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Lower bank rates in Qatar will be an additional boost to consumers and corporates, Emirates NBD Research has said in a report.Recently, the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) decided to reduce the current interest rates for deposits, lending and repo by 0.25% or 25 basis points (bps). The new rates took effect on September 18.The QCB’s deposit rate (QCBDR) is now 4.35%, lending rate (QCBLR) 4.85% and repo rate (QCBRR) 4.60%.The QCB said the rate cut followed its “assessment of the current monetary policy of Qatar.On the impact (of the US Federal Reserve rate cut) on GCC economies, Emirates NBD Research said, “The rate cut has been matched by the GCC given that the currency pegs mean that monetary policy tends to move in lockstep with that of the Fed.Besides Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait central banks have all cut their benchmark policy rates by 25bps, Emirates NBD noted.In a report, the UAE banking group said: “Lower rates will be an additional boost to consumers and corporates in the GCC economies. Credit growth to the private sector has accelerated in 2025 for both the UAE and Saudi Arabia compared with 2024.“In the UAE, banking claims on the private sector have recorded an average year/year growth of more than 8% this year, compared with 7% for 2024. In Saudi Arabia, credit demand has been even more robust with growth of more than 14% year-to-date up to July compared with around 11% in 2024.”The report noted: “As rates move lower, that will free up more income for consumption and investment and at the margin create more demand for credit. In a recent Central Bank of the UAE survey on credit demand, interest rates were the least critical variable cited as affecting demand for loans from the domestic banking system with corporates instead seeking to match the performance of the non-oil economy.”Emirates NBD said: “The US Federal Reserve cut rates by 25 bps (0.25%) at the September FOMC, in line with our expectations. This was the first rate change from the FOMC since December 2024 and takes the upper bound of the benchmark Fed funds rate to 4.25%.”According to the bank, the next FOMC meeting is at the end of October and will very much be a live meeting with the expectation of another 25bps cut nearly 90% priced in by markets following the September meeting. Should economic data continue to follow the path seen in the last few months — moderate inflation pressures with worsening labour market conditions — then an October cut looks more likely than not. We still expect a rate cut at the December FOMC at this time.For 2026, the Fed projected a more hawkish stance than markets are expecting as it keeps an eye on the inflationary risks of tariffs and sticky services inflation.“We still expect that the Fed will need to cut rates next year, targeting an end of 2026 Fed Funds rate at 3% by end of year,” Emirates NBD noted.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani led the farewell of President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, upon his departure along with the accompanying delegation from the Doha International Airport after concluding a fraternal visit to the country.The UAE President was also seen off by the Personal Representative of HH the Amir Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani.Also present were HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, HE Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, HE Chief of the Amiri Diwan Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi, and a number of Their Excellencies senior officials.The President of the UAE was accompanied by Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and a number of the Ministers.

Portugal’s Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) held off Danish race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) at the top of the brutal summit finish of Angliru to win stage 13 of the Vuelta a Espana Friday.The top two in the general classification battled it out for the stage win, leaving the rest behind in the final five km.Almeida did all the work on the climb and stayed ahead of Vingegaard in the sprint to the line.“This is a special one, I still don’t believe it,” Almeida said after the stage.“I just put my pace from the bottom and I just did my bit the best I could.“Jonas was always on my wheel, we were both on the limit and I was waiting for his attack anytime.”Thanks to the bonus seconds for the stage win, Almeida closed the gap to the red jersey to 46 seconds, with Britain’s Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) losing time but holding onto third overall, two minutes and 18 seconds off the leader.Australian Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA Hansgrohe) finished third on the 202.7km ride from Cabezon de la Sal to Alto de L’Angliru, 28 seconds behind the leading pair, just ahead of Vingegaard’s teammate Sepp Kuss.Kuss, Vuelta winner in 2023, almost lost his red jersey on Angliru that year when teammates Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic left him behind, with Roglic edging out the Dane at the finish.‘HARDEST CLIMB IN THE WORLD’Vingegaard suffered a similar fate this time around, despite looking like he was just biding his time, tucked in behind Almeida as they suffered on the final twists and turns of the infamous climb, but his attack never came.“I thought he was going to pass me on the finish line,” Almeida said. “I took the last corner and then it’s hard to pass. I think this is the hardest climb in the world, its crazy, I’m really sore.”Almeida’s pain gained him his first individual Vuelta stage win along with four seconds in the GC, and topping Angliru ahead of the race favourite may just give him the confidence he needs to go for the title.“I still have a lot of time to make up,” Almeida said.“He’s looking phenomenal so it’s gonna be a hard task but we never give up.”Pidcock also never gave up, despite getting dropped by the leaders, and came in seventh, but the race does look set to be a fight between Vingegaard and Almeida.Bob Jungels of Luxembourg (Ineos Grenadiers) put in a brave battle, part of a large breakaway group early in the stage, and the last man to be caught.At the foot of Angliru, with Nicolya Vinokurov still alongside him, pro-Palestinian protesters delayed the pair’s progress before police cleared the small group from the road.Junegles was left behind in the final seven km by the main GC contenders, and then it became a race between the top two.Today’s stage 14 is a shorter 135.9km ride from Aviles with another summit finish at Alto de La Farrapona.

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates: Pace bowler Fareed Ahmad kept cool in the last over Friday to foil Asif Khan’s aggressive hitting as a depleted Afghanistan beat United Arab Emirates by four runs in a tri-series match.After Asif opened the final over with a four, a six and a two, Ahmad beat the bat with the next two balls. Asif needed to find the boundary off the last ball but was caught as Afghanistan held on to win at the Sharjah stadium.Afghanistan, already sure of facing Pakistan in today’s final, rested six of their main players including skipper Rashid Khan, veteran Mohammad Nabi and in-form opener Sediqullah Atal.Afghanistan made a 170-4 before restricting UAE to 166-5 in their 20 overs.Afghanistan’s stand-in skipper Ibrahim Zadran won the toss and batted.With Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Zadran put on 98 for the first wicket in 12 overs.Zadran hit 48 in a 35-ball knock that contained three sixes and as many fours.Gurbaz smashed three fours and a six in his 38-ball innings before both the openers fell off successive deliveries.Kariam Janat made a 14-ball 28 with three sixes and a boundary and Gulbadin Naib scored a 13-ball 20 not out as Afghanistan hit 56 runs in the last five overs.Left-arm spinner Haider Ali was the best UAE bowler with 2-23.For the hosts, Muhammad Waseem scored a 29-ball 44 with three sixes and two fours while Asif made a valiant 28-ball 40 with two sixes and four fours.BRIEF SCORESAfghanistan 170 for 4 (Zadran 48, Gurbaz 40, Haider 2-23) beat UAE 166 for 5 (Waseem 44, Asif 40, Sharafuddin 1-20, Noor 1-23) by four runs

Australian Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) went for broke five kilometres from the summit finish to win stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana Tuesday, repeating his stage six victory, while race favourite Jonas Vingegaard reclaimed the leader’s red jersey.Vine caught and overtook Spain’s Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) on the climb to the finish of the 175.3km ride from Parque de la Naturaleza Sendaviva to El Ferial Larra Belagua, raising two fingers as he crossed the line after his second individual stage win of this year’s race.The 29-year-old – mountains classification winner last year and this year’s leader of the category – also won two stages in 2022.“Winning is so, so hard, and it’s such an incredible feeling when it happens,” Vine said.“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to winning, because it’s just unbelievably hard.”Castrillo held on to take second spot, 35 seconds behind Vine, with the Spaniard’s compatriot and teammate Javier Romo finishing third.Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) had lost the red jersey to Norway’s Torstein Traeen (Bahrain Victorious) after stage six, but having begun Tuesday’s stage 37 seconds off the lead, he opened a gap to Traeen on the final climb to move 26 seconds ahead in the general classification.Following Monday’s rest day, Tuesday’s stage was a mostly flat ride, with one category three climb along the way before the category one finish, and any early breaks had all been quashed by the peloton.A group, which eventually included 30 riders, made the decisive break 72km from the end, and they were allowed to get away, though the leading group was whittled down as the race wore on.There were attacks from the breakaway, with Romo trying to get away, but when Castrillo made his move with seven kilometres remaining, the Spaniard looked set for victory, but Vine reacted and powered past the leader for another stage win.The riders in the strung out peloton were never going to contest the stage win, but the GC battle commenced on the final climb and Vingegaard, who had already closed the gap to Traeen by winning the previous stage, returned to where everyone expected the Dane to be.Vingegaard was part of a small group which began passing some of the breakaway riders towards the finish, and his 11th-place finish on the stage brings an end to Traeen’s time in the red jersey.