading to a "win-win" situation, according to him.The streamlining and strengthening of operations at the Qatar Credit Bureau have also helped fintechs offering BNPL services to undertake quick due diligence regarding customers, the official said.Recently, Qatar Islamic Bank tied up with PayLater to deliver Shariah-compliant BNPL services to customers and merchants in Qatar, providing flexible financing solutions that promote financial inclusion and support the growth of the nation’s digital economy.BNPL, which is gaining momentum in the Middle East and North Africa region, is essentially a short term (no more than 12 months) interest free credit facility that allows a customer to split its transaction amount into instalment payments to allow repayment over a period of time.The maximum credit per customer at any point of time has been fixed at QR25,000, as per the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) regulations for the sector.The tech-savvy consumer base, the quest to explore the latest in online shopping and the alternative payment solutions with flexibility are giving the required thrust (for the BNPL segment), said the bank official.The QCB had approved five companies – Spendwisor; Qaiver FinTech; HSAB for Payment Solutions; Mihuru; and Pay Later Website Services – as a first cohort for the BNPL service; awarding entry into its exclusive sandbox programme.The banking regulator had in 2023 issued the BNPL regulations following the launch of its fintech strategy. The objectives of the BNPL regulations are to ensure that customers are provided with adequate protections without unduly impacting the availability and cost of BNPL products and services, to protect the rights of BNPL customers from unfair lending practices, and to encourage the development of the consumer credit industry.Terming that BNPL isn’t a trend — it’s a shift in mindset; Mohammed al-Delaimi, SkipCash’s founder and managing director, had said it introduces financial flexibility and responsible consumption, particularly in markets that have traditionally been underserved or cash-dependent.For small businesses, it means increased sales and better customer retention, while for consumers, it’s a lifeline to spread out essential purchases without falling into debt traps, he had said.The changing consumer preferences and the growing e-commerce market are paving the way for strong growth, the bank official said, adding the rise in e-commerce deals during the Covid-19 lockdowns led to a significant increase in the use of BNPL services.Snoonu had earlier this year joined forces with PayLater to enhance financial flexibility and reshape the digital shopping experience for consumers. Beema recently tied up with PayLater.LuLu AI, the investment arm of LuLu Financial Holdings, had announced a strategic investment in PayLater Qatar.

Market Eye Uncertainties encircling the US-Ukraine meet and Federal Reserve rate cuts played spoilsport in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Monday fell for the second straight session as its key barometer shed 72 points and capitalisation eroded in excess of QR4.5bn. The foreign funds were increasingly net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index declined 0.62% to 11,515.66 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,602 points. The telecom, transport and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated further to 8.94%. More than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR4.54bn or 0.66% to QR684.51bn mainly on midcap segments. The domestic institutions were increasingly bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 1,883 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR4,588 trade across five deals. The foreign retail investors turned bearish 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 Gulf institutions were net profit takers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index shed 0.38%, the All Share Index by 0.41% and the All Islamic Index by 0.65% in the main market. The telecom sector index tanked 1.21%, transport (0.74%), realty (0.68%), banks and financial services (0.48%), insurance (0.3%) and consumer goods and services (0.13%); while industrials were up 0.1%. Major shakers in the main market included Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Mannai Corporation, Ooredoo, Qatar Oman Investment, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Insurance, Barwa and Milaha. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, QLM, Gulf International Services, Medicare Group, Vodafone Qatar, Lesha Bank, Meeza and Estithmar Holding were among the movers in the main market. The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR11.75mn compared to QR9.99mn the previous day. The domestic institutions’ net selling expanded significantly to QR9.54mn against QR2.84mn on August 17. The foreign retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.74mn compared with net buyers of QR0.72mn on Sunday. The Gulf institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR3.67mn against net buyers of QR16.54mn the previous day. The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking rose marginally to QR0.78mn compared to QR0.61mn on August 17. However, the local retail investors’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR29.59mn against QR1.91mn on Sunday. The Arab institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.09mn compared with no major net exposure the previous day. The Arab retail investors’ net profit booking decreased markedly to QR0.22mn against QR5.73mn on August 17. The main market saw 2% jump in trade volumes to 180.88mn shares, 17% in value to QR413.76mn and 34% in deals to 20,126. In the venture market, a total of 0.5mn equities valued at QR1.34mn changed hands across 31 transactions.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE)'s listed companies in the main market have earned total net profit of QR26.68bn in the first half (H1) of 2025 as the real estate and transport sectors witnessed stronger earnings growth.The pace of net profitability, however, slowed down as it grew by 2.31% year-on-year in H1-2025 compared to 5.51% the previous year period, reflecting slippage in net earnings expansion in the banking, insurance and consumer goods as well as overall decline in the industrials sector.The banking and industrials sectors together constituted more than 74% of the total net profits of main market listed companies in the review period.The main market listed entities' total net profits translate into more than 3% of the country's gross domestic product or GDP for the whole of 2024 (as per the National Planning Council data).The banks and financial services sector - which has as many as 13 listed constituents -reported 1.48% increase in net profit to QR15.13bn against 7.61% in the comparable period in 2024. The sector contributed 56.71% in H1-2025 compared to 57.17% in H1-2024."There has been measured balance sheet growth, given a cautious and more selective approach to lending, with net profit for the sector rising by 1.3% from the prior period; reflecting tight margins and cost control coupled with efficiencies and proactive balance sheet management," said Omar Mahmood, Head of Financial Services, KPMG in the Middle East, South Asia, Caucasus and Central Asia; and Partner, KPMG in Qatar, in reference to commercial banks' H1-2025 performance.The consumer goods and services sector, which has as many as 14 listed constituents, registered 17.05% year-on-year in net earnings to QR1.11bn in January-June 2025 compared to 22.78% the same period of 2024. The sector contributed 4.16% to total net profits of the listed companies in the main market against 3.6% the review period of 2024.The insurance sector, which as many as seven listed firms, saw its net earnings grow 5.76% to QR763.38mn in the first six months of 2025 compared to 14.66% the comparable period of 2024. The sector constituted 2.85% of total profits of the listed companies against 2.76% in January-June 2024.The telecom sector, which has two entities, recorded net profit of QR2.28bn in H1, registering 5.18% growth on an annualised basis compared to 5.35% the previous-year period. The sector contributed 8.55% of the total net earnings in January-June 2025 against 2.76% in the same period of 2024.The industrials sector, which has as many as 10 listed companies, registered 6.64% year-on-year growth to QR4.64bn in January-June 2025 compared to a 0.14% rise in the year-ago period. The sector constituted 17.39% of the total net profit of the listed companies against 19.06% the comparable period of 2024.However, the real estate sector - which has as many as four entities - witnessed a 45.21% year-on-year surge in net profit to QR1.17bn in the first half of 2025 compared with 12.32% shrinkage the year-ago period. The sector contributed 4.39% of total net earnings of the listed firms in January-June 2025 against 3.07% in the comparable period of 2024.The transport sector with three constituents saw net profit of QR1.59bn in H1-2025, registering 2.11% growth on an annualised basis compared to 1.36% in H1-2024. The sector contributed 5.96% to overall net profit of the listed companies in January-June 2025 against 5.98% the year-ago period.

Market Eye The US-Russia talks’ failure to yield any tangible agreement to resolve the Ukraine conflict had its reflection on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which Sunday opened the week weak. The foreign funds turned net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 61 points or 0.52% to 11,588.02 points, after touching an intraday high of 11,655 points. The industrials, insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 9.62%. About 68% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.79bn or 0.55% to QR689.05bn mainly on small and microcap segments. The Arab individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw as many as 4,105 exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.02mn trade across six deals. The Gulf retail investors turned bearish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline. The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The domestic institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index shed 0.48%, the All Share Index by 0.4% and the All Islamic Index by 0.57% in the main market. The industrials sector index declined 0.93%, insurance (0.78%), banks and financial services (0.54%), transport (0.51%), consumer goods and services (0.48%) and telecom (0.15%); while real estate gained 0.28%. Major shakers in the main market included Qamco, Gulf International Services, Doha Bank, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Mannai Corporation, QNB, Mekdam Holding, Meeza, Industries Qatar, Estithmar Holding and Mazaya Qatar. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, Qatar German Medical Devices, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Ezdan, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatar Islamic Bank and Al Mahhar Holding were among the gainers in the main market. The foreign institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR9.99mn compared with net buyers of QR6.2mn last Thursday. The Arab retail investors’ net selling increased noticeably to QR5.73mn against QR2.09mn the previous trading day. The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR0.61mn compared with net buyers of QR0.25mn on August 14. The local individual investors’ net buying declined substantially to QR1.91mn against QR15.26mn last Thursday. However, the Gulf institutions’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR16.54mn compared to QR15.07mn the previous trading day. The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.72mn against net sellers of QR3.38mn on August 14. The domestic funds’ net profit booking weakened drastically to QR2.84mn compared to QR31.05mn last Thursday. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net sellers to the extent of QR0.25mn the previous trading day. The main market saw 22% contraction in trade volumes to 176.73mn shares, 43% in value to QR352.91mn and 49% in deals to 15,013. In the venture market, a total of 0.03mn equities valued at QR0.08mn changed hands across seven transactions.