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The Muscat Stock Exchange recorded its highest weekly trading volume of the year last week, driven by increased activity in bank stocks and other leading companies, as most public joint-stock companies concluded the release of their preliminary Q3 financial results. Trading value rose to OMR 240.9 million, up from OMR 190.8 million the previous week, marking a 26.2 percent increase. The number of executed transactions also climbed from 19,529 to 25,171. The main index gained 40 points to close at 5,289, while the financial sector index rose by 169 points to 8,923. The industrial sector index added 32 points, and the services sector index increased by 4 points. Meanwhile, the Sharia index declined by 4 points to close at 461. According to trading data released by the Muscat Stock Exchange, the total market capitalization of listed securities fell to OMR 30.596 billion, reflecting weekly losses of OMR 108.5 million, impacted by a drop in the market value of bonds and sukuk, which fell below the OMR 5 billion threshold.During the week, prices rose for 38 securities, while 30 declined and another 30 remained unchanged.

His Excellency Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari met with the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group Dr Mohammed bin Sulaiman Al Jasser, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the relations between the two parties were reviewed, along with prospects for enhancing and developing them in key shared investment and financial sectors, in addition to discussing a number of topics of mutual interest. HE Minister of Finance also met with Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. During the meeting, a number of topics related to shared interests were discussed, with a focus on financial and economic matters.

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.

His Excellency the Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari participated in the meeting of Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors, and Heads of Regional Financial Institutions from the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The meeting was chaired by Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and was held on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings, now being held in Washington, DC. The meeting discussed key strategic issues related to economic growth in the region, in addition to future outlooks and fiscal policy requirements to combat inflation. It also addressed sustainable financing strategies, ways to stimulate economic growth, and the promotion of innovation in financial development.Regional and global challenges were also reviewed, particularly the risks of rising inflation rates and food insecurity. The participants stressed the importance of continuing efforts to adapt to the current financial and economic developments.The meeting was held within the framework of enhancing regional cooperation and the exchange of insights among financial and economic policymakers, with the aim of supporting economic stability and achieving sustainable development across the region.

Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Finance, has signed an agreement with the World Bank Group to establish an office that will serve Qatar and support the wider region. This initiative comes within the framework of strengthening bilateral co-operation and supporting economic development efforts across the region. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, now being held in Washington, DC. “This agreement reflects Qatar’s commitment to deepening its international partnerships with leading financial institutions and accelerating the implementation of sustainable development programmes adopted by the country, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030,” the Ministry of Finance said in a release. The establishment of the World Bank office in Qatar provides an advanced platform for the exchange of technical and financial expertise with institutions and multilateral organisations. This new partnership also highlights Qatar’s status as a leading regional hub for economic and financial development, reaffirming its commitment to open and effective international cooperation in pursuit of inclusive and sustainable growth.

His Excellency the Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari participated in the meeting of Arab Finance Ministers, alongside Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group and several finance ministers.The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, now taking place in Washington, DC. The meeting comes as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation with international financial institutions, exchange views on global economic developments, and explore opportunities to support financial stability and promote sustainable growth in the region.It aims to highlight the achievements of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in addressing global and regional priorities, and explore opportunities for cooperation across several actionable economic and financial sectors – contributing to the empowerment of both regional and global economic growth.The meeting also shed light on the attractiveness of the investment environment in GCC countries and the creation of high-quality opportunities across various sectors. In addition, it addressed the economic and development policies expected to be adopted as part of joint GCC efforts in the coming phase.

Several Palestinians were injured on Monday morning as Israeli occupation forces raided Al-Fawwar Camp, south of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank. According to the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA), large units of the Israeli army stormed the camp and raided numerous homes, conducting extensive search operations. The forces detained a number of Palestinians for several hours, during which they were subjected to field interrogations and physical assault before being released, the agency added. Israeli forces also raided several villages and neighborhoods in Hebron City, searching homes and tampering with their contents. No arrests were reported.

Dukhan Bank announced the names of the most recent round of draw winners for Thara’a, its Shariah-compliant savings account.The draw was conducted under the supervision of a representative of the Qualitative License and Market Control Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.In this month’s draw, Qassem al-Yafeai won the top prize of QR50,000, while the following winners each received QR5,000: Irfan Malik Fayyaz Malik, Badriya Hassan, Sara al-Hassan, Mohsin Bani Basheer, Mubarak al-Naimi, Adel Abuzaid, Hassan Falahi, Ahmed Momani, Fatima Almannai, Cristine Mascarenas, Fatima Shokri, Hussein Mahmoud, Salma al-Mesef, Mariam Elmasry, Fatima Ali, Aisha al-Boenain, Mihreteab Wube, Hend Mohammed, Estabrak Thabet, Saad al-Mana, Samya al-Kuwari, Nasser al-Thani, Omar al-Athba, Mohamed Elwidaa, Semai al-Tayeb, Abdulaziz Abdulla, Dominic Marshall Dsilva, Izzeldin Mohamed, Mohammed al-Naimi, Raafat Abdallah, Alanoud al-Hajri, Taleb al-Abdulla, Noor al-Romaihi, Jassim al-Ali, and Abdulla al-Kuwari.Dukhan Bank continues its customer-centric approach with its enhanced Tharaa savings account campaign, reaffirming its commitment to rewarding clients. The upgraded campaign now features a total prize pool of QR5,025,000, with 327 winners throughout the year.The initiative includes three grand prizes of QR1,000,000 each, awarded every four months, along with monthly draws featuring a QR50,000 prize and 35 additional prizes of QR5,000.Tharaa, a Sharia-compliant savings account, offers customers exclusive benefits, including access to Dukhan Bank’s innovative digital banking services.Customers interested in participating can open a Tharaa savings account via Dukhan Bank’s website, mobile app, or by visiting any branch.For more information, customers can call 800 8555 or reach out to Rashid, the bank’s virtual assistant, via WhatsApp at 44100888.

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), country's leading digital bank, has achieved a new milestone by winning 17 prestigious accolades at Global Finance’s 2025 Digital Bank, AI & Innovation Awards “reinforcing its leadership” in innovation and digitisation.The recognition spanned across corporate, consumer, AI, and innovation global, regional and local categories, highlighting QIB’s leadership and prominent position within the banking sector globally.At the ceremony held recently in London, QIB was honoured as the Best Personalised Financial Advice Consumer Banking in the World in the Global AI in Finance Awards category, recognising the bank’s position at the forefront of AI-driven banking innovation in the region and beyond.Additionally, QIB won four accolades; Best Consumer Bank in AI and Best Personalised Financial Advice, both in Qatar and in the Middle East, in acknowledgement of QIB’s advanced AI-driven capabilities that deliver secure, intelligent, and customer-focused financial services.With a clear focus on delivering smarter, more intuitive digital experience, QIB has been systematically embedding artificial intelligence across its operations to anticipate customer needs, elevate service quality, and drive sustainable growth. QIB’s AI strategy goes beyond personalisation.By integrating AI into areas such as fraud detection, process automation, and digital onboarding, the bank has significantly improved operational efficiency, enhanced security, and reduced its reliance on traditional, paper-based workflows.These advancements reflect QIB’s commitment to responsible AI innovation that aligns with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.In the Consumer Banking category, QIB was celebrated as Most Innovative Digital Bank in Qatar and the Middle East, Best in lending and Best Online Product Offerings in Qatar, affirming the bank’s consistent efforts to boost customer engagement and satisfaction through exceptional service and pioneering digital solutions.In the Corporate Banking category, QIB was recognised with multiple prestigious accolades at both the regional and local levels, being named the Best Mobile Banking App, Most Innovative Digital Bank, and Best Online/User Experience (UX) Portal in Qatar and the Middle East.The bank was also honoured with the Best SME Banking Platform in Qatar, reaffirming its commitment to empowering businesses through innovative, user-centric digital solutions. These recognitions highlight QIB’s continuous efforts to enhance customer experiences and set new benchmarks in digital banking.Moreover, QIB was named among the Top Innovators in Qatar, which is telling about its continuous drive to push the boundaries of digital transformation in the financial sector.QIB’s Group CEO Bassel Gamal commented: “We are happy to be recognised by Global Finance. These accolades mirror our efforts and commitment to investing in technology and innovation to provide secure, convenient, and customer-centric digital solutions. They also underscore QIB’s leading role in shaping the future of digital banking in Qatar and beyond.“On this occasion, I would like to thank the Board of Directors for their continuous support, Qatar Central Bank for its ongoing encouragement of innovation and digital transformation, and each one of our team members for their exceptional performance and dedication.”Global Finance World’s Best Digital Awards are widely regarded as on the most prestigious in the global banking industry and are seen as an endorsement of excellence and best practices.They recognise institutions that demonstrate exceptional performance, innovation, and leadership across different consumer sub-categories including Best User Experience (UX) Design, Best Mobile Banking App and Best Innovation and Transformation.

An AFP photographer was injured in an attack by Israeli settlers on Friday while covering the olive harvest in a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank."In my 30-year career, this is the first time I have faced violence of this kind," said Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a Palestinian photographer based in the city of Nablus."If I hadn't managed to escape, they would have killed me," he added.Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and Israeli settlements there are expanding, and violence soaring.Ashtiyeh said he had been covering the olive harvest in the village of Beita, particularly looking at the work of Israeli and foreign peace activists who had come to support residents in the face of repeated settler attacks during the harvest season.Shortly after midday (0900 GMT), two groups of Israeli settlers armed with sticks and stones -- numbering around 70 people in total -- attacked the olive pickers and journalists at the scene.Hit by several stones in the back, arm and hand, Ashtiyeh was discharged from hospital in the afternoon and is suffering from bruising.His car, along with a handful of others parked at a safe distance from the field, was stoned and then set on fire by the assailants.Ashtiyeh said Israeli soldiers who were present before the attack did nothing to stop the attackers from advancing, but instead fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the olive pickers and activists to disperse them."We strongly condemn this outrageous attack which is another illustration of the increasingly dangerous working environment for our journalists in the West Bank," said Mehdi Lebouachera, AFP's Global Editor-In-Chief."We urge the Israeli military to not only ensure the protection of journalists going about their work but also to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice," he added.Contacted by AFP about the incident, the Israeli military did not immediately respond.The Palestinian health ministry said settler attacks injured 36 people on Friday in Beita and other nearby villages, with most of them suffering minor or moderate injuries, with the exception of two who were wounded by gunfire.

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.

Edaa (Qatar Central Securities Depository) announced on Monday that it has raised the foreign ownership limit in Ahli Bank Q.P.S.C. to 100% of the bank's total capital. Ahli Bank reported a net profit of QR 402.4 million for the first half of 2025, compared with QR 383.01 million in the same period last year, representing an increase of 5.06%. Earnings per share (EPS) rose to QR 0.149 in the first half of 2025, up from QR 0.142 during the corresponding period in 2024.