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Potential prospects for a significant rise in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production could mitigate the impact of the present geopolitical uncertainty on Qatar, which is expected to continue with its plans to expand LNG production capacity and show real growth of more than 10% in 2027, according to Fitch Ratings."Its strong balance sheet and credible prospects for a significant rise in LNG production mitigate the impact of the Iran war," Fitch said, affirming Qatar's long-term foreign-currency (LTFC) issuer default rating (IDR) at 'AA' with a "stable" outlook.The rating agency expects QatarEnergy to continue with its plans to expand LNG production capacity to 126mn tonnes per year (Mtpa) by end-2027 from 77Mtpa in 2025, and has announced further expansion to 142 Mtpa by end-2030."Our baseline assumes logistical challenges due to the war will delay the completion of the first phase of the North Field expansion, with the first new LNG trains only starting operations in 2027, compared with our previous expectations for late 2026," Fitch said.Fitch assumes the country's hydrocarbons bellwether and its foreign partners will continue to invest in expanding production after the current conflict.Expecting a small surplus this year, Fitch projects the general government budget surplus (including investment income) to narrow in 2026 to 0.3% of GDP (gross domestic product), from 2.8% in 2025, reflecting a mix of lower hydrocarbon revenue and higher spending in order to mitigate the impact of weak tourism, travel and risk perception on the non-oil economy.Although economic growth in 2026 is expected to fall on lower energy production and a significant slowdown in non-oil activity, in particular transport and tourism; Fitch said North Field projects would support both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon growth over 2027-30, and "we project GDP growth of over 10% in 2027."Funding needs (general government budget, excluding the Qatar Investment Authority's estimated investment income) would reach 3.8% of GDP, according to the report."Under our baseline scenario, we project the general government budget surplus to rise in 2027, to 4.1% of GDP and over 7% by 2030 as LNG production increases," it said, projecting budget balance excluding investment income to be in surplus from 2027 and Qatar to transfer most its surpluses to the QIA for investment abroad.Expecting Qatar to cover its funding needs in 2026 through a mix of central bank overdrafts, domestic and global market sources and drawdown on the Ministry of Finance's deposits in the banking sector; it said, "We project debt to rise to 54% of GDP in 2026, above the forecast 'AA' median of 49.3%, before edging down due to strong nominal GDP growth."Estimating that sovereign net foreign assets (SNFA)/GDP rose to 227% in 2025 (sovereign wealth fund assets are not reported); it said in an adverse scenario of a much longer closure of the Strait of Hormuz or significant capital outflows, Qatar may call on some of the QIA's assets as a backstop.A large share of the QIA's assets can be liquidated at short notice. SNFA will rise due to fiscal surpluses until the end of the decade, although they remain vulnerable to financial market fluctuations."We project SNFA at 229% of GDP at end-2027, assuming no stock market appreciation. This is well above the 'AA' median of 45.3% for 2025," it added. 

QIIB, rated ‘A2’ by Moody’s with a stable outlook and ‘A’ by Fitch Ratings with a stable outlook, announced the successful issuance of a $500mn senior unsecured Sukuk with a five-year maturity, issued under 'Regulation S' as part of the bank’s existing $2bn Trust Certificate Issuance Programme. The transaction attracted strong demand from regional and international investors, with total orders exceeding $2bn — more than four times the issue size, QIIB said Saturday. This remarkable demand underscores investor confidence in QIIB and reflects the continued strength and resilience of Qatar’s economy, which continues to offer attractive investment opportunities across diverse sectors. The sukuk was priced at a profit rate of 85 basis points above the five-year US Treasury rate, with a final yield of 4.548% per year — one of the most competitive pricing levels achieved by Islamic financial institutions for similar issuances. Notably, allocations to investors outside the GCC exceeded 49% of the transaction. The issuance was arranged and marketed by a syndicate of leading global and regional banks acting as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners, including: Al Rayan Investment LLC, ABC Bank, Citi, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dukhan Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, HSBC, Mashreq, QNB Capital, Standard Chartered Bank, ICBC, and The First Investor. Ahead of the issuance, QIIB conducted a global investor call, followed by a series of virtual meetings and in-person investor meetings in London recently. Commenting on the successful issuance, QIIB Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abdulbasit Ahmad al-Shaibei, stated: **media[379021]** “The successful completion of this sukuk issuance represents a significant milestone that reaffirms QIIB’s strong financial position and the continued confidence of global investors in both the bank and the Qatari economy, which remains robust and highly attractive to investors. The issuance received strong demand from a wide range of investors across different regions, reflecting QIIB’s standing as a leading Islamic financial institution.” He noted, “The competitive pricing and strong order book demonstrate QIIB’s sustained appeal in international capital markets, supported by our solid credit ratings, high operational efficiency, and prudent risk management. This issuance further contributes to diversifying the bank’s funding base and supports the growth plans approved by our Board of Directors.” Al-Shaibei also highlighted QIIB’s consistent track record in the sukuk market, noting: “QIIB has a solid and proven history in sukuk issuances. We previously issued Additional Tier 1 Sukuk and other sukuk that were significantly oversubscribed by investors worldwide. We were also the first Qatari institution to issue a 'Sustainable Sukuk', which attracted exceptional interest from sustainability-focused funds — enhancing our global profile and diversifying our investor base.” He concluded: “We will continue to strengthen the bank’s portfolio and expand our presence in international capital markets, in line with QIIB’s strategic direction and Qatar National Vision 2030.”