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Doha's fixed income market Monday got the much-needed stimulus with Ahlibank Qatar becoming the first corporate entity to list its bond in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE).The listing of Ahlibank Qatar’s a QR500mn, 4.45%; three-year fixed rate note in the QSE comes two years after the Qatar Central Bank launched the third Financial Sector Strategy, which aims to further develop the financial sector in the country as part of the National Vision 2030.The bonds have started trading after a direct listing. The listing marks the first corporate bond issuance to be listed and traded on the Exchange and represents an important milestone in the development and diversification of Qatar’s capital markets.The bonds, which come under its broader $2bn euro medium-term note programme, are traded under the ticker “CA01”, and the indicative (reference) price for the first day of trading was set at 100% of the bond’s nominal value (QR1,000). A 10% price fluctuation limit — upward and downward — is applicable.The net proceeds from each issue of notes will be lent by the issuer (ABQ Finance) to the guarantor (Ahlibank Qatar) and will be used by the guarantor for its general corporate purposes, which include making a profit, or as otherwise specified in the final terms.A bell-ringing ceremony was held at the QSE to mark this milestone occasion. The event was attended by Dr Tamy bin Ahmad al-Binali, chief executive officer of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority; Abdullah Mohammed al-Ansari, chief executive officer of the QSE; Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim al-Thani, chief executive officer of Edaa; and Hassan Ahmed al-Efrangi, chief executive officer of Ahli Bank. Their presence underscored the high level of co-ordination and institutional alignment among the key entities of Qatar’s financial sector.Ahli Bank has long been a key contributor to Qatar’s financial landscape. The issuance of its inaugural QAR denominated corporate bonds supports the Bank’s efforts to diversify its funding sources, strengthen its capital structure, and enhance long-term financial stability. As one of the country’s established financial institutions, Ahli Bank continues to play an important role in delivering banking solutions and supporting economic development.The listing advances several priorities under the third financial sector strategy. These include market development, financial sector competitiveness, diversification of investment instruments, and broader access for investors. It expands the range of opportunities available to market participants and reinforces the depth and maturity of Qatar’s financial market.The QFMA, QSE, Edaa and Ahli Bank worked closely together to ensure a smooth and efficient listing process consistent with international standards. Their collaboration reflects a unified effort to strengthen market infrastructure, enhance regulatory coordination, and support greater participation from both local and international investors.Qatar’s capital market institutions continue to work to introduce new products and advance initiatives that reinforce the pillars of the Third Financial Sector Strategy. These efforts aim to enhance liquidity, improve market accessibility, and support the evolving needs of issuers and investors.One of the primary goals of developing Qatar’s financial markets is to encourage Qatari companies to raise funds from domestic sources and reduce their reliance on foreign funding. An important initiative in this context will be to establish general guidelines and policies to encourage corporate debt instruments issuance by Qatari companies.

The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) yesterday launched its mobile application, enabling users to access data, reports, and all updates instantly and efficiently.This initiative is aimed at enhancing the user experience and keeping pace with technological advancements and the requirements of digital transformation within the financial sector.This launch aligns with the Third Financial Sector Strategy and supports Qatar National Vision 2030, which seeks to build a knowledge-based digital economy.The mobile application has been designed according to the latest technical standards, with a user-friendly interface that allows for easy browsing and searching.The mobile application can be downloaded through the App Store.

His Excellency the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani, who is also the Chairman of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority met Paul Atkins, Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) here Thursday. During the meeting, they exchanged views on a range of topics of mutual interest, and discussed ways to enhance bilateral co-operation in relevant fields, the QCB said.

His Excellency the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani took part in a high-level panel titled 'Global updates and progress in cross-border payments', held during the 2025 Middle East and Africa Innovation Summit, organised by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Riyadh.The event was held under the theme 'Resilient finance, innovative future'. The session, which addressed new challenges and opportunities posed by technological innovation in the financial sector, featured the participation of Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England and chair of the Financial Stability Board; Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Jameel Ahmad, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, along with the session moderator, Pablo Hernández de Cos, General Manager of the BIS.

His Excellency Deputy Governor of the Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalid bin Ahmed bin Sultan al-Thani participated in the meeting of the Financial Stability Board Regional Consultative Group for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), which was held in Istanbul Thursday.The meeting discussed a number of topics on the agenda and appropriate decisions were taken, the QCB said.

Qatar's commercial banks reported 6.2% year-on-year jump in total assets to QR2.15tn in September 2025, according to Qatar Central Bank data.Total domestic credit expanded by 5.5% year-on-year to QR1.36tn another end of September 2025, the central bank said in its social media handle X.Total domestic deposits were up 1.6% year-on-year to QR861.1bn in the review period.Broad money supply (M2) rose 1.6% year-on-year to QR749.2bn in September 2025.

China's yuan-denominated loans rose 14.75 trillion yuan (about $2.08 trillion) in the first nine months of the year, central bank data showed on Wednesday. Of the total, household loans grew by 1.1 trillion yuan, and loans to enterprises and public institutions increased by 13.44 trillion yuan, according to the People's Bank of China. Outstanding yuan loans stood at 270.39 trillion yuan at the end of September, up 6.6 percent year-on-year, according to the central bank. The M2, a broad measure of money supply that covers cash in circulation and all deposits, increased 8.4 percent year-on-year to 335.38 trillion yuan at the end of September. The M1, which covers cash in circulation, demand deposits and client reserves of non-bank payment institutions, stood at 113.15 trillion yuan at the end of last month, up 7.2 percent year-on-year. The M0, which indicates the amount of cash in circulation, increased 11.5 percent year-on-year to 13.58 trillion yuan at the end of September. According to preliminary statistics, the aggregate financing to the real economy was 30.09 trillion yuan in the first nine months, which was 4.42 trillion yuan more than the same period last year. The outstanding aggregate financing to the real economy stood at 437.08 trillion yuan at the end of September, registering 8.7 percent year-on-year growth.

QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, announced the license approval has been received for a digital-first banking entity, ezbank, from the Central Bank of Egypt.This milestone reflects the Group’s commitment to supporting the Central Bank of Egypt’s vision for financial inclusion and digital transformation, as well as the government’s broader economic development strategy. The license approval for ezbank is an important step in Egypt’s ongoing efforts to transform the banking sector. By securing the approval, ezbank positions itself at the forefront of this transformation, reflecting Egypt’s growing role as a hub for innovation and financial inclusion.ezbank will combine advanced digital technology with international best practices to offer seamless financial services to a broad customer base. The bank will use mobile-first platforms, AI-driven tools, and smart risk management to make transactions easier, increase access, and support Egypt’s digital economy.

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 will take effect on September 18, QCB noted.Qatar Central Bank’s deposit rate (QCBDR) will now be 4.35%, lending rate (QCBLR) 4.85% and repo rate (QCBRR) 4.60%.In a statement, QCB said the rate cut followed its “assessment of the current monetary policy of the State of Qatar.

His Excellency the Governor of the Qatar Central Bank, Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud al-Thani met Seiji Imai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mizuho Financial Group here today.During the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in global finance and investments.

European stocks rose in early trading on Monday, supported by bank shares, as investors await a busy week of central bank meetings, including the Federal Reserve's (US central bank) meeting.The Stoxx 600 index rose 0.2 percent to 556.2 points, with the interest-sensitive banking sector leading gains, up 0.8 percent.Shares of French fuel retailer Rubis rose 6.7 percent, topping the Stoxx 600 index's gainers list. The company's value is estimated at approximately USD 3.5 billion.The French CAC 40 index rose 0.4 percent, with shares of local banks such as Societe Generale up 1.3 percent, while both BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole rose about 0.9 percent.

Turkiye’s central bank Governor Fatih Karahan struck an optimistic note on the inflation outlook following worse-than-expected data and market turmoil, suggesting investors may have been too hasty in reducing their forecasts for interest-rate cuts.An unexpected court order against the main opposition party on Tuesday which triggered a broad selloff in Turkish assets was followed by the release of higher-than-expected August inflation data the next morning. The combination had Wall Street banks swiftly redrawing their predictions for a new rate-cutting cycle, anticipating a less severe reduction when policymakers meet on September 11.But in an interview with Bloomberg News on Thursday, Karahan said the breakdown of August’s inflation numbers and second-quarter growth showed that demand-driven price pressures are easing.“Though headline GDP growth was higher than forecasts, the components of the GDP data showed that demand conditions continue to support disinflation,” he said in Istanbul. While overall quarterly growth was an above-forecast 1.6%, Karahan highlighted that private consumption has come in negative for two consecutive quarters.Similarly, while August inflation which slowed to 33% from 33.5% the prior month was above expectations, Karahan emphasised the main indicators of the underlying trend offered “a healthier assessment.” Those show that price rises are continuing to ease, he said, while adding that the central bank is keeping a close eye on the impact of increases in rent and education on inflation expectations.The BIST-100 Index and banking stocks were slightly up on Friday morning at 10.22am. The lira was trading 0.2% lower against the US dollar at 41.25.The central bank reduced rates by more than anticipated in July, to 43% from 46%, the first cut in four months, and signalled at the time that more was to come.But a court order to remove the Istanbul administration of Turkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, unnerved investors. That ruling which precedes a number of other legal decisions related to the opposition coincided with the disappointing economic reports, causing Wall Street banks to predict a slower pace of interest-rate cuts.Asked whether the central bank’s views on inflation are influenced by the overall uncertainty, Karahan said: “We haven’t allowed for the deterioration of inflation expectations nor for demand to disrupt disinflation and we won’t allow it.” “We want to preserve the gains we’ve made in reserves, the current-account balance and other important areas like dollarisation,” he added.The central bank last month fine-tuned its guidance for inflation, maintaining a year-end target of 24% while at the same time issuing a projection of where it anticipates the figure to ultimately end up.That’s likely to be in the range of 25% to 29%, the bank said.The official targets will be used to “determine the tightness of monetary policy in the current and near-term period,” Karahan said.“Because monetary mechanism takes some time, in the short run estimates could diverge from the interim targets,” he said. “There might be times when monetary policy can’t immediately react. For example, these could include factors that fall outside the relative sphere of influence of monetary policy, developments that have emerged very recently relative to the control horizon, and situations where the impact on the inflation outlook is uncertain.”