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Market EyeThe Qatar Stock Exchange was back in the negative terrain with its key index plummeting more than 143 points on an across the board selling pressure. The Gulf institutions were seen increasingly net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index tanked 1.33% to 10,607.96 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,750 points.The telecom and industrials counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 0.35%. About 83% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR9.03bn or 1.4% to QR633.74bn, mainly on large and midcap segments.However, the foreign institutions were increasingly bullish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.07mn trade across 23 deals. Both local retail investors and domestic funds were also increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills. The Arab individuals were increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. The Total Return Index shed 1.33%, the All Share Index by 1.25% and the All Islamic Index by 1.49% in the main market.The telecom sector index plunged 4.66%, industrials (1.77%), banks and financial services (0.97%), consumer goods and services (0.77%), transport (0.59%), insurance (0.42%) and real estate (0.3%). As many as eight stocks gained, while 43 declined and one was unchanged.Major shakers in the main market include Ooredoo, Gulf Warehousing, QLM, Inma Holding, Widam Food, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, QNB, Qatar Oman Investment, Mannai Corporation, Baladna, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Estithmar Holding, Qamco and Vodafone Qatar. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value. Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Dukhan Bank, Dlala, Beema and Nakilat were among the movers in the main market.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking expanded significantly to QR1.75bn compared to QR7.86mn the previous day. However, the foreign funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.45bn against net sellers of QR17.68mn on Wednesday. The local retail investors’ net buying increased considerably to QR143.08mn compared to QR12.31mn on November 19.The domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened substantially to QR142.35mn against QR14.02mn the previous day. The Arab individual investors’ net buying grew noticeably to QR9.5mn compared to QR4.93mn on Wednesday. The foreign retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR1.86mn against net sellers of QR5.28mn on November 19.The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.39mn compared with net profit takers of QR0.43mn the previous day. The Arab funds had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session. The main market saw trade volumes more than double to 298.99mn shares and value jump more than five-fold to QR2.53bn on 17% growth in deals to 33,003. In the venture market, a total of 0.09mn equities valued at QR0.19mn changed hands across 13 transactions.

The Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Rwanda Prudence Sebahizi affirmed that the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the Rwandan capital Kigali reflects the depth of relations between the two countries and represents an important milestone in enhancing co-operation across various fields, especially economic and investment sectors.Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sebahizi stated that bilateral relations have grown so fast and "built on mutual trust and co-operation, in Rwanda and Qatar, we have been trading to each other, but we also have other development co-operation, especially on the side of investment. Currently, Qatar Airways is investing in RWANDAIR, and jointly they are investing in the new airport in Rwanda, which is a good opportunity for Rwanda to position itself as a logistic hub, given our geographic location and also our relations with the rest of African countries". He added: "Our trade has grown more than 30%, which is a good indication that we have a lot of potential to trade to each other.Rwanda has been exporting coffee to Qatar. But at the same time we do import petroleum products and fertilisers and we think there is much more aspects of cooperation, especially in logistics and also innovation and ICT". The Minister pointed out: "Recently, we have signed a number of MoUs covering different areas of collaboration like ICT, education, agriculture, innovation, and so many others.This gives us assurance that there will be growing investment, even if today we don't have the size of investment on record, the most expected investment is the current project of expanding Kigali International Airport, and also investment in RWANDAIR". Sebahizi explained that Rwanda is a promising investment and tourism destination due to its stability and business-friendly environment, having ranked highly in World Bank reports on ease of doing business, making it one of the leading regional destinations for investment in tourism, hospitality, and technology sectors. In terms of ICT, he said, " Rwanda has been leading in ICT over the last 25 years in the region and the continent.We are among the best countries in the world in terms of policy framework to promote ICT. Again, I see Rwanda as a hub for investing in ICT". He added that Rwanda's membership in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) enhances its position as a key economic and trade centre connecting regional and international markets, stressing that co-operation with the State of Qatar could contribute to expanding economic development prospects at both bilateral and regional levels.Regarding his vision for strengthening co-operation between the two countries, Sebahizi said: " We also see it as a very good opportunity in terms of cooperation, because there is a lot we can learn from each other, the two countries that have the same vision, that have visionary leaders.There is a lot we can learn from that high-level leadership and also that friendship the two countries are enjoying". Concluding his remarks, Sebahizi addressed Qatari investors, inviting them to explore the promising opportunities Rwanda offers, affirming that his country enjoys political and economic stability and adopts transparent legal and regulatory frameworks that ensure investor protection.

HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah al-Attiyah met Tuesday with a host of fishermen to explore the challenges facing the fishing sector and ways to advance this sector in pursuit of increasing domestic production and achieving self-sufficiency. The ministry highly prioritizes the fishing sector as part of its strategy to achieve sustainable development and is working to execute integrated plans and programs to optimize fishermen's working environment, in addition to having infrastructure and services in place to back these activities, al-Attiyah highlighted. Al-Attiyah further outlined that the ministry has been committed to constantly reaching out to fishermen and listening to their suggestions and feedback onsite to ensure the enforcement of practical solutions that help elevate domestic production efficiency from fish and enhance the quality of national products in alignment with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. The meeting was part of a series of the ministry's meetings with a variety of partners in the food security system within an all-hands-on-deck approach that promotes integration between public and private sectors to achieve self-sufficiency from farm, livestock, and seafood products.

China's value-added industrial output expanded 6.5% year-on-year in September, official data showed on Monday. The growth accelerated from a 5.2% rise in August, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. In the first nine months of this year, China's industrial output increased by 6.2% compared to the same period last year. The industrial output is used to measure the activity of large enterprises, each with an annual main business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about USD 2.82 million). A breakdown of the data showed that the manufacturing sector's value-added output increased by 7.3% year-on-year last month, while that of mining grew by 6.4%. The value-added output of the electricity, heat, gas, and water production and supply sector rose by 0.6%.

More than 300 global personalities will attend the 2025 Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah International Energy Awards, which will take place in Doha on October 22.The ceremony and gala dinner will welcome over 300 global leaders from across the energy sector, including CEOs, policymakers, and experts, to celebrate the lifetime achievements of six distinguished individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the industry.The event’s Gold Sponsor is ExxonMobil.TotalEnergies supports the awards as a Silver Sponsor.“Their involvement underscores a shared dedication to advancing dialogue on energy and sustainability”, Al-Attiyah Foundation said in a release. Speaking ahead of the ceremony, HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, Chairman of the Al-Attiyah Foundation, said:“The awards are a unique opportunity to bring together the energy community to celebrate those whose dedication and achievements continue to inspire progress and innovation. We look forward to welcoming our guests to Doha for what promises to be an exceptional evening.”The awards form part of the Al Attiyah Foundation’s wider mission to foster dialogue, share expertise, and promote sustainable development through its research, roundtables, and knowledge-sharing platforms.The Foundation’s achievements and growth are made possible by its esteemed member organisations, which include some of the world’s most influential companies:QatarEnergy, Qatar Electricity & Water Co., Woqod, QNB, QatarEnergy LNG, Dolphin Energy, Qatar Shell, QAPCO (Qatar Petrochemical Company), Marubeni, ConocoPhillips, QAFCO (Qatar Fertiliser Company), Sasol, Q-Chem, Gulf Helicopters, Qatar Cool, JTA Holding and QFZ (Qatar Free Zones).

Lebanon's Minister of Public Health Dr. Rakan Nassereddine highlighted the depth of the distinguished relations between the State of Qatar and Lebanon, praising Qatar's leadership in the health sector. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Lebanese Health Minister affirmed that the relations between the two countries date back many years and are based on a shared commitment to supporting and developing them in various fields. He praised the significant development witnessed by the State of Qatar across various sectors, particularly in the health field, noting that Qatar represents an advanced model to be emulated in integrated healthcare systems both regionally and internationally. He stressed Qatar's steadfast support for Lebanon and its continued assistance, especially in the health sector, highlighting the ongoing cooperation with the Qatar Fund for Development in the reconstruction of Karantina Hospital. He explained that Qatar's support for the Lebanese health sector has been present throughout various stages — starting from the COVID-19 pandemic, through the Beirut Port explosion, and up to the recent Israeli aggression against Lebanon--affirming that this continuous support reflects the depth of the fraternal relations between the two countries. The Minister also referred to his recent visit to Doha to participate in the 6th Global Ministerial Summit on Mental Health, noting the meetings he held with several officials from Qatar Charity, the Qatar Cancer Society, the Qatar Fund for Development, and the Qatar Red Crescent, during which ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the health and humanitarian fields were discussed. Dr. Nassereddine expressed his gratitude to the State of Qatar for its continued support to Lebanon, affirming his country's readiness to strengthen health cooperation and exchange expertise, particularly in crisis response and in dealing with injuries resulting from disasters and wars. He emphasized the importance of Arab partnerships, including with Qatar, to support Lebanon's health sector, which suffers from limited resources but at the same time boasts highly qualified and skilled professionals. He revealed an improvement in healthcare coverage for patients under the supervision of the Lebanese Ministry of Health, through the expansion of medication protocols — especially for cancer treatment — along with the gradual inclusion of kidney transplants and heart valve procedures, in addition to enhancing mental health support, particularly for chronic cases. The Minister of Public Health, pointed out that the ministry's 2024 budget amounted to around $445 million, while the 2025 budget is approximately $480 million, noting that more than $200 million of this amount is allocated to hospital care.

The Arab region’s renewable energy sector attracted some 360 FDI projects with investments of $351bn in 22 years up to 2024, a report by Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) has shown.This, the report noted, provided more than 83,000 jobs during the period from January 2003-December 2024.According to Dhaman, Qatar is among countries that lead investment and business attraction in power and energy.In its second report for 2025 on the Arab power and renewable energy sector, the Kuwait-based Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation noted five countries - Egypt, Morocco, the UAE, Mauritania and Jordan, made up approximately 69% of the number of projects (248 projects), around 83% of the Capex ($291bn), and 82% of the new jobs (approximately 68,000 jobs).It added that the top 10 companies investing in the power sector in each index accounted for around 25% of the number of implemented projects, 40% of Capex, and 38% of the total new jobs.Five Arab countries: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt, invested in 90 inter-Arab renewable energy projects, accounting for roughly 25% of the sector’s foreign projects over 22 years. These projects were implemented with Capex of approximately $113bn, or more than 32% of the total Capex of the FDI projects in the sector, providing approximately 22,000 jobs.Based on Fitch Ratings’ assessment of investment and business risks and rewards in the electricity and energy sector in 14 Arab countries, by monitoring and measuring two main indicators, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman topped the Arab rankings as the best and most attractive Arab countries for investment in the power and energy sector in 2025. They were followed by Morocco, Egypt and Algeria respectively.Generated electricity in the Arab region (15 countries) is likely to surge by 4.2% to exceed 1,500 terawatt-hours by the end of 2025 and is even projected to keep rising to 1,754 terawatt-hours by 2030. Electricity generation is largely concentrated geographically, with five countries - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Iraq and Algeria – making up 74% of the region’s total electricity generation by the end of 2025, it said. The report noted that electricity consumption in Arab countries is forecast to edge up by 3.5% to 1,296 terawatt-hours by the end of 2025, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Algeria and Kuwait accounting for 74% of the region’s total electricity consumption: around 958 terawatt-hours.It added that average per capita electricity generated in Arab countries is forecast to go up by 3.1% to 8.6 thousand kilowatt-hours by the end of 2025, amid forecasts of a hike to roughly 9.6 thousand kilowatt-hours by 2030.Arab foreign trade in power generation equipment and electric current shot up by 8% to approximately $39.2bn in 2024, with five countries – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq and Qatar – making up 81% of the total.This is the result of a surge in power generation equipment and electric current exports of Arab countries by 9% to roughly $7.6bn and its imports by 7.8% to more than $31.5bn in 2024. The list of the region’s top 10 exporting countries made up around 78% of total Arab electricity and power generation equipment imports, valued at $24.7bn.Turkiye topped the list as the region’s top electricity exporter, with a value of $446mn, while the United States came as the largest power generation equipment exporter, with a value of $6.6bn, according to the report.It noted that the list of the region’s top 10 importing countries represented 58% of total Arab electricity and power generation equipment exports worth $4.4bn. Libya topped the list as the region’s largest importer of electricity, with a value of $59mn, while France ranked as the region’s largest power generation equipment importer with a value of $593mn.

In our research project — Assessing Employability Skills and Workforce Needs in Qatar’s Manufacturing Sector: A Skills Need Analysis (Qatar Research Development and Innovation grant PTP01-0714-240004) — we surveyed about 140 owners, directors, managers, and HR professionals across 17 subsectors. The survey covered 38 skills grouped into seven domains (basic skills, thinking skills, resource management skills, informational skills, interpersonal skills, system and technology skills, and personal qualities and values).As Qatar accelerates industrial diversification under the National Development Strategy, manufacturers are clear about the skills they will need in the future: higher-order cognitive skills and interpersonal competencies built on safety-first cultures.The most important personal values were “work safety” (99.3%) and “integrity” (97.2%). Closely followed by thinking and teamwork: “Problem solving” (90.9%) led cognitive skills, and teamwork (90.1%) topped interpersonal skills.Communication basics are also foundational. Respectively, 86.1% and 84.7% of the respondents rated sharing ideas clearly and effectively in conversations and presentations (speaking) and understanding and responding appropriately to spoken messages and body language (listening) as “very important”, with strong scores for understanding written information, like instructions or schedules, to complete tasks effectively (76.1%) and writing messages, reports, and instructions clearly and accurately (69.0%). The use of basic math to solve problems was more role-specific: only 39.2% called it “very important,” and nearly a quarter were neutral.When it comes to higher-order thinking, decision-making (63.2% “very important”) and learning (79.0%) were prioritised ahead of creativity. Creative thinking drew a split verdict — 22.2% “very important” and 61.1% “important” — while visualising data and diagrams reached 54.0% “very important.”Managing time and risk is essential. Risk management (93.0%) and time management (91.4%) were rated “very important,” with material management close behind (83.8%). By contrast, money management (23.2%) and human-resource management (26.1%) were far less frequently flagged as “very important,” reflecting that these skills are less critical.Digital fluency is now standard. Two-thirds (67.4%) rated “using computers for information” as “very important,” though fewer (37.1%) said the same about “acquiring and evaluating information.” On technology operations, respondents emphasised application over selection: applying technology (88.7%) and understanding systems (86.6%) outranked monitoring (71.1%), troubleshooting (67.6%), and selecting technology (68.3%).Finally, interpersonal expectations extend beyond teamwork. Cultural sensitivity registered an 85.3% “very important,” a nod to Qatar’s diverse workplaces, while negotiation (32.2%), leadership (29.6%), and “teaching others” (9.1%) are less essential.Why it matters: The pattern is an operations-first skill mix. Employers prize a safety-first culture and ethical conduct, underpinned by hands-on problem solving and disciplined time/risk management—supported by collaborative communication and digital fluency. In short, soft skills and higher-order thinking skills seem to be more important for future employment than basic technical or manual abilities. Higher-order cognitive and interpersonal competencies are essential for a modern, knowledge-based economy.What to do: Educational and training providers, as well as policymakers, should invest in safety standards, integrity and compliance training, real-world problem-solving drills, and applied technology modules to keep talent job-ready for Qatar’s evolving manufacturing sector and dynamic economy.Charbel Bassil is associate professor of Economics at Qatar University. Jalal Qanas is assistant professor of Economics at Qatar University.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index rose by 0.40% at the beginning of trading Wednesday, increasing its balance by 44.12 points to reach 11,165 points, compared to the previous session's close, with support from most sectors.Figures from QSE showed a positive performance in most sectors, as the Banking and Financial Services sector rose by 0.58%, Industrial by 0.34%, Real Estate by 0.28%, Consumer Goods and Services by 0.19%, Telecoms by 0.11%, and Insurance by 0.01%, while Transportation recorded a negative performance of 0.12%.At 10:00 AM, QSE recorded 4,259 transactions worth QAR 92.856 million, and distributed over 40.217 million shares.

QNB Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, organised the Open Recruitment Day which witnessed a large turnout of Qatari national graduates and talents seeking careers in the banking sector, supporting job nationalization plan within Qatar National Vision 2030 for sustainable economic growth. This initiative is part of QNB's ongoing programs, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, to implement this plan in line with the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030 aimed at empowering citizens to increasingly participate in the labour market, providing them with unique job opportunities in the financial sector, QNB Group said in a press release. Senior Executive Vice President - Group Human Capital in QNB Group Abdullah Nasser Al Khalifa said: "The significant participation in the event clearly reflets Qatari youth's confidence in QNB as an employer of choice, on the one hand, and our commitment to engage more local talent across various roles, on the other hand. This initiative aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030 which places great emphasis on investing in our youth to support Qatar's sustainable development." "Our strong partnership with the Ministry of Labor demonstrates the success of the bank's nationalization strategy, strengthening the role of local talent in the sector and developing the next generation of leaders, while ensuring diversity and equal opportunity," he added. The event served as an active platform for participants to explore an array of career paths offered the bank and to apply for current openings. They also learned about current training opportunities, scholarships, and leadership development programs to support their career progression and prepare them for future leadership roles within the bank. This initiative underscores QNB's efforts in workforce nationalization which represents a major priority. The bank actively supports job localization, having more than 60% of its total workforce. The proportion of Qatari nationals holding leadership and senior positions increased to 76%, while women represent about 64% from the total Qatari workforce in the bank. At the branch level, the bank has achieved a 100% Qatarization rate for branch managers.

Qatar's non-energy sector rose for the seventh consecutive month, indicating the country's resilience amidst tariff uncertainties and elevated volatility in the global economy, particularly in the first half (H1) of 2025, according to the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows will remain strong and is expected to pick up towards the tail-end of 2025, QFC said in its latest update."Qatar’s non-oil private sector PMI (purchasing managers’ index) averaged 51.1 for H1-2025 despite tariff uncertainty and geo-political risks. Qatar’s non-energy sector maintained its growth into second half of 2025," QFC said.Qatar’s economy continues to do well with the Standard & Poor Global PMI showing that the non-oil sector remains in expansion territory, while FDI inflows continue to increase and banking assets grow by 9% on an annualised basis. The real estate sector remains robust after a strong H1-2025.Inward FDI into Qatar has been comparatively strong in 2025, with the country having attracted $2.4bn (more than 86% of 2024 total FDI inflows) in FDI capex so far this year, the report said, adding FDI inflows into Qatar for 2025 have also contributed to the creation of 8,262 jobs so far."With four months left until the end of 2025, Qatar is well placed to attract FDI inflows in line with those witnessed in 2024 of $2.8bn," QFC said.Data from 2020-24 indicated that on average the last four months of the year see FDI inflows of $342.8mn on average, it said.Highlighting that the UAE, France and the US are the top three markets contributing to Qatar’s FDI inflows; the report said together these three contributed a total of $1.52bn or 62.9% of all FDI inflows into Qatar so far in 2025."The strong flow of inward FDI highlights the positive sentiment investors continue to have towards Qatar. We remain positive that FDI inflows will remain strong for the remainder of the year, as historically FDI inflows tend to pick up towards the tail-end of the year," the report said.Real estate transactions amounted to QR6bn in the second quarter of 2025, an 88.9% increase on an annualised basis. This growth builds on the momentum gained in the first quarter of 2025 where real estate activity totalled QR4.1bn, putting real estate deals for 2025 in excess of QR10.1bn, which is QR2.5bn more than in H1-2024.As of August 31, 2025, real estate activity equated to QR804mn with residential property accounting for 17% (QR137.1mn) of Qatar’s total real estate activity.The Qatar Stock Exchange was largely flat in August with the index rising from 11,187.76 on the first trading day 11,222.33 on the last trading day.

Qatar’s PMI climbing to 51.9 in August indicates accelerating non-oil private sector activity in the country, according to Oxford Economics.Last month, the PMI climbed to 51.9, which Oxford Economics noted is “fuelled by the fastest job creation and employment growth in the region”.Business activity in the GCC’s non-oil private sector continued to strengthen in August, Oxford Economics said.The UAE’s PMI rose to 53.3 from July’s four-year low of 52.9, driven by faster output growth. Saudi Arabia’s PMI edged up slightly to 56.4, supported by stronger client demand and infrastructure projects.“Overall, the GCC's non-oil private sector has seen sustained expansion this year, and we expect 4% growth in the region's non-oil output this year,” Oxford Economics said.In Saudi Arabia, credit growth slowed to 15.2% y/y in August but remained well above deposit growth of 8.4%. A sharper drop in mortgage lending suggests softer real estate activity, although consumer credit stayed strong.“We expect early interest rate cuts to support credit demand, likely pushing the average loan-to-deposit ratio to a new high. This could raise liquidity concerns in the coming months, especially if deposit growth continues to lag,” Oxford Economics noted.In a recent report the researcher noted Qatar's fiscal balance is estimated to scale up to 5.4% (of country’s GDP) in 2026 from 1.8% this year.A growing fiscal balance signals improved macroeconomic stability and a stronger ability to manage government debt in the country, an analyst noted.In an indication of the country’s level of international competitiveness, Qatar’s current account will improve further reaching 18.3% of the country’s GDP in 2026, from 17.5% this year.Qatar’s real GDP growth has been forecast at 2.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) this year, rising to 4.8% in 2026.Inflation has been forecast at 0.4% this year and 2.8% in 2026.In its last country report, Oxford Economics noted Qatar’s GDP growth “will more than double” in 2026-2027, with both the energy and non-energy sectors contributing positively this year and beyond, according to Oxford Economics.