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The Qatari German Medical Devices (QGMD) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dawa Holdi Egypt and Dawa USA, as part of its strategy to strengthen its regional and international presence.This partnership aims to introduce the company’s products to the Egyptian market to meet essential medical needs, localise their manufacturing in Egypt, and expand across the African continent through the marketing and distribution of medical products.The MoU also seeks to increase the volume of Qatari exports to European and American markets, the company said in its regulatory filing with the Qatar Stock Exchange.QGMD affirms that this step comes as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance its operational and financial performance, in a way that positively reflects on its shareholders and strengthens its position in the medical manufacturing sector at both the regional and global levels.

The price of gold in the Qatari market declined by 4.39 percent over the past week, reaching USD 3,931.97000 per ounce, according to data released by Qatar National Bank (QNB). QNB data showed that the price of gold decreased from USD 4,112.68700 recorded last Sunday.As for other precious metals, silver fell by 2.28 percent on a weekly basis to reach USD 47.52000 per ounce, down from USD 48.63250 at the start of the week. Platinum fell by 1.18 percent, reaching USD 1,594.60000 per ounce, compared to USD 1613.80040 at the beginning of the week.

Visit Qatar is set to participate in the World Travel Market (WTM) 2025, from Nov 4–6 at ExCeL London, leading a delegation of 48 partners, including hotels, resorts, and destination management companies.As one of the world’s leading global travel and tourism exhibitions, WTM serves as a strategic platform to spotlight Qatar’s diverse tourism offering, strengthen partnerships, and attract new business and investment opportunities in line with the country’s national tourism strategy.Visit Qatar will present the country’s expanding tourism ecosystem within the dedicated Qatar Pavilion, located at Stand S8-210.The Qatar Pavilion will feature a two-level design covering 700sq m with an additional 150sq m mezzanine, offering engaging spaces for networking and business meetings.The stand will immerse visitors in Qatar’s rich culture and modern experiences through a series of creative activations and showcases.Highlights include a range of engaging and interactive activations including a dedicated cultural zone featuring live demonstrations of calligraphy, Kohl and perfume making, offering visitors an authentic glimpse into Qatari traditions and craftsmanship. Guests will also enjoy a taste of Qatari hospitality through the Qinwan coffee and dates experience.To further enhance visitor engagement, a special 4D immersive activation will bring Meryal Waterpark to life through multi-sensory visual, audio, and water effects, providing an exhilarating preview of one of Qatar’s newest attractions. In addition, a dedicated Qatar Calendar showcase will offer insights into the country’s upcoming events, festivals, and cultural celebrations throughout the year.

South Korea's central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Thursday to maintain financial stability amid a red-hot housing market and a weakening currency. In a widely expected decision, the Monetary Policy Board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) held its key rate steady at 2.5% during its rate-setting meeting in Seoul. But its policy room has been limited as surging home prices in Seoul and nearby areas have fueled household debt. The government has rolled out a series of measures to cool the real estate market. Most recently, the government designated 21 additional districts in Seoul as speculative zones, bringing all 25 districts in the capital under tougher regulations. The local currency has fallen well below 1,420 per dollar, its lowest level in months, amid the continued strength of the US dollar and uncertainties surrounding tariff negotiations with the United States, and a rate cut could further weaken the won and trigger capital outflows. The local currency opened at 1,431.8 per dollar Thursday, down 2 won from the previous session. Thursday's decision left the gap between South Korea's and the US' key interest rates at up to 1.75 percentage points. At its September meeting, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate.

Minister of Labour of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mohamed Abdel Aziz Gibran discussed with His Excellency Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli, Board Member of the Qatar Chamber, ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the economic and investment fields and to encourage Qatari investors to enter the Egyptian market. The two sides also reviewed Egypt's labor law during the meeting and explored mechanisms to overcome challenges facing investors in the Egyptian labor market. During the discussions, he reviewed the latest amendments to the Egyptian Labour Law, which include the establishment of an emergency fund to support workers and struggling companies, as well as the creation of an entity dedicated to training and upgrading workers' skills. He noted that the new law aims to foster a stimulating work environment conducive to investment and to support a secure and stable investment climate in Egypt. The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of the Minister's recent visit to Qatar, during which he met with representatives of the Qatari private sector. The visit resulted in positive understandings aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of labor, training, and employment. For his part, Al Obaidli praised the deep fraternal relations between Qatar and Egypt, affirming the Qatar Chamber's keenness to expand cooperation between the two countries across economic, commercial, and investment domains.

The US dollar index edged lower on Wednesday after a three-day rally, as the greenback retreated during Asian trading amid market volatility triggered by a sharp fall in gold prices, which rebalanced flows across safe-haven assets. The dollar was last down 0.1% at 151.74 yen, after data showed that Japan's exports rose in September for the first time in five months. The dollar index, which measures the performance of the US currency against six major peers, stood at 98.84, down 0.1%. The euro rose 0.1% to $1.1613, while the pound sterling was steady at $1.3379. The Australian dollar gained 0.2% to $0.6503, and the New Zealand dollar also advanced 0.2% to $0.5753.

Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) has announced the adoption and launch of a new trading surveillance system on the financial market, which aims to enhance the efficiency of surveillance operations, protect market dealers and ensure the application of the highest standards of transparency and integrity. The announcement came on the sidelines of QFMA's participation in the Nasdaq Surveillance Conference which was held in Toronto, Canada with an official delegation headed by His Excellency Chief Executive Officer of QFMA Dr. Tamy Bin Ahmad Al Binali. QFMA explained that the new trading surveillance system was implemented by Nasdaq, a global leader in financial technology solutions and market surveillance systems. The new system will position QFMA alongside its global peers in the field of financial market surveillance. It will also enhance the QFMA's efforts to swiftly and smoothly detect any suspicious transactions or unusual transactions. Furthermore, parts of the new system have been developed using artificial intelligence-based software, making QFMA one of the first financial market regulators to use artificial intelligence in trading surveillance operations, thus increasing investor confidence in the Qatari financial market. The adoption and launch of this system are part of QFMA's strategic initiatives to develop the technical and regulatory infrastructure in financial markets, in line with global developments in the industry, and support the goals of building a developed and secure financial market in the State of Qatar. Nasdaq Surveillance Conference is a leading global forum for market surveillance professionals. This conference brings together senior executives, regulators, and industry experts to discuss emerging trends, regulatory challenges, and the latest technological advancements in the industry. The conference agenda includes interactive discussions featuring global experts from various countries, working sessions, and case studies, during which participants exchanged experiences that can contribute to strategic decision-making in the financial sector. Key themes discussed at the conference include "Surveillance at the speed of Change", "Global Regulatory Outlook", "Surveillance Lessons from Market Volatility events", "Deep Dives: Real Challenges, Real Solutions", "The AI Tipping Point in Surveillance", and "Future Casting: Surveillance by Design in 2030". In addition to the formal program, the conference features curated networking events designed to foster collaboration among peers, enable participants to build strategic partnerships and share best practices and experiences in the financial sector. The QFMA's participation in the conference provides a favorable opportunity to strengthen its global connections and enhance its regulatory strategies under which it operates. This will position it at the forefront of regulatory excellence and enhance its efforts in shaping a robust market infrastructure and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index rose at the beginning of Thursday's trading by 0.18%, gaining 19.29 points to reach 10,712 points, compared to the previous session's close, backed by four sectors. Market data showed gains in Banks and Financial Services (+0.20%), Industrials (+0.17%), Transportation (+0.09%), and Insurance (+0.08%). Meanwhile, the performance was negative for Consumer Goods and Services (-0.13%), Real Estate (-0.17%), and Telecoms (-0.27%). By 10:00 am, QSE reported a turnover of QR 45.349 million from 16.695 million shares traded across 3,124 transactions.

Kuwait Bourse closed trading on Sunday as the All Share Index lost 4.11 points to reach 8,775.99 points, a decrease of 0.05 percent. As many as 780.3 million shares valued at KWD 138.2 million (roughly USD 483.7 million) were traded via 38,117 transactions. The Main Market Index went up by 63.12 points to reach 8,491.54 points, an increase of 0.75 percent, through 551.5 million shares done via 26,978 transactions valued at KWD 73.8 million (roughly USD 225 million). The Premier Market Index lost 21.09 points to reach 9,280.56, down by 0.23 percent, through 228.8 million shares done via 11,139 transactions valued at KWD 64.3 million (roughly USD 196.11 million). Meanwhile, the bourse Main 50 Index went down by 32.31 points to reach 8,712.31 points, a decrease of 0.37 percent, through stock volume of 348 million shares done in 14,844 deals at a value of KWD 48.3 million (roughly USD 169 million).

Total value of contracts awarded in Qatar saw a 116% jump year-on-year this third quarter (Q3) as Doha's successful bid to host the 2030 Asian Games laid solid foundation for the projects market, Kamco Invest, a regional non-banking entity, has said.In contrast, total value of contracts awarded across the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) region fell after four of the six countries recorded year-on-year decreases in project awards during Q3-2025 as geopolitical conflict in the Middle East continue to persist and weigh on risk appetite, Kamco Invest said in its latest report, quoting MEED Projects.Total value of contracts awarded in Qatar surged by 115.9% year-on-year to $13.6bn in Q3-2025."This growth was partially driven by preparations relating to Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2030 Asian Games, which is expected to catalyse a vast array of industrial and infrastructure projects aimed at building, preparing, and upgrading facilities for the event," Kamco said.In the first nine months of 2025, the total value of projects awarded in Qatar improved 27.6% year-on-year to $20.5bn.In terms of sectoral performance, the oil and gas sectors led with the highest values of contracts awarded during Q3-2025 at $6bn and $5bn, respectively.Moreover, total value of projects awarded in the power sector reached $2.3bn in Q3-2025, up from zero awards in Q3-2024. Notable projects awarded during the quarter included about $4bn of contracts won by China Offshore Oil Engineering for the Bul Hanine offshore oil field, located 120 KM offshore in the Gulf waters.The scope entails maintenance and increased oil production at the Bul Hanine field, including installation of four wellhead platforms requiring 80,000 tonnes of fabrication work, expansion of existing offshore production stations, and construction of living quarters.The GCC region saw 27% year-on-year plunge in aggregate value of awards to $54.8bn in Q3-2025, the second-lowest figure in the last ten quarters. This downturn was primarily driven by a sharp contraction in project awards in Saudi Arabia, together with a similar weak performance in the UAE, both of which saw significant year-on-year declines in awards during the period.However, contract awards are expected to gain momentum in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven primarily by recoveries in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.“Despite a strong project pipeline, overall project awards in 2025 in the GCC are expected to decline and fall short of the 2024 record contract awards,” Kamco said.Overall, the GCC’s pipeline of pre-execution stage contracts totals $1.78tn. The construction sector holds the largest share of the contracts in the pipeline at 35%, equivalent to $624.2bn, followed by transport ($300bn) and power ($294.2bn).According to MEED, the GCC power sector has at least 29 independent power projects (IPPs) at the bidding or bid-evaluation stages, mainly led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.One of the notable leading power projects under tender or in bid evaluation in the near term is the 3,000MW Al-Sadawi 2 solar IPP.

Kuwait Bourse closed trading on Thursday as the All Share Index lost 31.48 points to reach 8,780.10 points, a decrease of 0.36 percent. As many as 695.9 million shares valued at KWD 126.4 million (roughly USD 385.5 million) were traded via 33,042 transactions. The Main Market Index rose 4.77 points to reach 8,428.42 points, up by 0.06 percent, through 452.6 million shares done via 22,357 transactions valued at KWD 59.15 million (roughly USD 180.4 million). The Premier Market Index lost 42.08 points to reach 9,301.65 points, down by 0.45 percent, through 243.3 million shares done via 10,685 transactions valued at KWD 67.3 million (roughly USD 205.2 million). Meanwhile, the bourse Main 50 Index gained 0.49 points to reach 8,744.62 points, up by 0.01 percent, through stock volume of 255.9 million shares done in 11,841deals at a value of KWD 36.5 million (roughly USD 111.3 million).

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index rose at the beginning of Sunday's trading by 0.38%, gaining 41.56 points to reach 10,904 points, compared to the previous session's close, supported by four sectors. Market data showed gains in Banks and Financial Services (+0.53%), Consumer Goods and Services (+0.51%), Industrials (+0.44%), and Real Estate (+0.20%). Meanwhile, the performance was negative for Telecoms (-0.05%), Transportation (-0.07%), and Insurance (-0.08%). By 10:00 am, QSE reported a turnover of QR 52.797 million from 26.503 million shares traded across 2,352 transactions.