Author

Qatar is doubling down on mega events to drive tourism, which is emerging as a key contributor to economic activity, representing 8% of total economic output, according to Knight Frank, a leading independent property consultancy.In support of Qatar's strategy to drive tourism growth, the consultancy said the country is using a year-round mix of sports, culture, and technology to smooth seasonality and sustain visitor inflows. Building on the momentum of FIFA 2022, the calendar now spans flagship tournaments (FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA Arab Cup, F1, MotoGP and FIBA 2027), marquee cultural festivals, and global business forums (Web Summit, MWC25 Doha), Knight Frank said in its latest report.Plans too are beginning in earnest for a submission to the International Olympic Committee for the country to host the 2036 Summer Olympic Games. "Together, these events reinforce Qatar’s positioning as a premier destination while deepening hotel demand, lengthening stays, and broadening the visitor economy," Knight Frank said. Hotel room supply continues to trickle into the market, with over 1,300 keys added in 2024. This followed an unparalleled increase in room numbers in 2022 when over 7,200 keys were delivered, equating to 18% of the existing supply at the time. At the end of August 2025, the total room supply stood at about 41,750 keys, 60% of which comprised globally branded rooms, the report said."By the end of 2027, the quality room supply in Qatar is expected to reach approximately 45,000 keys, 72% of which we believe will fall in the luxury, upper-upscale and upscale category (up from 70% today), leaving the door open for more mid-market hotel operators to cater to and attract travellers of all budgets," Knight Frank said. During the first eight months of 2025, international arrivals reached 3.3mn, marking a 3.4% increase year-on-year. The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) remained the dominant source of inbound tourism, representing 36.8% of total arrivals between January and August 2025, underscoring the strength of intra-regional travel. Europe, at 24.6%, and Asia, at 21.8%, also continued to serve as key international feeder markets. As a result of the increased influx of tourists, the hotel performance indicators in Qatar have improved steadily over the past 12 months, it said, adding occupancy rates edged up to 69%, representing a 3.7% year-on-year increase. ADR (average daily rate) levels have, however, softened slightly by 0.5%, to QR429. Nevertheless, RevPAR (revenue per available room) rose by 3.1%, reaching QR300 over the same period."These figures suggest that the recent, albeit brief, escalation in regional hostilities has had a negligible impact on the country’s hospitality, tourism and leisure sector," the report said. Qatar’s tourism sector is emerging as a key contributor to economic activity, growing by 14% to QRl55bn in 2024, representing 8% of total economic output.Highlighting that inbound spending by tourists surged 38%, reaching QR40bn over the same period; it said these figures showcase steady progress towards Qatar’s Tourism Strategy 2030 target of raising the sector’s contribution to 10-12% of total GDP (gross domestic product) by the end of the decade. (Ends)

Weak oil and the US Fed rate uncertainty continued to have influence on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) with its key index losing as much as 46 points.The foreign funds were seen increasingly net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.43% to 10,800.54 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,867 points.The industrials, insurance, banks and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 2.17%.About 59% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.81bn or 0.59% to QR646.15bn, mainly on midcap segments.The foreign retail investors turned bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.11mn trade across 17 deals.Weakened net buying of domestic funds Gulf retail investors had its influence on the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.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 individuals were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.17mn sovereign bonds valued at QR1.74bn trade across one deal.The Total Return Index shed 0.43%, the All Share Index by 0.49% and the All Islamic Index by 0.29% in the main market.The industrials sector index shrank 0.94%, insurance (0.79%), banks and financial services (0.64%) and realty (0.63%); while telecom gained 0.84%, transport (0.32%) and consumer goods and services (0.18%).As many as 31 stocks declined, while 18 gained and four were unchanged.Major shakers in the main market include Widam Food, Ezdan, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Electricity and Water, Qatar Oman Investment, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qatar National Cement and Gulf Warehousing. Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Vodafone Qatar, Doha Bank, Medicare Group, Qamco, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance and Nakilat were among the gainers in the main bourse.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased significantly to QR54.44mn compared to QR38.31mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR2.75mn against net buyers of QR1.36mn the previous day.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined noticeably to QR7.76mn compared to QR12.64mn on November 16.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying weakened markedly to QR2.29mn against QR4.39mn on Sunday.However, the local retail investors’ net buying expanded substantially to QR36.66mn compared to QR20.98mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR7.62mn against net sellers of QR4.25mn on November 16.The Arab individual investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR2.86mn compared to QR2.38mn on Sunday.The Arab funds had no major net exposure against net buyers to the tune of QR0.83mn the previous day.The main market saw 44% jump in trade volumes to 119.5mn shares and 71% in value to QR373.03mn on more than doubled deals to 33,531.In the venture market, a total of 0.03mn equities valued at QR0.07mn changed hands across 13 transactions.

Indicating the increased use of electronic means in the financial sector, Qatar saw a total of 59.95mn transactions valued at QR18.47bn through the country's payment system in October 2025 as the domestic real time payment service Fawran reported a robust double-digit growth in volumes and value, according to the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) data.The number of transactions and total value grew 8.84% and 10.73% month-on-month respectively in October 2025, the QCB said in its social media handle X.The Qatar Payment System (QPS) is designed on the concept of real-time gross settlement (RTGS) and electronic straight through processing (e-STP).The point-of-sales constituted 50% of the payment system transaction, followed by e-commerce 25%, Fawran or instant payment system at 24% and QMP at 1% in the review period.There were 46.03mn card transactions through point-of-sales – which enables merchants to process payments and log transactions – valued at QR9.19bn in October 2025. The card transactions increased 8.48% and 8.63% month-on-month in volume and value respectively.The e-commerce transactions witnessed as many as 10.82mn transactions valued at QR4.44bn in the review period. The number of transactions and their total value jumped 7.23% and 4.96% respectively compared with September 2025.The point-of-sales and e-commerce together amounted to QR13.63bn through 56.85mn transactions this October, which showed 8.24% and 7.41% surge in volume and value respectively 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 2.68mn transactions valued at QR4.56bn in October 2025, shooting up 21.27% and 23.58% month-on-month respectively.The total number of Fawran accounts registered a 1.77% month-on-month growth to 3.45mn in the review period.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 421,491 transactions valued at QR289.42mn in October 2025. While total number of transactions zoomed 17.26%, total value was down 1.77% against September 2025 levels.There has been a total of 1.22mn registered wallets in the review period, registering a marginal 0.83% increase 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.The 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.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 EyeReflecting the fading rate cut hopes in the US; the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Sunday saw as much as 83% of the constituents end in the red, resulting in more than 111 points plunge in the key index and more than QR6bn erosion in capitalisation.The Gulf institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 1.01% to 10,846.84 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,955 points.The local individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 2.61%.The foreign funds continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR6.37bn or 0.97% to QR649.46n, mainly on large and midcap segments.The domestic institutions were seen net buyers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn trade across 27 deals.The Gulf retail investors were increasingly bullish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign individuals were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 1.01%, the All Share Index by 0.87% and the All Islamic Index by 1.28% in the main market.The telecom sector index plummeted 2.91%, industrials (1.56%), transport (1.48%), real estate (0.98%), consumer goods and services (0.61%) and banks and financial services (0.43%); while insurance gained 0.64%.As many as 44 stocks declined, while only five gained and four were unchanged.Major shakers in the main market include Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar Oman Investment, Industries Qatar, Baladna, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Meeza, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Gulf International Services, Qamco, Barwa, Milaha, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat.Nevertheless, Qatar Insurance, Commercial Bank, Ahlibank Qatar, Inma Holding and Al Khaleej Takaful were among the movers in the main bourse.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR4.25mn compared with net buyers of QR19.25mn the previous trading day.The local individual investors’ net buying declined substantially to QR20.98mn against QR40.82mn on November 13.However, the domestic institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR12.64mn compared with net sellers of QR16mn on Sunday.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying strengthened noticeably to QR4.39mn against QR2.4mn the previous trading day.The Arab individual investors’ net buying expanded perceptibly to QR2.38mn compared to QR1.77mn on November 13.The foreign retail investors’ net buying rose markedly to QR1.36mn against QR0.65mn on Sunday.The Arab funds were seen net buyers to the tune of QR0.83mn compared with no major net exposure the previous trading day.The foreign institutions’ net selling weakened significantly to QR38.31mn against QR48.99mn on November 13.The main market saw 33% contraction in trade volumes to 82.94mn shares, 42% in value to QR218.64mn and 33% in deals to 14,485.In the venture market, a total of 0.01mn equities valued at QR0.02mn changed hands across six transactions.

Redefining the pace of setting up of businesses, the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has introduced a platinum onboarding service, aimed at fast-tracking incorporation of companies within the QFC in as little as one hour upon final application submission.Designed for entities seeking speed, precision, and premium experience, the platinum onboarding service represents the highest tier of QFC’s “elite services”. “The platinum onboarding service marks a major milestone in our commitment to making Qatar one of the easiest and most efficient places to do business.By offering a one-hour incorporation process, we’re setting a new regional benchmark for speed and service excellence," said Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief executive officer, QFC Authority. The newly enhanced onboarding framework also includes premium and executive service options.Each tier offers tailored support, ensuring every client receives personalised guidance throughout their setup journey. The platinum tier presents a new standard in ultra-accelerated business establishment: Highly efficient and meticulously coordinated.This paid service enables one-hour incorporation, activated upon submission of the final online application, with the computer card and tax card issued within the same hour for Qatar residents.Beyond fast-track establishment, it delivers a bespoke concierge experience that extends into life in Doha, offering meet-and-greet airport transfers, relocation coordination, school placement support, personalised settling-in guidance, and family integration services.Clients also benefit from medical coordination for residence permits and introductions to the QFC-aligned banking partners, ensuring an arrival and transition that are effortless and fully supported. With this launch, the QFC continues to strengthen its role as a preferred platform for international and local businesses looking to establish and expand in Qatar and the wider region.

Ahead of MSCI index review later this month, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) closed the week on a slumber with its key index losing more than 100 points and capitalisation melting in excess of QR3bn.The banks, consumer goods and insurance counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.91% this week which saw Gulf Warehousing and QC+ plan the largest regional logistics hub specialised in fine art storage within a dedicated free zone in Doha.The local retail investors’ increased net selling had its influence on the main bourse this week which saw Dukhan Bank sign an exclusive agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, to provide the Qatari market with Shariah-compliant strategic products and solutions.The market was skewed towards shakers in the main market this week which saw Ahlibank Qatar complete the issuance of debt securities valued at QR500mn.The Gulf retail investors were seen bearish in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar award more than QR15bn worth projects through government tenders and auctions during the third quarter (Q3) of 2025.The Gulf funds’ weakened net buying had its impact on the main market this week which saw Qatar’s public budget record QR1.4bn deficit during Q3-2025.The domestic institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market this week which saw Baladna find place in Qatar Index, effective from December 1, 2025.The foreign funds were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.09mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.21mn trade across 44 deals.The Arab individuals turned bullish in the main market this week which saw a total of 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QETF worth QR0.1mn trade across 18 transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw a total of 1,000 sovereign bonds valued at QR10.14mn trade across one deal.Market capitalisation shed QR3.28bn or 0.5% to QR656.33bn on the back of mid and small cap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease in both the main and junior markets this week, which saw the bank, industrials and consumer goods sectors together constitute more than 74% of the total trade volumes.The Total Return Index shed 0.91%, the All Share Index by 0.94% and the All Islamic Index by 0.63% this week.The banks and financial sector index declined 2.01%, consumer goods and services (1.54%) and insurance (1.14%); while telecom gained 3.18%, transport (1.16%), real estate (0.63%) and industrials (0.06%) this week.More than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Widam Food, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Qatar German Medical Devices, Commercial Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Dukhan Bank, Mannai Corporation, Baladna, Qatar Insurance and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, QLM, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Doha Insurance, Doha Bank, Salam International Investment, Industries Qatar, Ezdan, Barwa, Milaha and Nakilat were among the movers in the main bourse this week.The Qatari individuals’ net selling increased substantially to QR31.29mn compared to QR17.42mn the previous week.The Gulf retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR11.72mn against net buyers of QR1.12mn a week ago.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased drastically to QR61.02mn compared to QR97.94mn the week ended November 7.However, the foreign institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR12.73mn against net sellers of QR2.91mn the previous week.The Arab retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR10.06mn compared with net sellers of QR11.71mn a week ago.The foreign individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.67mn against net profit takers of QR10.75mn the week ended November 7.The domestic institutions’ net selling weakened significantly to 41.46mn compared to QR56.28mn the previous week.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third straight week.The main market saw 13% contraction in trade volumes to 513.53mn shares, 5% in value to QR1.6bn and 16% in deals to 99,358 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes tanked 28% to 0.18mn equities, 30% in value to QR0.4mn and 20% in transactions to 37.

Baladna will replace Barwa Real Estate Company in the Qatar Stock Exchange's main 20-stock QSE index, effective from December 1. The other constituents of the main barometer will remain QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Industries Qatar (IQ), Nakilat, Commercial Bank, AlRayan Bank, Ooredoo, QIIB, Dukhan Bank, Milaha, Woqod, Qatar Electricity and Water (QEWC), Doha Bank, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding (MPHC), Vodafone Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qamco, Estithmar Holding and Ezdan. Under the new index practices, a review is carried out twice a year to ensure that the selection and weighting of the constituents continues to reflect the purpose of the index. Aamal Company and Meeza QSTP will join the Al Rayan Islamic Index, whose other constituents are IQ, QIB, AlRayan Bank, Ooredoo, Dukhan Bank, Woqod, United Development Company, MPHC, Barwa, Vodafone Qatar, Milaha, QEWC, QIIB, Qamco, Estithmar Holding, Medicare Group, Al Meera, Ezdan, Baladna, Qatar National Cement and Qatar Islamic Insurance. Al Mahhar Holding will join QSE All Share Index and Consumer Goods and Services Index. All listed companies are ranked by giving free float market capitalisation with a 50% weight and average daily value traded also 50% weight. Companies with velocity less than 5% are excluded from the review, as are entities whereby a single shareholder can only own less than 1% of outstanding shares. Any qualifying component exceeding 15% weight in the index as of market close March 28, 2023 will have its weight capped at the 15% level and excess weight allocated to remaining stocks proportionately. The index free-float for a stock is total outstanding shares minus shares directly owned by government and its affiliates, those held by founders and board members and shareholdings above 10% or greater of the total outstanding (except those held by those held by pension funds in the country). The bourse has seven sectors – banks and financial services (with 13 constituents), insurance (seven), industrials (10), real estate (four), telecom (two), transportation (three) and consumer goods and services (14) in the ‘All Share Index’.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, has invested in d-Matrix, a pioneer in generative AI (artificial intelligence) inference for data centres.Valued at $2bn and bringing the total raised to date to $450mn, d-Matrix will use the new capital to advance their roadmap, accelerate global expansion and support multiple large-scale deployments of the world’s highest performing, most efficient data centre inference platform for hyperscalers, enterprise, and sovereign customers.The oversubscribed round attracted leading investment firms across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. The funding was co-led by a global consortium including BullhoundCapital, Triatomic Capital, and Temasek, and welcomed new investors including QIA and EDBI, alongside follow-on participation from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, as well as Mirae Asset, Industry Ventures, and Nautilus Venture Partners.d-Matrix's full-stack inference platform combines breakthrough compute-memory integration, high-speed networking, and inference-optimised software to deliver 10× faster performance, 3× lower cost, and 3–5× better energy efficiency than GPU-based systems.This step-change in performance and efficiency directly addresses growing AI sustainability challenges. By enabling one data centre to handle the workload of ten, d-Matrix offers a clear path to reducing global data centre energy consumption while enabling enterprises to deliver cost-efficient, profitable AI services without compromise.“From day one, d-Matrix has been uniquely focused on inference. When we started d-Matrix six years ago, training was seen as AI’s biggest challenge, but we knew that a new set of challenges would be coming soon,” said Sid Sheth, chief executive officer and co-founder of d-Matrix.“We predicted that when trained models needed to run continuously at scale, the infrastructure wouldn't be ready. We've spent the last six years building the solution: a fundamentally new architecture that enables AI to operate everywhere, all the time. This funding validates that vision as the industry enters the Age of AI Inference,” he added.Investor confidence reflects d-Matrix’s differentiated technology, rapid customer growth, and expanding network of global partners — including the recently announced d-Matrix SquadRack open standards-based reference architecture with Arista, Broadcom, and Supermicro.A strong product roadmap featuring 3D memory-stacking innovations and a customer-centric go-to-market strategy further establishes d-Matrix as a cornerstone of the new AI infrastructure stack.

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and ORIX Corporation (ORIX) have entered into a pact to a commitment-based private equity (PE) fund (OQCI Fund) with total size yen equivalent of $2.5bn. The fund will invest in Japanese companies, primarily targeting business succession, privatisation of listed companies, and carve-outs (the transfer of business divisions or subsidiaries from large corporations), with an enterprise value investment size of at least 30bn yen (about $200mn) per investment. This marks the first time that ORIX has launched a fund that welcomes capital from an international third-party investor for domestic private equity investment in Japan. It is also the first time QIA has invested in a domestic private equity fund focused solely on the Japanese market. Investment decisions for the fund will be made by OQCI GP, which will act as the general partner of the fund. ORIX and QIA will be the only two investors in the fund, committed to contributing 60% and 40% of the capital, respectively. ORIX will provide the GP with introductions to potential investment targets, post-investment monitoring, and advisory support for portfolio companies. "Japan represents a core component of QIA’s long-term private equity strategy. With disciplined valuations, a deep pipeline of governance-driven deals, and growing global investor interest, we see this as an exceptional opportunity to partner with best-in-class Japanese businesses to create value," said Mohammed Saif al-Sowaidi, chief executive officer of QIA. Highlighting that it is the first international partner in ORIX’s inaugural private equity fund in Japan in its 60-year history; he said this partnership will enable both parties to capitalise on market opportunities and support ORIX’s ambition to build a thriving asset management initiative. Makoto Inoue, Representative executive officer, chairman and chief executive officer of ORIX said QIA is a significant and influential sovereign wealth fund, and it is pleased to be able to help it increase its investments in the Japanese economy. "ORIX has built up considerable expertise in private equity investment in Japan. This partnership is the next logical step on the path to improving the corporate value of companies with high-growth potential," he said. Moreover, it will contribute to Japan’s broader industrial development. Increasing the portion of third-party funds in ORIX’s investment portfolio will enhance capital efficiency and help further grow asset management business, according to him. "This partnership is a key strategic move to help realize our long-term growth strategy," he said. QIA and ORIX will together aim to enhance the corporate value of companies with high-growth potential and contribute to the advancement of Japanese industry. "We will also explore opportunities for collaboration across other fields," it said. Following the guidelines published by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the request for management reforms by the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan’s M&A market has been seeing a surge in listed companies going private, corporate reorganizations, and carve-outs. As deal sizes become larger, and against the backdrop of Japan’s stable economy and society, an increasing amount of foreign capital has been flowing into the market. (Ends)

Foreign and Gulf funds lift sentiments in QSE as index rose 42 points; M-cap adds QR2.64bnThe Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) today gained more than 42 points on the back of strong buying interests from the foreign and Gulf institutions.The telecom, transport and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.38% to 11,039.98 points, although it touched an intraday high of 11,113 points.The Gulf individuals were seen net buyers, albeit at lower levels, in the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 4.91%.About 59% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.64bn or 0.4% to QR661.87bn, mainly on small and midcap segments.The local retail investors’ weakened net profit booking had its influence on the main market, which saw as many as 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn trade across 17 deals.However, the domestic funds were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Arab retail investors were seen bearish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.38%, the All Share Index by 0.34% and the All Islamic Index by 0.42% in the main market.The telecom sector index shot up 1.35%, transport (0.59%), industrials (0.57%), insurance (0.29%), banks and financial services (0.18%) and real estate (0.13%); while consumer goods and services were down 0.02%.As many as 31 stocks gained, while 17 declined and five were unchanged.Major movers in the main market include QLM, Qamco, Doha Bank, Beema, Qatar Cinema and Film Distributions, Industries Qatar, Doha Insurance, United Development Company, Ezdan, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Milaha and Gulf Warehousing.Nevertheless, Baladna, Commercial Bank, Al Mahhar Holding, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing and Qatar Oman Investment were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased significantly to QR15.62mn compared to QR8.98mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net buying strengthened considerably to QR12.28mn against QR4.7mn on November 9.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.55mn compared with net sellers of QR2.68mn on Sunday.The local individual investors’ net selling declined substantially to QR6.45mn against QR14.78mn the previous day.However, the domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened drastically to QR15.02mn compared to QR0.82mn on November 9.The Arab retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR5.88mn against net buyers of QR3.84mn on Sunday.The foreign individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR1.09mn compared with net buyers of QR0.74mn the previous day.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.The main market saw 6% jump in trade volumes to 84.49mn shares, 46% in value to QR306.8mn and 21% in deals to 17,780.In the venture market, a total of 0.03mn equities valued at QR0.06mn changed hands across seven transactions.

Qatar Sunday kicked off the 2025/26 cruise season at the Old Doha Port, welcoming MSC Euribia, operated by MSC Cruises, carrying 5,000 passengers and a crew of 1,676 members. One of the newest and largest vessels in the MSC fleet, MSC Euribia spans 331m in length and 43m in width, accommodating up to 6,327 guests and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) for cleaner, more sustainable voyages, Mwani Qatar said in its social medial handle X. Throughout the season, which runs until May 2026, the ship will make 22 scheduled calls at The Terminal, managed by Mwani Qatar — reaffirming Qatar's growing prominence as a premier destination on the global cruise tourism map. Last week, a coordination meeting was held as part of the preparations for 2025/26 cruise season, bringing together stakeholders, agents, and tour operators to discuss operational plans and coordination efforts to ensure a successful season and an exceptional visitor experience. Qatar has proven to be one of the most sought after luxury cruise destinations in the Arabian Gulf’s winter cruise season. To support the tremendous growth of the industry, Mwani Qatar plays a key role in the redevelopment of the port and its facilities. Doha port provides a wide range of passenger facilities, including seamless immigration, customs, foreign exchange, taxi and bus stands, city bus tours as well as Qatar Duty Free, cafe, waiting areas for cruise passengers and staff. It also features various tourist information services offered by Qatar Tourism. Relevant Mwani Qatar marine services within the port are offered to the vessels calling at Doha Port, ensuring safe and efficient arrival and departure. Mwani Qatar works closely with Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Interior to develop the cruise industry which has seen a remarkable increase in the passenger arrivals over the years. Qatar's 2024/25 cruise season had welcomed more than 396,000 visitors aboard 87 cruise ships, marking a 5% jump in visitors and a 19% rise in vessel calls against the previous season. Doha Port’s cruise terminal is strategically located minutes away from key attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif, optimising the visitor experience by allowing cruise passengers to make the most of their time in the city. Qatar Tourism plans to strengthen its collaborations with more international cruise lines, which is vital for driving further growth in Qatar’s tourism sector and contributing to Qatar’s economic diversification efforts. "Doha has become a prominent cruise destination with varied tourism experiences offered to visitors. From its debut in October 2023 to its grand finale in April 2024, this cruise season has exceeded all expectations breaking the records of visitors and cruise ships from previous seasons. The Grand Cruise Terminal symbolising Qatar's commitment to excellence” Saad bin Ali al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism had said. Qatar is gaining popularity as a world-class cruise destination in the region as it showcased exceptional tourism capabilities, especially after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In this regard, efforts are currently underway to attract more cruise lines and travelers in the upcoming seasons.

Qatar today kicked off the 2025/26 cruise season at the Old Doha Port, welcoming MSC Euribia, operated by MSC Cruises, carrying 5,000 passengers and a crew of 1,676 members. One of the newest and largest vessels in the MSC fleet, MSC Euribia spans 331m in length and 43m in width, accommodating up to 6,327 guests and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) for cleaner, more sustainable voyages, Mwani Qatar said in its social medial handle X. Throughout the season, which runs until May 2026, the ship will make 22 scheduled calls at The Terminal, managed by Mwani Qatar — reaffirming Qatar's growing prominence as a premier destination on the global cruise tourism map. **media[379397]** Last week a coordination meeting was held as part of the preparations for 2025/26 cruise season, bringing together stakeholders, agents, and tour operators to discuss operational plans and coordination efforts to ensure a successful season and an exceptional visitor experience. Qatar has proven to be one of the most sought after luxury cruise destinations in the Arabian Gulf’s winter cruise season. To support the tremendous growth of the industry, Mwani Qatar plays key role in the redevelopment of the port and its facilities port facilities. Doha port provides wide range of passenger facilities, including seamless immigration, customs, foreign exchange, taxi and bus stands, city bus tours as well as Qatar Duty Free, cafe, waiting areas for cruise passengers and staff. It also features various tourist information services offered by Qatar Tourism. Relevant Mwani Qatar marine services within the port are offered to the vessels calling at Doha Port ensuring safe and efficient arrival and departure. Mwani Qatar works closely with Qatar Tourism and Ministry of Interior to develop the cruise industry which has seen a remarkable increase in the passenger arrivals over the years. Qatar's 2024/25 cruise season had welcomed more than 396,000 visitors aboard 87 cruise ships, marking a 5% jump in visitors and a 19% rise in vessel calls against the previous season. Doha Port’s cruise terminal is strategically located minutes away from key attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif, optimising the visitor experience by allowing cruise passengers to make the most of their time in the city. Qatar Tourism plans to strengthen its collaborations with more international cruise lines, which is vital for driving further growth in Qatar’s the tourism sector and contributing to Qatar’s economic diversification efforts. "Doha has become a prominent cruise destination with varied tourism experiences offered to visitors. From its debut in October 2023 to its grand finale in April 2024, this cruise season has exceeded all expectations breaking the records of visitors and cruise ships from previous seasons. The Grand Cruise Terminal symbolising Qatar's commitment to excellence” Saad Bin Ali al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism had said. Qatar is gaining popularity as a world-class cruise destination in the region as it showcased exceptional tourism capabilities, especially after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In this regard, efforts are currently underway to attract more cruise lines and travelers in the upcoming seasons. (Ends)

A stronger-than-expected US economic data rather masked the global concerns on valuation, especially of tech companies, that the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) remained positive for the third week with its key index gaining as much as 102 points and capitalisation adding about QR5bn. The transport, telecom and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose as much as 0.93% this week which saw Qatar’s listed companies report net profit of QR41.08bn during the first nine months (9M) of 2025. The local retail investors’ weakened net selling pressure had its influence on the main bourse this week which saw the Qatari German Medical Devices (QGMD) sign a memorandum of understanding with Dawa Holdi Egypt and Dawa USA to strengthen its regional and global presence. However, the market was skewed towards shakers in the main market this week which saw Qatar’s maritime sector witnessed higher cargo movements through Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports this October on an annualised basis. The domestic funds’ lower net profit booking had its impact on the main bourse this week, which saw Qatar’s commercial banks report 6.2% year-on-year jump in total assets to QR2.15tn in September 2025. The Gulf funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market this week which saw a global credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s affirm Commercial Bank’s issuer credit ratings at ‘A-/A-2’ with a “stable” outlook. The foreign retail investors were increasingly bearish in the main market this week which saw QIIB appoint Al Rayan Investment, Bank ABC, Citi, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dukhan Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, HSBC, Mashreq, QNB Capital and Standard Chartered Bank as joint lead managers and book-runners for its US dollar denominated five-year benchmark fixed rate senior unsecured sukuk. The Arab individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.35mn AlRayan Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QATR worth QR0.83mn trade across 174 deals. The Gulf retail investors saw weakened net buying in the main market this week which saw a total of 1,600 Doha Bank-sponsored exchange traded fund QETF worth QR0.02mn trade across two transactions. The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market this week, which saw a total of 10 sovereign bonds valued at QR0.1mn trade across one deal. Market capitalisation added QR4.87bn or 0.74% to QR659.61bn on the back of small and midcap segments this week which saw no trading of treasury bills. Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in both the main and junior markets this week, which saw the consumer goods, banks and industrials sectors together constitute about three-fourth of the total trade volumes. The Total Return Index rose 0.93%, the All Share Index by 0.85% and the All Islamic Index by 0.38% this week. The transport sector index surged 2.55%, telecom (2.1%), banks and financial services (1.24%), consumer goods and services (0.27%) and insurance (0.05%); while industrials and real estate declined 0.8% and 0.07% respectively this week. The market was skewed towards shakers with as many as 26 constituents reporting declines, while 24 gained and three were unchanged this week. Major movers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Nakilat, Qatar German Medical Devices, QIIB, Ooredoo, Doha Bank, Meeza, Aamal Company and Gulf Warehousing. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value this week. Nevertheless, QLM, Mannai Corporation, Baladna, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Inma Holding, Medicare Group, Widam Food, Estithmar Holding, Qamco and Mazaya Qatar were among the shakers in the main market this week. The domestic institutions’ net selling weakened significantly to QR56.28mn compared to QR102.18mn a week ago. The Qatari individuals’ net selling declined substantially to QR17.42mn against QR78.59mn the week ended October 30. However, the Arab retail investors’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR11.71mn compared to QR1.75mn the previous week. The foreign individuals’ net profit booking strengthened considerably to QR10.75mn against QR7.85mn a week ago. The foreign institutions’ net selling increased marginally to QR2.91mn compared to QR2.53mn the week ended October 30. The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased drastically to QR97.94mn against QR191.29mn the previous week. The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR1.12mn compared to QR1.61mn the previous week. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight week. The main market saw 7% jump in trade volumes to 588.61mn shares, 2% in value to QR1.68bn and 25% in deals to 118,262 this week. In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 0.25mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR0.57mn on 2% increase in transactions to 46.

Mirroring the trends in the global markets, the Qatar Stock Exchange yesterday gained more than 52 points on the back of strong buying interests from foreign institutions. The telecom, insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.48% to 11,053.92 points, recovering from an intraday low of 11,006 points. The Gulf individuals’ weakened net selling had its influence on the main market, whose year-to-date gains improved to 4.61%. More than 62% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR3.66bn or 0.56% to QR659.61bn, mainly on midcap segments. The Gulf funds and retail investors continued to be bullish but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.05mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank) valued at QR0.12mn trade across 32 deals. The local retail investors were seen net sellers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise. The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The Arab retail investors were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 10 sovereign bonds valued at QR0.1mn trade across one deal. The Total Return Index rose 0.48%, the All Share Index by 0.52% and the All Islamic Index by 0.39% in the main market. The telecom sector index shot up 2.09%, insurance (1.31%), banks and financial services (0.6%), transport (0.35%), real estate (0.25%) and consumer goods and services (0.21%); while industrials were down 0.09%. As many as 33 stocks gained, while 14 declined and six were unchanged. Major movers in the main market include Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Ooredoo, Doha Bank, QLM, Qatar German Medical Devices and Gulf Warehousing. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value. Nevertheless, Gulf International Services, Meeza, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Qatar Oman Investment and Mesaieed Industrial Holding were among the shakers in the main market. The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR46.42mn compared with net sellers of QR14.84mn the previous day. The foreign individual investors’ net selling declined noticeably to QR2.91mn against QR10.25mn on Wednesday. However, the local individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR27.84mn compared with net buyers of QR16.8mn on November 5. The domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened substantially to QR18.4mn against QR6.31mn the previous day. The Arab retail investors’ net profit booking expanded markedly to QR6.51mn compared to QR4.72mn on Wednesday. The Gulf institutions’ net buying weakened significantly to QR9.01mn against QR17.96mn on November 5. The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased notably to QR0.24mn compared to QR1.36mn the previous day. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure. The main market saw 4% jump in trade volumes to 120.4mn shares, 25% in value to QR395.5mn and 56% in deals to 28,893. In the venture market, a total of 1,021 equities valued at QR2,335 changed hands across three transactions. (Ends)

Qatar took part in the recent 9th Gulf–European Business Forum, held in Kuwait, bringing together senior government officials and business leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Union (EU) states.Qatar was represented by Saleh bin Majid al-Khulaifi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs and Business Development at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, at the forum, held under the theme “Together for Shared Prosperity”.He participated in a panel discussion on trade and investment, which explored ways to strengthen GCC–EU trade relations, develop joint investment frameworks, and advance economic diversification efforts on both sides.The forum aims to deepen economic cooperation between the GCC and the EU by supporting diversification initiatives and expanding trade and investment collaboration.Serving as a strategic platform for partnership, the event highlighted new opportunities for cooperation in trade, investment and exchange of expertise.Sessions at the forum addressed key themes such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence and innovation, SME (small and medium enterprises) development, capacity-building, and the empowerment of youth and entrepreneurs.An accompanying exhibition and a series of sectoral and joint meetings between public- and private-sector representatives also take place on the sidelines, providing opportunities to explore partnerships and foster investment cooperation between both regions.

The MSCI will delete GWC (Gulf Warehousing Company) from its Qatar small cap index, effective from November 24, 2025.This was disclosed in a communique to the Qatar Stock Exchange.The MSCI Qatar small cap index is designed to measure the performance of the small cap segment of the Qatari market.The index covers about 14% of the free float-adjusted market capitalisation in Qatar.

Preparations are in full swing to welcome Qatar's 2025/26 cruise season, which has put the country on a high pedestal in the international tourism market. "A co-ordination meeting was held as part of the preparations for 2025/26 cruise season, bringing together stakeholders, agents, and tour operators to discuss operational plans and co-ordination efforts to ensure a successful season and an exceptional visitor experience," Mwani Qatar said in its social media handle X. Qatar's 2024/25 cruise season had welcomed more than 396,000 visitors aboard 87 cruise ships, marking a 5% jump in visitors and a 19% rise in vessel calls against the previous season. Doha Port’s cruise terminal is strategically located minutes away from key attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif, optimising the visitor experience by allowing cruise passengers to make the most of their time in the city. Qatar Tourism plans to strengthen its collaborations with more international cruise lines, which is vital for driving further growth in Qatar’s the tourism sector and contributing to Qatar’s economic diversification efforts. The 2023/24 cruise season had seen 73 cruise ships and more than 347,000 visitors, representing a significant milestone in Qatar’s cruise market. This marks an increase from its predecessor, the 2022/23 season which saw 54 cruise ships and 253, 191 passengers. "Doha has become a prominent cruise destination with varied tourism experiences offered to visitors. From its debut in October 2023 to its grand finale in April 2024, this cruise season has exceeded all expectations breaking the records of visitors and cruise ships from previous seasons. The Grand Cruise Terminal symbolising Qatar's commitment to excellence” Saad bin Ali al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism had said. Qatar is gaining popularity as a world-class cruise destination in the region as it showcased exceptional tourism capabilities, especially after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In this regard, efforts are currently underway to attract more cruise lines and travellers in the upcoming seasons. Many international cruise lines had their maiden calls to Doha Port, depicting Qatar’s increasing allure on the global stage in terms of cruise tourism. Travellers were from across the world including Germany, Italy, Russia, Kazakhstan, the US, the UK, China, Spain, France, and Uzbekistan, as well as the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) countries. International world-class ships including MSC Virtuosa, Seabourn Encore, AIDAprima, Artania, Mein Schiff 2, Azamara Journey, MS Riviera, MS Hamburg, and Norwegian Dawn have all previously docked in Doha. Mwani Qatar is committed to enhancing the capabilities of Doha Port in line with the Ministry of Transport's strategic plan, according to its top officials.

The Nairobi International Financial Centre (NIFC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority as part of efforts to enhance cross-border investment, innovation and financial co-operation.The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development, currently underway here in Qatar. It was signed by Daniel Mainda, chief executive officer of NIFC Authority, and Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief executive officer of QFCA.Through this agreement, the NIFC and QFC reaffirm their commitment to global best practices and to fostering sustainable, inclusive growth across Africa and the Middle East.This renewed collaboration aims to enhance cross-border investment, innovation and financial co-operation through the respective international financial centres.This partnership builds on a decade-long relationship that began when the Ministry of Finance of Qatar through Kenya’s National Treasury, provided technical support in establishing the NIFC, making Qatar a key partner present at the very inception of the NIFC’s story.The NIFC is a transformative project designed by the Kenyan government to position Nairobi as a premier financial hub in Africa. It is a key initiative under the economic pillar of Kenya’s Vision 2030 project.The NIFC aims to attract global investment by providing an efficient, conducive environment for financial services and innovation. With a focus on modern infrastructure, regulatory transparency, and strategic partnerships, the NIFC will foster economic growth and facilitate capital flow across the region through its business-friendly environment.