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Qatar News Agency (QNA) launched Sunday a specialised training course on concepts of government protocol and etiquette, receiving VIPs, agreement signing ceremonies, and the priority system, as part of the training programmes organised by the QNA Training Center, with the aim of developing the professional capabilities of staff and raising their efficiency in the field of institutional and diplomatic work.Presented by Dr Saadon bin Hussein al-Hamdani, the training course will be held at QNA training halls at QNA's headquarters for five days, with the participation of some employees from the agency's diverse departments and sections.The course aims to enable participants to understand the concepts of government protocol and etiquette, enhance their skills in official dealings and receiving VIPs, and to organise official ceremonies and events according to locally and internationally approved professional standards.The course will address several key topics, most notably: the art of diplomacy and the concepts of protocol and etiquette, theories and schools of governmental and social etiquette, international and local protocol, manners of dealing with others, organising international and local conferences and events, as well as the etiquette of handshakes, greetings and managing conversations.The course will also address the protocol for receiving VIPs and guests, the ceremonies for signing agreements, the etiquette at dining tables and exchanging gifts, in addition to the duties and powers of public relations staff, and public relations strategies and agendas and their impact on the reputation of the entity.At the end of the course, practical field applications will be implemented, allowing participants the opportunity to apply the skills they acquired during the training. This will be followed by an evaluation of their performance through a presentation of the participants' projects, along with the distribution of certificates, in recognition of their efforts and participation.The course is part of QNA training halls' plan, which was created to be an advanced platform for qualifying personnel in an interactive educational environment supported by the latest technical equipment, in order to enhance professional efficiency in various fields of institutional work. 

Qatar National Bank (QNB) discussed the key factors that will support economic growth in the ASEAN-6 economies during 2026 and contribute to a positive growth outlook, including the stabilization of the global trade environment and the decline in the severity of risks associated with trade protectionism, along with the easing of monetary conditions in advanced economies as well as within the ASEAN-6 countries.In recent decades, Southeast Asia has been the most dynamic region in the world, showcasing the brightest economic growth performance, QNB added in its weekly economic commentary.Within this region, the six largest countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN-6), which includes Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, have been among the fastest growing economies, with Singapore already reaching the status of an advanced economy.Trade is a major pillar of the economic growth model for the ASEAN-6 countries, and significant disruptions in international commerce can have a large impact on their performance.Trade and growth forecasts initially deteriorated sharply on fears of the impact of supply-chain disruptions, rocketing uncertainty, and potentially escalating trade wars. But despite a still-uncertain environment, the growth outlook for the ASEAN-6 group has been stable, with real GDP growth rates in 2026 expected to remain overall strong, similar to those of 2025.First, the global trade environment has begun to stabilize, as the U.S. reached agreements with an increasing number of trade partners, and there is no evidence of a negative impact of trade in the ASEAN-6 countries. The initially unyielding protectionism of the U.S. administration shifted towards pragmatism as agreements were reached with the U.K., Japan, and the E.U., among many others.Importantly, for the ASEAN-6, agreements were reached with Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Philippines, establishing a general tariff of 19% and lower rates for selected goods, while for Singapore the levy stands at 10%. Although these rates are higher than before Liberation Day, the end of the negotiations largely reduced the levels of uncertainty discarding the more extreme negative scenarios, and are still within a manageable range, especially as other competitors are also affected by new U.S. tariffs.Even as the U.S. has become more protectionist, the rest of the world is pursuing further integration via new or deeper trade agreements. In October, the ASEAN member states signed two major agreements: one improving cross-border flows within the group, and an upgrade of the ASEAN-China Free Trade framework. At the same time, negotiations began for an ASEAN-South Korea agreement. Furthermore, some ASEAN-6 countries appear to be benefiting from trade diversion as firms shift supply chains away from China.The impact of tariffs after Liberation Day on the ASEAN-6 economies has so far been negligible, with exports continuing to show monthly growth rates in the range of 10 to 20% in USD in annual terms. Even as the world adjusts to a more protectionist U.S., the outlook on global trade is improving, contributing to a more supportive growth scenario for the ASEAN-6 economies.Second, lower policy interest rates in the major advanced economies (AE), as well as in the ASEAN-6 countries, provide a better global environment for economic growth. Since 2024, the U.S. Federal Reserve has already lowered its policy rate by 175 basis points (bp) to 3.75% and is likely to bring it further down to a neutral level of 3.5%. In a similar period, the European Central Bank has lowered its benchmark policy rate by 200 bp to 2% and is likely to keep it unchanged during next year. Thus, policy interest rates in major AE are set to stabilize at lower levels than in recent years, providing better financial conditions for emerging economies.Similarly, central banks in the ASEAN-6 countries have implemented their own monetary easing cycles after inflation was brought under control following the post Covid-pandemic recovery. In these economies, the average increase in policy rates was 260 basis points (bps), to levels above those at the onset of the Covid-pandemic. As tight monetary policy brought inflation rates down to their target ranges, central banks reached a turning point and began to cut policy interest rates, reducing the cost of credit and boosting credit growth. Overall, looser monetary conditions in the AE as well as from the ASEAN-6 central banks provide better credit conditions for growth in the region.All in all, the growth outlook for the ASEAN-6 economies remains stable on the back of an improvement in the trade environment and more supportive monetary.

His Excellency Director-General of Qatar News Agency (QNA) Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi met on Tuesday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to the State of Qatar Juha Mustonen. The meeting discussed aspects of joint cooperation between the two countries in the field of media.

Qatar University (QU) and Qatar News Agency (QNA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation across various scientific, technical, research, and administrative fields. The MoU was signed by the President of QU Dr. Omar Mohammed Al Ansari and His Excellency Director-General of Qatar News Agency Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi. The MoU aims to strengthen collaboration between the two sides in exchanging expertise and information, including bulletins, periodicals, studies, statistics, and data, as well as organizing studies, research, conferences, meetings, and training programs. Furthermore, the agreement aims to provide job opportunities and cooperation in any other areas of mutual interest. The MoU also stipulates the organization and encouragement of research and studies of mutual interest between the agency and the university's media department, with the aim of acquiring academic expertise in preparing and editing news and media reports — written, visual, and interactive, as well as cooperation in employment, providing job opportunities, and any other related areas of mutual interest to both parties. On this occasion, His Excellency President of QU Dr. Omar Al Ansari said in a statement, "This partnership with QNA reflects our commitment to providing our students and graduates with meaningful opportunities that enhance their academic knowledge with practical experience." His Excellency Dr. Al Ansari pointed out that this reflects QU's continuous efforts to support various institutions in the country with its unique academic competencies. "By combining QU's academic excellence with QNA's distinguished media expertise, we aim to prepare a new generation of professionals equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to contribute effectively to Qatar's development and to the national media landscape," he added. For his part, His Excellency Director-General of QNA Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi highlighted the importance of this cooperation to achieve common goals and aspirations, expressing QNA's pride in this collaboration with QU — the prestigious national educational institution that spares no effort in preparing and qualifying national cadres capable of leading the path of progress, development, and sustainable growth. His Excellency said that this MoU comes in line with the QNA's vision to enhance cooperation with national academic institutions, noting that this promising cooperation, which includes the exchange of knowledge and expertise, coordination in holding events, and training and qualification, is a true investment in human capital and the future of Qatari media. He expressed his confidence that this cooperation will contribute to preparing a new generation of scientifically and practically qualified media professionals and will help transfer knowledge and exchange expertise that will benefit both parties and serve the development process in the State of Qatar. A new chapter in the integration of media and academic institutions under the umbrella of Qatar National Vision 2030 is being written, he said, expressing his hope that this will lead to larger and broader collaborative projects that achieve the common goals of both sides. His Excellency Director-General of QNA noted that this MoU will enable students to receive practical training in a newsroom environment and benefit from the agency's accumulated media expertise, adding that QNA will also work with QU's professors and researchers to contribute to enhancing the agency's media role at the national, regional, and international levels. In this context, His Excellency pointed out that QNA has halls that are fully equipped with the latest media and journalistic training equipment and devices, indicating that this comes in line with the agency's vision to develop its media cadres. This can also be used to train QU's media students and media cadres, equipping them with the necessary media and journalistic skills and preparing them to enter the job market, he continued. In a related context, he pointed out QNA's continued keenness to highlight the university's activities, its various faculties, and its scientific achievements as Qatar's "mother national university," commending the remarkable scientific and academic development the university is witnessing, which has enabled it to occupy advanced positions in the world's university rankings. HE Director-General of QNA concluded his statements by expressing QNA's belief that the promising future of media is built on solid foundations of science and knowledge, indicating that Qatar University is a key partner in shaping this future. This cooperation is the first step toward broader and deeper partnerships that will place Qatar at the forefront of media and academia, he added.

Qatar News Agency (QNA) launched on Sunday a specialized training course on photojournalism as part of the training programs organized by the QNA Training Center, which aim to develop and enhance the professional capabilities of media personnel in various fields of journalistic work. The three-day course will be delivered by media expert Sadah Suleiman Al-Kanani, with the participation of a number of agency staff, as well as employees from various media institutions and government agencies. The course aims to introduce participants to the basics of photojournalism and provide them with advanced skills in capturing newsworthy and visual images. It also aims to enable them to understand the subtle differences between emotional images and news images, and how to employ visually impactful images to serve a journalistic story. The course also covers several key topics, most notably the basics of photography for journalists, the concept of photojournalism and its role in covering events, the art of visual narrative in photojournalism, the difference between emotional and news photos, how to transform emotional photos into effective news tools, and the use of artificial intelligence in analyzing, editing, and documenting photos for journalistic purposes. This course comes as part of QNA's commitment to enhancing the professional competence of its media professionals and equipping them with modern tools that meet the demands of the contemporary media landscape, particularly with the development of artificial intelligence technologies and the expanding role of images in conveying information and shaping public opinion. The course also falls under the QNA Training Halls plan, which was established to provide an advanced platform for training media professionals in an interactive educational environment supported by the latest technical equipment.

HE Director-General of Qatar News Agency (QNA) Ahmed bin Saeed al-Rumaihi met Monday with Acting President of the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) Ali bin Abdullah Alzaid at the SPA headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance media co-operation and the exchange of expertise and experiences between the two agencies with the aim of establishing a partnership that serves the shared media objectives and aspirations of both sides.As part of the visit, the director-general toured the different departments of the Saudi Press Agency. He reviewed the workflow and mechanisms in the various editorial sections and was briefed on the latest systems and technologies used in digital publishing and to deliver high-quality news services.His Excellency also visited the SPA News Training Academy, where he was briefed on the training programmes offered to qualify media professionals.In a statement on the occasion, the QNA director-general said the visit reflects the commitment to strengthening bilateral co-operation between the two agencies, with the aim of achieving a strategic partnership that serves the media vision of both countries.His Excellency underscored the importance of strengthening and solidifying media co-operation between the news agencies of the two countries, elevating it to keep pace with the rapid development of bilateral relations in various fields. He also highlighted the importance of this co-operation in serving the shared journey of Gulf media.

Qatar News Agency (QNA), through its QNA Training Center, will resume its training programs for the last quarter of 2025, starting early September.QNA is set to launch a series of specialized courses covering topics such as news verification, social media monitoring and analysis, photojournalism, news documentation, and website content management and analysis.These courses, delivered by a team of experienced trainers, aim to equip participants with the latest professional field techniques and digital tools essential for journalism and media work.Participants will include employees from various media organizations and government entities, as well as staff members from different departments within QNA.These training programs are a continuation of QNA's approach to enhancing the skills of Qatari media professionals and developing their performance and professional efficiency.The courses are being held at the QNA Training Halls, which were inaugurated in March 2023, and equipped with state-of-the-art training technologies, helping to create an encouraging training environment that keeps pace with the rapid developments in the media landscape.