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Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports handled in excess of 103,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) this January, of which 39% was transshipment containers, according to official estimates. The country's maritime sector saw increased volumes of vehicles (RORO) handled through the three ports on an annualised basis in the review period, according to the data compiled by Mwani Qatar. However, the container movement declined 7.3% and 3.96% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in the review period. The container handling through the three ports stood at 103,372 TEUs. Hamad Port, the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, alone handled 102,875 TEUs of containers handled this January. The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhancing ease of doing business as well as supporting the achievement of economic diversification, one of the most important goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. The general and bulk cargo handled through the three ports amounted to 59,041 freight tonnes in January 2024, which shrank 48.01% and 57.07% on yearly and monthly basis respectively. Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock – handled as much as 56,484 freight tonnes of breakbulk in January this year. The container and cargo trends through the ports corroborates the Qatar Financial Center's purchasing managers' index, which has maintained that the country's non-oil private sector is in the pink of its health and the 12-month outlook remains bright. As many as 217 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in January 2024, which however was lower by 3.98% and 2.69% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. Hamad Port, whose strategic geographical location offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman, saw as many as 138 vessels call (excluding military) on the port in the review period. The three ports were seen handling 31,337 livestock in January 2024, which showed 24.16% plunge year-on-year but shot up 27.54% month-on-month. Hamad Port, which recently completed 5mn man-hours without any lost time injury, was seen handling as many as 8,000 heads in the review period. The building materials traffic through the three ports stood at 49,745 tonnes in January 2024, which plummeted 90.59% on an annualised basis even as it was up 1.14% month-on-month. The three ports handled 6,066 RORO in January 2024, which registered 6.27% growth year-on-year but tanked 27.26% on monthly basis. Hamad Port alone handled 6,044 units in January this year. Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, notably in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the data of the Planning and Statistics Authority.

Ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Wednesday extended its bearish run for the fifth straight session as its key index lost as much as 21.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[133515]**points and capitalisation melted in excess of QR2bn.The transport, banking and consumer goods sectors witnessed higher than average selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.2% to 10,089.2 points, also reflecting the geopolitical tensions.The local retail investors were seen net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 6.85%.The Arab individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.02bn or 0.34% to QR587.61bn with microcap cap segments leading the pack of shakers.The Gulf and foreign institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn trade across seven deals.The domestic funds were seen net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index made gains vis-à-vis decline in the other indices in the main market, which reported no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.21% and the All Share Index by 0.25%, while the All Islamic Index was up 0.07% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The transport sector index shrank 0.62%, banks and financial services (0.38%), consumer goods and services (0.34%) and industrials (0.14%); whereas real estate gained 0.97%, insurance (0.18%) and telecom (0.04%).More than 59% of the traded constituents in the main market were on the decline with major losers being Commercial Bank, Qatar Oman Investment, Masraf Al Rayan, Widam Food, Gulf Warehousing, QNB and Dukhan Bank.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Lesha Bank, Doha Bank, United Development Company, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Dlala and Qatari Investors Group were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The local individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR2.24mn against net buyers of QR18.36mn on January 30.The Arab individual investors’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR0.1mn compared to QR2.1mn the previous day.However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR3.34mn against net sellers of QR0.53mn on Tuesday.The foreign retail investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR0.78mn compared to QR0.37mn on January 30.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying strengthened marginally to QR0.33mn against QR0.3mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined significantly to QR0.16mn compared to QR11.27mn on Tuesday.The foreign institutions’ net selling weakened substantially to QR2.15mn against QR9.37mn on January 30.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fifth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were up 3% to 147.03mn shares and value by 7% to QR515.24mn, while deals fell 7% to 16,082.The venture market saw 50% contraction in trade volumes to 0.17mn equities, 49% in value to QR0.24mn and 43% in transactions to 25.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday continued its bearish run for the fourth consecutive day with its key index losing 42 points, reflecting the lingering concerns on.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[133515]**intensified geopolitical crisis in the region.The industrials sector witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index lost 0.41% to 10,109.86 points.The domestic institutions were seen net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 6.65%.The Arab retail investors’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.47bn or 0.42% to QR589.63bn with small cap segments leading the pack of shakers.The foreign institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR0.02mn trade across four deals.The Gulf funds were also net profit takers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index fell slower than the other indices in the main market, which reported no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.41%, the All Share Index by 0.37% and the All Islamic Index by 0.4% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The industrials sector index shrank 1.22%, banks and financial services (0.37%), real estate (0.34%) and insurance (0.03%); while transport gained 0.79%, telecom (0.48%) and consumer goods and services (0.28%).Major losers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, QIIB, Industries Qatar, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatari German Medical Devices, Lesha Bank, Masraf Al Rayan and Mekdam Holding. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Milaha, Commercial Bank, Baladna, Dukhan Bank, Qatar Insurance and Meeza were among the gainers in the main market.The domestic funds were net sellers to the tune of QR0.53mn compared with net buyers of QR28.44mn on January 29.The Arab individual investors’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR2.1mn against QR6.94mn the previous day.However, the local individuals’ net buying strengthened markedly to QR18.36mn compared to QR10.65mn on Monday.The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR0.37mn against net sellers of QR0.01mn on January 29.The Gulf individual investors were net buyers to the tune of QR0.3mn compared with net sellers of QR0.19mn the previous day.The foreign institutions’ net profit boking weakened substantially to QR9.37mn against QR29.03mn on Monday.The Gulf institutions’ net selling declined significantly to QR11.27mn compared to QR16.78mn on January 29.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were up about 1% to 143.35mn shares and value by 5% to QR482.29mn, while deals fell about 1% to 17,369.In the venture market, trade volumes almost doubled to 0.34mn equities and value also almost doubled to QR0.47mn on more than transactions to 44.

Reflecting the intensified geopolitical tensions, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Monday plummeted more than 195 points and capitalisation eroded in excess of QR9bn..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[133515]**A higher than average selling pressure in the banks and transport sectors led the 20-stock Qatar Index tank 1.89% to 10,151.98 points.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly into net selling in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 6.27%.As much as 84% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR9.05bn or 1.51% to QR592.1bn with large and midcap segments leading the pack of shakers.The Gulf institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.06mn trade across five deals.The Gulf individuals were seen increasingly net sellers, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index fell slower than the other indices in the main market, which reported no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 1.89%, the All Share Index by 1.75% and the All Islamic Index by 1.36% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The banks and financial services sector index plunged 2.66%, transport (2.2%), real estate (1.07%), consumer goods and services (1.04%), telecom (0.33%) and industrials (0.32%), while insurance was up 0.02%.Major losers in the main market included Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, QIIB, Al Meera, QNB, Qatari German Medical Devices, Mekdam Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Milaha and Nakilat. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Aamal Company, Qatar Insurance, Estithmar Holding, Industries Qatar and Gulf International Services were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR29.03mn compared to QR1.41mn on January 28.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking grew significantly to QR16.78mn against QR6mn the previous day.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling expanded perceptibly to QR0.19mn compared to QR0.02mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR0.01mn against net buyers of QR7.66mn on January 28.However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the tune of QR28.44mn compared with net sellers of QR0.92mn the previous day.The local individual investors’ net buying strengthened considerably to QR10.65mn against QR1.33mn on Sunday.The Arab individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR6.94mn compared with net sellers of QR0.63mn on January 28.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third straight session.Trade volumes in the main market soared 36% to 142.52mn shares, value by 54% to QR459.61mn and deals by 57% to 17,497.The venture market saw a 25% plunge in trade volumes to 0.18mn equities, 24% in value to QR0.25mn and 50% in transactions to 17.

Qatar witnessed a 12% month-on-month jump in trade surplus to QR18.73bn in December 2023 on the back of robust growth in the shipments of hydrocarbons, according to the official estimates.Total exports (valued free on board) were QR29.22bn, while the total imports (cost, insurance and freight) amounted to QR10.49bn in the review period, said the figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority.However, the trade surplus shrank 33.7% year-on-year in December 2023.The country's total exports of domestic goods amounted to QR28.11bn, which shot up 10% on a monthly basis, even as it fell 24.8% on an annualised basis in December 2023.The country’s exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons soared 8.6% month-on-month to QR18.06bn, crude by 30.1% to QR4.84bn and other commodities by 4% to QR2.96bn; whereas those of non-crude declined 4.7% to QR2.25bn in December 2023.On a yearly basis, the exports of petroleum gases were seen declining 31.1%, other commodities by 21.9%, non-crude by 6.1% and crude by 3.4% in the review period.The share of petroleum gases in the country's total export basket has been declining on an annualised basis, while those of crude and non-crude were on the increase.Petroleum gases accounted for 64.25% of the total exports in December 2023 compared to 70.07% a year-ago period, crude 17.21% (13.38%), non-crude 8% (6.4%) and others 10.54% (10.14%).In December 2023, Qatar's shipments to China amounted to QR5.76bn or 19.7% of the total exports of the country, followed by India QR4.52bn (15.5%), South Korea QR2.87bn (9.8%), Spain QR2.35bn (8%) and Taiwan QR1.93bn (6.6%).On a monthly basis, the country's exports to Spain jumped about 10-fold, those to Taiwan more than doubled, India by 23.37%, South Korea by 10.42% and China by 6.31% in the review period.On a yearly basis, Qatar's exports to China plunged 31.37% and South Korea by 26.2%; whereas those to Spain grew more than nine-fold, Taiwan more than doubled and India by 7.29% in December 2023.Qatar's total imports showed a 7% and 4.2% increase on month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in December 2023.The country's imports from China amounted to QR1.5bn or 14.3% of the total imports; followed by the US QR1.45bn (13.8%), Italy by QR1.01bn (9.6%), India QR0.6bn (5.7%) and Germany QR0.58bn (5.5%) in the review period.On a monthly basis, the country's imports from Italy zoomed 36.07% and India by 25.47%, while those from the US were down 0.95%, Germany by 0.85% and China by 0.53% in December 2023.On a yearly basis, Qatar's imports from Italy shot up 11.71%, India by 8.29% and China by 3.96%; whereas those from the US and Germany tanked 26.7% and 24.92% respectively in the review period.In December 2023, the group of "Turbojets, Turbo propellers and Other Gas Turbines; Parts Thereof" was at the top of the imported group of commodities and valued at QR1bn, which showing an annual increase of 12.3%.In second place was "Motor Cars & Other Motor Vehicles for The Transport of Persons”, with QR0.5bn, which increased 8.9% year-on-year in December 2023.The "Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony/Telegraphy, Telephone Sets Etc. and parts thereof" group saw imports of QR0.4bn, which surged 28.1% on an annualised basis in December 2023.

Powered by the hydrocarbons sector, the total value of contracts awarded in Qatar rose 29.1% year-on-year to $19bn during 2023, according to Kamco Invest, a regional economic thinktank.The growth in contract awards was primarily due to the jump in value of projects awarded in Qatar’s gas sector during 2023, which represented 61.1% of the total contracts awarded in the country during the year.Total value of gas sector projects awarded jumped from $6.5bn during 2022 to $11.6bn during 2023. The growth of the gas sector’s total value of contracts awarded during the year was mainly due to the $10bn engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the North Field South project, which aims to construct two mega LNG (liquefied natural gas) trains with a total capacity of 16mn tonnes of LNG per annum.Total value of contracts awarded in Qatar’s oil sector witnessed 19.2 times jump to $2.9bn during 2023. The construction sector, however, witnessed a 42.5% decline in total value of projects awarded during the year to $580mn.In the third quarter of the year, North Oil Company, the Qatari oil producer, selected contractors for four main EPC packages of the third phase of expansion of Al-Shaheen offshore field production that currently has a production capacity of 300,000 bpd (barrels per day).The overall Al-Shaheen oil field is Qatari’s largest oil field and has been producing oil for over 28 years. The third phase expansion contract to expand the fields’ oil production is valued at $6bn, according to MEED Projects.Elsewhere in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), Kamco Invest expects the project market to be at par with 2023 levels, given the strong pipeline as well as the reforms being formulated by the governments in the region to move the economy away from the dependence on oil revenues.The efforts are also evident in the real GDP (gross domestic product) growth expectations for 2024. The GCC countries are expected to witness stronger economic growth in 2024 after sluggish performance in 2023 that was affected by Opec+ oil production cuts.According to MEED Projects, the total value of projects in the Middle East and North Africa region that are in the bidding phase or due for an award in 2024 is expected to surpass $27bn.In terms of outlook for contract awards in 2024, according to MEED Projects, Saudi Arabia leads in the GCC with $107.2bn in expected contract awards, followed by UAE and Kuwait with expected awards at $51.5bn and $19.8bn, respectively.The GCC countries comprise 80% or $216bn of the Mena region’s aggregate value of contracts that are in a bidding phase or due for an award in 2024.According to MEED Projects, there is more than $105bn worth of contracts in the bid evaluation phase in the GCC and a further more than $130bn of contracts in the tender or pre-qualification stage.The biggest project that is in both the bidding and in the bid evaluation phase in the GCC is the $7bn ‘UZ1000’ expansion by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Offshore) for the construction of surface facilities at the Upper Zakum oil field.The second largest contract that is currently in both the bidding and evaluation phases simultaneously is the $6bn Duwaiheen project to develop two 2,800MW nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia.In Kuwait, the $4bn Al-Zhour North independent water and power project (phases one to three) tops the list as the largest contracts in the bid phase or due for an award during the year in the country.In terms of contract awards by sector in 2024, the GCC power sector is expected to be the strongest sector with the value of projects in bid and due for award phases at $59.7bn, followed by the transport sector at $53.1bn.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Sunday opened the week on a flat pitch despite buying interests in the industrials, realty and insurance counters..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[133515]**The 20-stock Qatar Index stood at 10,347.21 points despite buying support from the foreign and local retail investors.The foreign institutions were seen net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses remained at 4.46%.As much as 50% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR0.57n or 0.09% to QR601.15bn with microcap segments leading the pack of gainers.The Arab institutions continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 8,721 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.04mn trade across nine deals.The Gulf individuals’ lower net profit booking was visible in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index gained vis-à-vis flat main barometer in the main market, which reported no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index was unchanged, while the All Share Index rose by 0.03% and the All Islamic Index by 0.12% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The industrial sector index gained 0.36%, realty (0.26%) and insurance (0.17%); while transport declined 0.37%, consumer goods and services (0.36%), telecom (0.09%) and banks and financial services (0.01%).Major losers in the main market included Alijarah Holding, Lesha Bank, Nakilat, Commercial Bank, Aamal Holding and Al Faleh Educational Holding.Nevertheless, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Gulf Warehousing, Milaha and Al Khaleej Takaful were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR7.66mn against net sellers of QR1.4mn on January 25.The local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR1.33mn compared with net sellers of QR9.86mn last Thursday.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking decreased substantially to QR6mn against QR19.28mn the previous trading day.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling weakened perceptibly to QR0.02mn compared to QR0.32mn on January 25.The Arab individuals’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.63mn against QR0.88mn last Thursday.However, the foreign funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.41mn compared with net buyers of QR24.46mn the previous trading.The domestic institutions were net profit takers to the extent of QR0.92mn against net buyers of QR7.28mn on January 25.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market fell 29% to 104.49mn shares, value by 31% to QR299.06mn and deals by 29% to 11,165.The venture market saw 41% plunge in trade volumes to 0.24mn equities, 42% in value to QR0.33mn and 33% in transactions to 34.

Notwithstanding the rising geopolitical tensions in the region, the Qatar Stock Exchange closed this week on a positive note with its key index gaining as much as 29 points despite.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[132618]**losers outnumbering gainers.A higher than average demand in the industrials counter helped the 20-stock Qatar Index gain 0.28% this week which saw Commercial Bank report net profit of QR3.01bn in 2023.The foreign funds were seen net buyers this week which saw Masraf Al Rayan register net profit of QR1.45bn in 2023.The foreign retail investors were increasingly net buyers this week which saw Doha Bank record net profit of QR769.48mn in 2023.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence in main market this week which saw FLAG, a subsidiary of Gulf Warehousing (GWC), open a logistics hub in Oman.The domestic funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse this week which saw GWC report net profit of QR215.04mn in 2023.However, the local retail investors turned net profit takers in the main market this week which saw QNB raise $1bn through its Eurobond medium-term note programme.The Gulf individuals’ lower net selling also had its marginal influence in the main bourse this week which saw Estithmar Holding launch a QR3.4bn trust certificate issue.The Arab individuals turned bearish in the main market this week which saw a total of 0.07mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.16mn trade across 25 deals.Five of the seven sectors reeled under selling pressure in the main bourse this week which saw as many as 687 Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.01mn change hands across three transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining vis-a-vis gains in the other indices in the main market this week which saw the banks and industrials together constitute more than 60% of the total trade volumes.Market capitalisation was up QR0.35bn or 0.06% to QR600.58bn on the back of microcap segments this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds and treasury bills.Trade volumes and turnover were on the increase in both the main bourse and juniour market this week, which saw Lesha Bank register net profit of QR94.39mn in 2023.The Total Return Index rose 0.28% and the All Share Index by 0.11%, while the All Islamic Index declined 0.12% this week, which saw Petrotec, a subsidiary of Al Mahhar Holding, and Siemens enter into a strategic partnership to support Qatar's digital transformation in energy and utilities sector.The industrial sector index gained 1.07% and banks and financial services 0.04%; while real estate declined 0.49%, telecom (0.39%), consumer goods and services (0.19%) and transport (0.06%) this week.Major gainers in the main market included Qatar National Cement, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Doha Bank, Doha Insurance, Ahlibank QIIB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Industries Qatar, Alijarah Holding, Mekdam Holding, GWC and Nakilat. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatari German Medical Devices, Qatar Insurance, Masraf Al Rayan, Baladna, Ezdan, Lesha Bank, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Medicare Group and Qamco were among the losers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week.The foreign funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR86.86mn compared with net sellers of QR66.34mn the week ended January 18.The foreign individual investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR3.99mn against QR1.04mn the previous week.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined substantially to QR45.86mn compared to QR59.16mn a week ago.The Gulf retail investors’ net selling eased markedly to QR0.33mn against QR1.37mn the week ended January 18.However, the Qatari individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR44.76mn compared with net buyers of QR36.96mn the previous week.The Arab individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR11.55mn against net buyers of QR4.04mn a week ago.The domestic funds’ net buying weakened drastically to QR10.65mn compared to QR84.78mn the week ended January 18.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 24% surge in trade volumes to 1.1mn shares, 9% in value to QR3.2bn and 13% in deals to 106,262 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes almost tripled to 2.17mn equities and value also almost tripled to QR2.64mn on more than doubled transactions to 197.

Economists and leading industry experts in Qatar are anticipating that the second half of 2024 will see the announcement and release of new projects, leading to an uptick in growth.This was expressed during a panel discussion titled ‘Sustainable Development in Qatar’, which was one of the highlights of the Qatar Financial Market Forum 2024, held on Tuesday under the theme ‘Trends Shaping Emerging Markets and Sustainable Infrastructure & Mobility’.Karima Fenaoui, Global Content Research Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence, moderated the discussion between Muhannad Mukahhal, CEO, Standard Chartered Qatar;Henk J Hoogendoorn, Chief of Financial Services Sector, Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA); Jody Sanderson, Chief Business Officer, Doha Bank; Michael Dean, Senior Global Auto Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence; and Sonia Baldeira, Senior Global Construction Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence.According to Sanderson, there is optimism for consistent growth in Qatar from 2025 onwards, particularly in areas that have not historically been the focus, such as tourism and agriculture but are part of a diversified and sustainable economy.Mukahhal noted that developments in Qatar’s energy sector and its global standing are “on track,” positioning it to attract more companies to join the ecosystem for expansion in this sector.He also lauded the high standard of healthcare and education in Qatar compared to the region, suggesting that these are areas where Qatar needs to invest more in research and development, healthcare, and education to differentiate itself from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. “When considering these factors, Qatar would be highly ranked,” Mukahhal added.Meanwhile, Baldeira provided an overview of the ongoing projects in Qatar, particularly the development of smart cities and real estate in Doha. She noted that there is growing attention to transportation projects, including the addition of more trains, light trains, and improved city connections, particularly between Lusail and Doha.Baldeira also expresses interest in a potential high-speed train project linking Doha and Riyadh, which is expected to garner international attention and corporate interest. She added that commercial real estate remains a key component in the development of smart cities, underscoring the need for increased connectivity within Doha.Hoogendoorn lauded Qatar for its strategic efforts to position itself on the map and gain international recognition, thus attracting foreign companies amidst the current competitive landscape in the region.He emphasised that there has been a lot of interest from international entities, particularly from China and the US, adding that people are coming to Qatar to explore how they can benefit from the growth happening in the country.

With the US and Europe "drying up", global asset managers such as Ashmore are flocking to Qatar’s capital market, which also has the potential to see Qatari riyal debt issuances of QR10bn in the next two to three years, according to QInvest co-chief executive officer Hussain Abdulla.Addressing a panel session at the second Qatar Financial Market Forum, jointly organised by the Qatar Financial Centre and Bloomberg Intelligence, he said the combined gross domestic product (GDP) of the Middle East and North Africa is $4tn, of which the GCC economies form $2tn. Moreover, the region's sovereign wealth funds' assets are valued more than $2tn.In the past, global asset managers came to the GCC to tap the enormous capital but it is not the case anymore, according to him."There is dryness in the US and Europe. All these asset managers are now using the GCC as a hub," he said in a specific reference to the recent agreement between Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Ashmore Group to launch a $200mn corpus Qatar equity fund.The Ashmore Qatar Equity Fund, with QIA as an anchor investor and Ashmore Group as the first partner, will play a pivotal role in enhancing investor relations, quality of disclosure, research coverage, and improve liquidity on the local bourse.The sovereign wealth fund's active asset management initiative to seed funds by re-allocating shares in QSE listed companies to these external managers will add to the available free float in the market and create confidence among investors and encourage both local and global investment institutions to participate."I believe the main driver (behind the global asset managers to set base here) is the oil and gas," he said, adding the ongoing review of the equity capital market and its legislation in Qatar have now been completed.The local bourse had recently amended the list of securities eligible for the market making to include more stocks.Referring to the opening up of the markets for international investors, he said it would encourage more foreign investments into the country and the move by Ashmore Group is an example.Qatar has liberalised the foreign ownership limits in the Qatar Stock Exchange listed companies up to 100% and the country also witnessed the launch of third financial sector strategy, through which the sector is expected to contribute as much as QR84bn to Qatar’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.Abdulla said the initial public offering of Meeza through book-building process, the first of its kind in the country, was fraught with challenges, especially around its timing and the pricing. However, the offer (which was oversubscribed 111%) highlighted the investors' confidence in the system."If there is much larger equity or IPO story, we can open up to international investors assuming we have the necessary infrastructure, especially when it comes to settlement," he said.On the Qatari riyal issuance in the debt market, he said "with the number of banks that we have, we can easily reach QR10bn within two to three years and we need to provide liquidity."

Qatar's economic diversification, coupled with focus on infrastructure development and technological advancements, has positioned the country as an "attractive destination" for investments, according to Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority CEO Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida.Addressing the second Qatar Financial Market Forum, jointly organised by the QFC and Bloomberg Intelligence, he said much like emerging markets, Qatar not only shows the potential for "significant and sustainable" change but also presents a wealth of investment opportunities.Recognising the need to diversify its economic base and reduce dependence on hydrocarbons, he said Qatar has embarked on ambitious initiatives to broaden its economic scope.The rapid urbanisation and infrastructural development in the country aligns with the growth patterns usually observed in the emerging markets, he said, adding significant investments have been made in infrastructure projects, including aviation, maritime, transportation, hospitality, and sports facilities.This accelerated development, according to him, reflects the pace seen in emerging markets as they strive to meet the demands of a growing population and expanding economy.Qatar has also proactively embraced innovation and technology, directing investments towards renewable energy, smart cities, and advanced technologies. This strategic move reflects the tech-driven transformations often witnessed in emerging markets, he said."Qatar's commitment to economic diversification, coupled with its focus on infrastructure development and technological advancements, positions the nation as an attractive destination for investment," al-Jaida said.The QFC has aligned with the Third National Development Strategy, to "sustainably develop our economy to remain competitive amidst a turbulent and rapidly changing global landscape" and achieve the targets of the Qatar National Vision 2030, he added.Recognising the pivotal role of the financial sector in promoting sustainable economic growth, he said the QFC places "significant" emphasis on developing the financial services industry.To advance financial innovation and promote transparency in the financial market, the QFC introduced sustainable sukuk and bonds and, recently, it inaugurated the QFC Digital Dome, housing the digital assets lab and other digital financial innovation platforms."Our goal is to position the country at the forefront of global digital evolution by attracting talent, fostering innovative ideas, promoting local and international collaborations, and bringing cutting-edge projects that shape the future to life," he said.

Reflecting the positive rally in the global equity sphere and oil market, the Qatar Stock Exchange on Monday gained as much as 79 points although losers outnumbered gainers..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[130236]**A higher than average demand, especially in the telecom, transport and banking counters, led the 20-stock Qatar Index settle 0.77% higher at 10,369.56 points.The foreign institutions were seen net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 4.26%.The Gulf funds were seen bullish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR2.72bn or 0.45% to QR601.22bn with micro and small cap segments gaining the most.The domestic institutions turned net buyers in the main market, which touched an intraday high of 10,387 points.The foreign retail investors were seen increasingly into net buying in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan) valued at QR0.04mn trade across seven deals.The Arab individuals turned net buyers, albeit at lower levels, in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index underperformed the key index in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.77%, the All Islamic Index by 0.6% and the All Share Index by 0.57% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The telecom sector index shot up 1.38%, transport (1.08%), banks and financial services (0.86%), consumer goods and services (0.11%) and industrials (0.08%); while insurance and real estate declined 1.25% and 0.33% respectively.Major gainers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Gulf Warehousing, Qatar Islamic Bank, Nakilat, Ooredoo, Masraf Al Rayan and Industries Qatar. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, more than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red with major shakers being Qatar Insurance, Qamco, Ezdan, Dlala, Qatari German Medical Devices, Baladna, Qatar National Cement and Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR19.74mn compared with net sellers of QR6.9mn on January 21.The Gulf institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR9.04mn against net profit takers of QR12.04mn the previous day.The domestic institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.79mn compared with net sellers of QR1.83mn on Sunday.The foreign individual investors’ net buying increased marginally to QR1.74mn against QR1.47mn on January 21.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.25mn compared with net sellers QR1.32mn the previous day.However, the local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR33.49mn against net buyers of QR19.87mn on Sunday.The Gulf individuals were net profit takers to the extent of QR0.07mn compared with net buyers of QR0.73mn on January 21.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market soared 42% to 366.39mn shares, value by 53% to QR1.03bn and deals by 42% to 33,626.The venture market saw 58% plunge in trade volumes to 0.42mn equities, 51% in value to QR0.51mn and 41% in transactions to 41.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Sunday opened the week weak as its key index fell more than 28 points to close below 10,300 levels..text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[130236]**The domestic institutions were seen net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.27% to 10,290.63 points, reflecting the persisting concerns on the US rate imbroglio.The insurance, telecom, industrials, real estate and transport counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 4.99%.More than 56% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.73bn or 0.29% to QR598.8bn with small cap segments losing the most.The Arab individuals were seen bearish in the main market, which however, touched an intraday high of 10,390 points.The local retail investors’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.06mn trade across 12 deals.The foreign individuals’ lower net buying also had its say in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index declined faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.27%, the All Islamic Index by 0.44% and the All Share Index by 0.27% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The insurance sector index tanked 1.87%, telecom (1.12%), industrials (0.45%), realty (0.38%), transport (0.3%) and banks and financial services (0.04%); while consumer goods and services gained 0.13%.Major shakers in the main market included Qatar Insurance, Qatari German Medical Devices, Medicare Group, Ooredoo, Milaha, Industries Qatar, Qamco, United Development Company and Milaha. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar National Cement, Mekdam Holding, Zad Holding, QIIB, Doha Insurance, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.83mn compared with net buyers of QR17.57mn on January 18.The Arab individual investors were net sellers to the extent of QR1.32mn against net buyers of QR4.67mn the previous trading day.The local retail investors’ net buying declined significantly to QR19.87mn compared to QR38.65mn last Thursday.The foreign individuals’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR1.47mn against QR3.19mn on January 18.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR0.73mn compared to QR0.76mn the previous trading day.However, the Gulf institutions’ net profit booking grew substantially to QR12.04mn against QR39.6mn last Thursday.The foreign institutions’ net selling weakened drastically to QR6.9mn compared to QR25.3mn on January 18.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 22% to 258.49mn shares, value by 42% to QR673.34mn and deals by 35% to 23,608.The venture market saw trade volumes more than quadruple to 0.99mn equities and value quadrupled to QR1.04mn on tripled transactions to 69.

The lingering doubts on when the US Federal Reserve will cut the interest rates rattled the sentiments in the regional bourses, including Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which closed.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[127743]**this week on a bearish note as its key index lost as much as 147 points and capitalisation eroded QR9bn.The industrials, insurance and banking counters witnessed higher than average net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index knocked off 1.4% this week which saw the Qatar Investment Authority and Ashmore Group enter into a strategic tie up to launch a $200mn Qatari equity fund.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly net profit takers this week which saw QIIB issue $500mn sustainable sukuk and was oversubscribed eight times.The Gulf institutions were seen net sellers this week which saw Qatar Islamic Bank report net profit of QR4.3bn in 2023.The Arab retail investors’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw Woqod report net profit of QR983.96mn in 2023.More than 80% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse this week which saw Ahlibank Qatar register net profit of QR836.5mn in 2023.However, the domestic funds were increasingly net buyers in the main market this week which saw the third national development strategy forecast that Qatar’s sovereign expenditure growth not to exceed non-hydrocarbon growth by 2030.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main bourse this week which saw Q-Fab, a subsidiary of Mahhar Holding, in a dealership contract with Zhejiang Dingli Machinery Company.The foreign individuals were seen net buyers in the main market this week which saw a total of 0.28mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.63mn trade across 36 deals.The Arab institutions turned net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw this week which saw as many as 0.03mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.29mn change hands across 53 transactions.The Gulf individuals continued to bet net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main market this week, which saw consumer price index inflation in Qatar rise 1.59% month-on-month and 1.65% year-on-year in December 2023.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices in the main bourse this week which saw the banks and industrials together constitute more than 57% of the total trade volumes.Market capitalisation eroded QR9.13bn or 1.5% to QR600.23bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.Trade volumes and turnover were on the decline in the main bourse; while it was on the decline in the venture market this week, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 1.4%, the All Share Index by 1.48% and the All Islamic Index by 1.19% this week, which saw Qatar’s industrial production index plunge 5.8% year-on-year in November 2023.The industrial sector index tanked 3.1%, insurance (2.99%), banks and financial services (1.41%), consumer goods and services (1.35%) and real estate (0.91%); while telecom and transport gained 3.3% and 0.13% respectively this week.Major losers in the main market included Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Qamco, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, QLM, Inma Holding, Qatari German Medical Devices, QNB, QIIB, Doha Bank, Medicare Group and Baladna. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Ooredoo, Gulf International Services, Ahlibank Qatar, Doha Insurance and Milaha were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The foreign funds’ net selling increased substantially to QR66.34mn compared to QR9.35mn the week ended January 11.The Gulf funds were net profit takers to the tune of QR59.16mn against net buyers of QR9.09mn the previous week.The Arab individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR4.04mn compared to QR5mn a week ago.However, the domestic funds’ net buying rose significantly to QR84.78mn against QR33.53mn the week ended January 11.The local retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR36.96mn compared with net sellers of QR23.12mn the previous week.The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.04mn against net profit takers of QR13.6mn a week ago.The Arab institutions were net buyers to the extent of QR0.05mn compared with net sellers of QR0.14mn the week January 11.The Gulf individual investors’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR1.37mn against QR1.4mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 30% surge in trade volumes to 885.83mn shares, 52% in value to QR2.93bn and 26% in deals to 94,378 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes declined 49% to 0.74mn equities, value by 39% to QR0.89mn and transactions by 19% to 79.

Reflecting the worries in the global markets on the US interest rates, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Wednesday lost as much as 96 points and capitalisation eroded.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[127743]**QR6bn. The industrials and banking counters witnessed higher than average selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.92% to 10,401.92 points, as investors fear that the US Federal Reserve may not cut interest rates as soon as previously expected.The foreign and Gulf institutions were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.96%.As much as 71% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation tanked QR5.77bn or 0.95% to QR603.02bn with large and midcap segments losing the most.The foreign individuals were seen net sellers in the main market, which however, touched an intraday high of 10,526 points.The foreign institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.05mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.12mn trade across six deals.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index fell slower than the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.92%, the All Islamic Index by 0.59% and the All Share Index by 0.91% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The industrials sector index plummeted 1.74%, banks and financial services (0.93%), consumer goods and services (0.73%), insurance (0.56%), transport (0.17%) and realty (0.12%); while telecom shot up 1%.Major shakers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Beema, QLM, Industries Qatar, QNB, Commercial Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Baladna, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Mazaya Qatar.Nevertheless, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar Insurance, Qatar Oman Investment and Milaha were among the gainers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased noticeably to QR25.67mn compared to QR17.02mn on January 16.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking grew markedly to QR10.32mn against QR7.55mn the previous day.The foreign individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR1.62mn compared with net buyers of QR0.43mn on Tuesday.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined considerably to QR14.84mn against QR26.56mn on January 16.However, the local retail investors’ net buying rose significantly to QR13.72mn compared to QR2.5mn the previous day.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR8.65mn against net sellers of QR4.97mn on Tuesday.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying expanded marginally to QR0.42mn compared to QR0.05mn on January 16.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fifth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 12% to 117.31mn shares, whereas value increased by 6% to QR475.38mn and deals by 4% to 14,908.The venture market saw a 50% plunge in trade volumes to 0.09mn equities, 43% in value to QR0.12mn and 50% in transactions to 11.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Tuesday snapped four consecutive days of bullish run with its key index losing as much as 35 points and capitalisation melted about QR2bn,.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[127743]**reflecting the concerns in the global markets on the interest rates.The transport, insurance, telecom and industrials counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index declined 0.34% to 10,498.31 points.The foreign institutions and Arab individuals were seen net profit takers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.07%.The Gulf funds were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.71bn or 0.28% to QR608.79bn with small cap segments losing the most.As much as 68% of the traded constituents were on the red in the main market, which however, touched an intraday high of 10,546 points.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.05mn trade across five deals.The foreign individuals were net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index fell faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.34%, the All Islamic Index by 0.68% and the All Share Index by 0.24% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The transport sector index tanked 1.87%, insurance (1.17%), telecom (0.92%), industrials (0.65%) and consumer goods and services (0.44%); while banks and financial services gained 0.28% and real estate 0.14%.Major shakers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Milaha, Ezdan, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Meeza, Mannai Corporation, Qatar Insurance and Ooredoo. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Doha Insurance, Commercial Bank, Barwa and Gulf Warehousing were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR17.02mn compared with net buyers of QR7.41mn on January 15.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased markedly to QR7.55mn against QR3.65mn the previous day.The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR4.97mn compared with net buyers of QR0.83mn on Monday.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened considerably to QR26.56mn against QR8.03mn on January 15.The local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.5mn compared with net sellers of QR10.74mn the previous day.The foreign individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.43mn against net profit takers of QR0.01mn on Monday.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.05mn compared with net sellers of QR1.78mn on January 15.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were down 12% to 132.71mn shares, value by 6% to QR448.91mn and deals by 14% to 14,375.The venture market saw doubled trade volumes to 0.18mn equities and value almost doubled to QR0.21mn on 47% surge in transactions to 22.

The foreign institutions’ bullish outlook Monday lifted the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) for the fourth consecutive session and its key index gained 24 points, even as.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[127743]**capitalisation was on the decline.The telecom sector witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.23% to 10,523.74 points. The Arab retail investors turned net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses shrank to 2.74%.The foreign individuals’ lower net profit booking had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation nevertheless melted QR0.7bn or 0.11% to QR610.5bn with microcap segments losing the most.The domestic institutions continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which touched an intraday high of 10,543 points.The Gulf funds were seen bearish in the main bourse, which saw as many as 0.18mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.44mn trade across 18 deals.The Gulf retail investors were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index outperformed the other indices in the main bourse, which witnessed no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.23%, the All Islamic Index by 0.48% and the All Share Index by 0.02% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The telecom sector index gained 0.65%, transport (0.13%), industrials (0.11%) and banks and financial services (0.04%); while insurance tanked 1.26%, real estate (0.22%) and consumer goods and services (0.1%).Major movers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Masraf Al Rayan, Gulf International Services, Qatar Electricity and Water, Estithmar Holding, Qamco, Ooredoo, Gulf Warehousing and Nakilat.Nevertheless, QLM, Ezdan, Doha Insurance, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, QNB, Doha Bank and Qatar Insurance were among the losers in the main market. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR7.41mn against net profit takers of QR5.75mn on January 14.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR0.83mn compared with net sellers of QR5.06mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking eased perceptibly to QR0.01mn against QR0.95mn the previous day.However, the local retail investors’ net selling strengthened markedly to QR10.74mn compared to QR7.16mn on January 14.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR3.65mn against net buyers of QR1.96mn on Sunday.The Gulf retail investors’ net selling expanded noticeably to QR1.78mn compared to QR0.83mn the previous day.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased considerably to QR8.03mn against QR17.78mn on January 14.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the third straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were down 2% to 150.26mn shares, while value shot up 28% to QR476.51mn and deals by 42% to 16,746.The venture market saw a 52% plunge jump in trade volumes to 0.08mn equities and 42% in value to QR0.11mn but on 87% surge in transactions to 15.

Qatar will set up a specialised ‘centre of excellence’ for data and emerging technologies, as Artificial Intelligence, to digitise 90% of its services to citizens by 2030.Moreover, the country will revamp the tools for monitoring operational and institutional performance to track the progress of achieving NDS3 (third National Development Strategy) outcomes.Qatar aims to position itself as a leader in digital government with the aim of digitising 90% of its services to citizens and achieving a customer satisfaction score exceeding 85% across all its services by 2030, said the recently launched NDS3.“To achieve this objective, a specialised Centre of Excellence for data and emerging technologies, such as AI, will be established to drive several initiatives. This includes the development of a comprehensive national data governance and management framework, ensuring improved data availability and quality,” it said.Additionally, there is a strong focus on advancing system interoperability through enhanced data exchange layers, it added.The country aims to enhance the effectiveness and speed of government decision making as the government institutional transformation is essential to facilitate the realisation of envisioned progress across the economic and social spheres of Doha, said the NDS3, which was released recently."The government will transform the design and delivery of its services by strengthening central capabilities in innovation and digitisation," it said, targeting.This involves revamping the service catalogue, establishing Service level agreement (SLA) frameworks, launching a one-stop shop portal, delivering integrated services and a better customer experience at service complexes, and creating innovation labs and a 'Centre of Excellence' for service design.This approach culminates in government plans to design and launch centralised performance tracking and monitoring systems for government services to improve customer experience, ensure quality and efficiency, and drive continuous improvement.Qatar continues to partner with key players to instill digitalisation across all fields, from launching smart cities and fostering innovative solutions to advancing connectivity and IT infrastructure. ICT providers such as Ooredoo Qatar, Siemens and Microsoft have partnered to drive smart city solutions across Qatar by developing digital, Internet of Things (IoT) and software analytics solutions, Invest Qatar had earlier said.Stressing that Qatar will place a particular emphasis on policy alignment across the various government entities in line with NDS3, also incorporating views from academia, citizens, residents, businesses, and non-governmental entities systematically; the strategy said "to this end and to enhance execution, the deployment of the suitable expertise and optimal capacity will be ensured.”Stressing that NDS3 aims to strengthen accountability in the government institutions, it said this will be achieved by enhancing the capabilities, governance, and operating models of independent oversight bodies.Furthermore, the challenge of limited access to up-to-date information will be addressed, ensuring easy access to government reports, policy changes, and open public data. "Adherence to SLAs within and between governmental entities is also expected to exceed 80%," it said.