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The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday lost more than 92 points and its key index fell below 10,600 levels, on the back of selling pressure, especially in the banks and financial services counter.The foreign institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.86% to 10,571.63 points. The market has been on a slippery path for the fourth consecutive session.The Arab retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which reported higher year-to-date losses of 1.02%.The foreign individuals turned net bearish in the main bourse, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,703 points.About 73% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose capitalisation melted QR5.21bn or 0.83% to QR621.34bn with large and midcap segments losing the most.The Gulf individuals’ weakened net buying interests had its influence in the main bourse, which saw a total of 7,069 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.07mn changed hands across six deals.The local retail investors’ net buying also slackened in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.86%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.63% and All Share Index by 0.84% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The banks and financial services sector index declined 1.15%, telecom (0.69%), industrials (0.68%), transport (0.49%), consumer goods and services (0.42%) and realty (0.28%); while insurance gained 0.34%.Major losers in the main market included Beema, Commercial Bank, Alkhaleej Takaful, Alijarah Holding, QNB, Masraf Al Rayan, Qatari German Medical Devices, Industries Qatar, Aamal Company, Qatari Investors Group, Estithmar Holding, Qamco, Ooredoo, Mazaya Qatar and Gulf Warehousing.Nevertheless, Dlala, Mekdam Holding, Gulf International Services, Qatar Insurance and Vodafone Qatar were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares appreciate in value.The foreign funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR27.01mn compared with net buyers of QR17.12mn on August 16.The Arab individual investors’ net selling increased perceptibly to QR4.34mn against QR2.94mn the previous day.The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR0.08mn compared with net buyers of QR0.51mn on Wednesday.The local retail investors’ net buying weakened noticeably to QR7.65mn against QR8.76mn on August 16.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR0.89mn compared to QR1.14mn the previous day.However, the Gulf institutions’ net buying strengthened significantly to QR20.27mn against QR0.92mn on Wednesday.The domestic funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.62mn compared with net sellers of QR25.4mn on August 16.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net profit takers to the extent of QR0.13mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market were up 1% to 134.82mn shares, value by 5% to QR433.08mn and deals by 7% to 17,155.The venture market saw trade volumes more than double to 3.66mn equities and value more than double to QR8.32mn on more than doubled transactions to 641.

Qatar's inflation, based on consumer price index (CPI), rose 3.11% in July 2023 on an annualised basis, mainly due to communication, entertainment, housing and education sectors, according to official data.The country's CPI inflation was higher by 0.37% month-on-month this July, according to the figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).The International Monetary Fund forecasts that inflation in Qatar would average 2.1% in 2023-27. The country's CPI inflation is expected to average to 3% this year, which is below 9.9% projected in the Arab world and 3.3% in the Gulf Co-operation Council region, according to Kamco Invest.Qatar's core inflation (excluding housing and utilities) rose 2.77% and 0.62% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively during the review period.Communication, which carries a 5.2% weight, saw its group index surge 15.85% and 1.3% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in July 2023.The index of recreation and culture, which has an 11.1% weight in the CPI basket, zoomed 6.84% and 3.52% on yearly and monthly basis respectively in July this year.The index of housing, water, electricity and other fuels – with a weight of 21.2% in the CPI basket – increased 4.49% year-on-year but fell 0.7% month-on-month in July 2023.The education sector, which has 5.8% in the CPI basket, saw its index surge 4.06 on a yearly basis this July, even as it was unchanged from the previous month.The index of transport, which has a 14.6% weight, was seen gaining 2.53% and 0.96% on yearly and monthly basis respectively in July 2023.The sector has the direct linkage to the dismantling of the administered prices in petrol and diesel as part of the government measures to lower the subsidies.The price of petrol (super) and diesel remained flat on an annualised basis but that of premium rose 2.63% in July 2023. On a monthly basis, the prices of super, premium and diesel were unchanged.The index of furniture and household equipment, which has 7.9% weight in the CPI basket, was seen shooting up 2.13% year-on-year but was down 0.13% month-on-month in July 2023.Food and beverages group, which carry 13.5% weight in the CPI basket, became costlier by 1.54% and 1.63% on a yearly and monthly basis respectively in July 2023.The index of health, which has a 2.7% weight, was up 0.33% on a yearly basis, while it shrank 1.28% month-on-month in July 2023.However, the restaurants and hotels group, with a 6.6% weight, saw its index plunge 4.65% and 3.49% on a yearly and monthly basis respectively in July 2023, reflecting the lower demand in view of the summer holidays.The index of clothing and footwear, which has a 5.6% weight in the CPI basket, fell 0.31% year-on-year but rose 0.17% on a monthly basis in the review period.The index of miscellaneous goods and services, with a 5.7% weight, slid 0.08% and 1.64% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively this July.The tobacco index, which has a 0.3% weight, was unchanged on yearly and monthly basis in the review period.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) Wednesday saw a rollercoaster ride in the initial period to finally close mere 10 points lower despite gainers outnumbering losers.The domestic institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index fell 0.09% to 10,662.56 points. The market has been on a bearish for the third consecutive day.The Arab retail investors turned net sellers in the main market, which reported year-to-date losses of 0.16%.The foreign individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,713 points.The Gulf institutions’ lower net buying support also had its say in the main market, whose capitalisation was down QR0.23bn or 0.04% to QR626.55bn with microcap segments losing the most.However, the foreign funds turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.39mn changed hands across 24 deals.The local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.09%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.06% and All Share Index by 0.08% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The telecom sector index shrank 0.53%, consumer goods and services (0.22%), banks and financial services (0.17%) and transport (0.14%); whereas insurance gained 0.8%, real estate (0.29%) and industrials (0.2%).Major losers in the main market included Doha Insurance, QLM, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qatar Oman Investment, Woqod, Estithmar Holding and Ooredoo.Nevertheless, Dlala, Medicare Group, Ezdan, Qatar Insurance, Aamal Company, Al Meera, Qatari Investors Group and Mazaya Qatar were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The domestic funds were net sellers to the tune of QR25.4mn compared with net buyers of QR1.12mn on August 15.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the extent of QR2.94mn against net buyers of QR0.44mn the previous day.The Arab institutions were net profit takers to the tune of QR0.13mn compared with no major net exposure on Tuesday.The foreign individual investors’ net buying declined considerably to QR0.51mn against QR10.22mn on August 15.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased noticeably to QR0.92mn compared to QR6.52mn the previous day.However, the foreign funds turned net buyers to the extent of QR17.12mn against net sellers of QR4.72mn on Tuesday.The local individuals were net buyers to the tune of QR8.76mn compared with net profit takers of QR11.24mn on August 15.The Gulf retail investors turned net buyers to the extent of QR1.14mn against net sellers of QR1.55mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market fell 3% to 133.48mn shares, while value expanded 19% to QR412.85mn and deals by 8% to 16,096.The venture market saw a 9% contraction in trade volumes to 1.54mn equities, 8% in value to QR3.44mn and 7% in transactions to 315.

QTerminals, Qatar's port management company, has acquired a majority stake in Kramer Holding, a provider of integrated logistics and container services in the Port of Rotterdam, as part of its expansion into the European maritime sector.The acquisition represents an important milestone in the expansion of QTerminals, as the Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and is a significant addition to QTerminals group’s diversification.In addition, this acquisition further reinforces QTerminals Group’s commitment to contribute towards Qatar National Vision 2030 which aims for the diversification of the national economy and foreign investments."Kramer Group is an important strategic step for QTerminals as we will expand our presence into Europe’s largest port. Kramer Group complements QTerminals and adds existing business, a robust value-creating service offering and European network to QTerminals portfolio," QTerminals Group chief executive officer Neville Bissett.QTerminals will retain Kramer’s key management personnel and employees, including André Kramer, who will continue as the chief executive officer.Kramer Group has both core and strategic importance to the Port of Rotterdam, as it supplements the port’s activities whilst having direct access to the deep-sea terminals of the Port of Rotterdam.The Kramer Group is an integrated container handling and storage, terminal, container development and logistics services provider, located in the Port of Rotterdam, and is the only independent terminal in the Maasvlakte area, and one of the few multi-user depot terminals in the port.The acquisition of the Kramer Group by QTerminals allows its entry and presence in the largest port in Europe which makes QTerminals Group’s position stronger in relation to future opportunities in Europe and other developed global markets.The presence of QTerminals in the Port of Rotterdam is strategic and reputable for QTerminals Group in particular and for Qatar in general as QTerminals' profile will become known in the largest European port.“Today, we mark the beginning of a new chapter joining forces with QTerminals. I believe that their expertise, resources, and industry insights will enable us to expand our horizons and explore untapped opportunities. Whilst maintaining our culture, organisation, core team and our commitment to delivering the superior quality services to our clients in almost all aspects of container logistics”, said Kramer.By acquiring Kramer Group, QTerminals will continue to develop its world leading technical and operational know-how to enhance and optimize its potential as one of the leading providers of integrated container logistics services in Europe.

The foreign institutions’ increased net profit booking Monday steered the Qatar Stock Exchange to the negative terrain as it lost 70 points in key index and QR3bn in capitalisation.Selling pressure, especially in the banking counter, led the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.65% to 10,708.35 points.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date gains weakened to 0.26%.The Arab retail investors’ lower net buying interests also had its say in the main bourse, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,793 points.The Gulf individuals continued to be net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main market, whose capitalisation shed QR3.15bn or 0.5% to QR628.86bn with midcap segments losing the most.The foreign individual investors turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.18mn changed hands across 11 deals.The local retail investors were seen net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index fell 0.65%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.58% and All Share Index by 0.56% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.95%, consumer goods and services (0.46%), industrials (0.44%), transport (0.39%) and real estate (0.32%); whereas insurance shot up 2.1% and telecom 0.49%.Major losers in the main market include General Insurance and Reinsurance, QIIB, QLM, Widam Food, Zad Holding, QNB, Industries Qatar and Nakilat. Ion the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Gulf International Services, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dlala, Doha Insurance, Qatar Insurance, Alijarah Holding, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Beema and Gulf Warehousing were among the gainers in the main bourse. In the junior market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased noticeably to QR17.06mn compared to QR7.74mn on August 13.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased considerably to QR6.52mn against QR19.68mn the previous day.The Arab individuals’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR1.08mn compared to QR3.55mn on Sunday.However, the foreign individual investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR5.97mn against net sellers of QR0.6mn on August 13.The domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR2.68mn compared with net sellers of QR2.6mn the previous day.The local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR1.03mn against net profit takers of QR11.94mn on Sunday.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.22mn compared to QR0.35mn on August 13.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market fell 6% to 150.6mn shares, while value expanded 15% to QR385.14mn and deals by 55% to 17,194.The venture market saw a 90% surge in trade volumes to 1.2mn equities, 106% in value to QR2.55mn and 103% in transactions to 237.

The Qatar Stock Exchange Sunday opened the week on a stronger note with its key index gaining more than 42 points to inch towards 10,800 levels on the back of increased.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[65083]**buying interests from the Gulf funds.The real estate, industrials and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.39% to 10,777.99 points.The foreign institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date gains strengthened further to 0.91%.The local retail investors’ lower net profit booking also had its say in the main bourse, which saw the index regain from an intraday low of 10,745 points.The Arab individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, whose capitalisation added QR1.8bn or 0.29% to QR632.01bn with small and microcap segments gaining the most.The domestic institutions were seen bearish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.02mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.09mn changed hands across nine deals.The Gulf individual investors were increasingly into net profit booking in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.39%, Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.6% and All Share Index by 0.37% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover fell amidst higher volumes.The realty sector index jumped 0.94%, industrials (0.67%), banks and financial services (0.5%), and consumer goods and services (0.19%); whereas insurance declined 0.95%, transport (0.47%) and telecom (0.18%).Major gainers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qamco, QLM, Qatar German Medical Devices, Zad Holding, QIIB, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services and Barwa. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Dlala, Qatar Insurance, Beema, Inma Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Mannai Corporation, Nakilat and Gulf Warehousing were in the red in the major bourse.The Gulf institutions’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR19.68mn compared to QR15.8mn on August 10.The foreign institutions’ net selling declined noticeably to QR7.74mn against QR11.25mn the previous trading day.The local retail investors’ net profit booking shrank markedly to QR111.94mn compared to QR13.9mn last Thursday.The foreign individual investors’ net selling weakened notably to QR0.6mn against QR2.81mn on August 10.However, the domestic funds were net sellers to the tune of QR2.6mn compared with net buyers of QR7.89mn the previous trading day.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR0.35mn against QR0.08mn last Thursday.The Arab individuals’ net buying decreased notably to QR3.55mn compared to QR4.34mn on August 10.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market rose 17% to 159.85mn shares, while value declined 9% to QR334.63mn and deals by 27% to 11,121.The venture market saw a 66% plunge in trade volumes to 0.63mn equities, 69% in value to QR1.24mn and 68% in transactions to 117.

The realty prospects appeared to be greater outside Doha as building permits issued in Al Shamal, Al Daayen and Al Khor grew higher than the national average in July 2023, according to official data.Qatar saw as many as 634 building permits issued in July 2023, which grew15.1% on an annualised basis but was down by marginal 0.5% month-on-month in the review period, according to the figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority.Al Rayyan, Doha and Al Wakra municipalities together constituted 70% of the total building permit issued in July 2023.The building permits data is of particular importance as it is considered an indicator for the performance of the construction sector which in turn occupies a significant position in the national economy.Of the total number of new building permits issued, Al Rayyan constituted 163 permits or 26% of the total, followed by Doha 139 (22%), Al Wakra 138 (22%), Al Daayen 107 (17%), Al Khor 35 (6%), Umm Slal 27 (4%), Al Shahaniya 14 (3%) and Al Shamal 11 (2%) in July 2023.Total building permits issued in Al Shamal zoomed 175% year-on-year this July, followed by Al Daayen (75.4%), Al Khor (52.2%), Al Rayan (10.1%), Al Wakra (3%) and Doha (0.7%); while those in Al Shahaniya declined 6.7%. The permits issued in Umm Slal were unchanged.On a monthly basis, the total building permits issued in Umm Slal saw a 34% decline, Al Shahaniya (30%), Al Khor (20%), Al Rayyan (11%) and Al Daayen (4%); whereas those in Al Shamal, Al Wakra and Doha witnessed 38%, 23% and 19% increase respectively in July 2023.The new building permits (residential and non-residential) constituted 228 permits or 36% of the total building permits issued in July 2023, additions 387 (61%) and fencing 19 (3%).Of the new residential buildings permits, villas topped the list, accounting for 86% (158 permits), dwellings on housing loans permits 7% (12) and apartments 6% (11).Among the non-residential sector, commercial structures accounted for 40% or 18 permits, the industrial buildings as workshops and factories 29% (13 permits) and governmental buildings and mosques 13% (six permits each).Qatar saw a total of 397 building completion certificates issued in July 2023, of which 320 or 81% was for the new buildings (residential and non-residential) and 77 or 19% for additions.The total building completion certificates issued in the country saw a 28.9% growth in July 2023 with Al Khor registering 90% surge, followed by Al Daayen (55.2%), Al Rayyan (46.6%) and Al Wakra (45.5%); while Al Shamal saw 33.3% decline, Umm Slal (22.2%) and Doha (8.2%). Those issued in Al Shahaniya was flat.Qatar saw an 11% month-on-month expansion in the total building completion certificates issued in July 2023 with Al Shamal registering 100% increase, followed by Al Rayyan (37%), Al Khor (36%), Al Wakra (28%), Al Daayen (25%) and Umm Slal (4%). However, there was 75% decline in completion certificates issued in Al Shahaniya and 37% in Doha.Al Rayyan constituted 107 certificates or 27% of the total number of certificates issued in the review period, Al Wakra 96 (24%), Al Daayen 90 (23%), Doha 45 (11%), Umm Slal 28 (7%), Al Khor 19 (5%), Al Shamal eight (2%) and Al Shahaniya four (1%) in July 2023.Of the 264 residential buildings completion certificates issued this July, as many as 226 or 86% were for villas, 22 or 8% for apartments and 14 or 5% for dwellings on housing loans.Of the 226 villas completion certificates issued in May 2023, as many as 75 were in Al Rayyan, 63 in Al Daayen, nine in Al Khor, seven in Al Shamal, five in Doha and three in Al Shahaniya.In the case of 22 apartments, Doha issued nine completion certificates; Al Daayen (eight), Al Wakra (three), and Al Rayyan (two).Among the non-residential building completion certificates issued, commercial structure numbered 34 or 61% of the total; followed by industrial buildings 14 or 25% and government buildings five (9%).

Private vehicles constituted more than 85% of the total automobiles sales in Qatar in June 2023, according to the official estimates.The overall sales in the vehicles market were on a slippery road during the review period, according to the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) data.The country saw 6,593 new vehicles registered in June 2023, declining 17.7% and 19.7% on an annualised and monthly basis respectively in the review period.The registration of new private vehicles stood at 4,466, which shrank 9.9% and 23.9% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023. Such vehicles constituted 67.74% of the total new vehicles registered in the country in the review period.The registration of new private transport vehicles stood at 1,141; which declined 23.6% and 11.2% on a yearly and monthly basis respectively in June 2023. Such vehicles constituted 17.3% of the total new vehicles in the review period.The new registration of other non-specified vehicles stood at 621 units, which however zoomed 235.6% and 8.4% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively this June. These constituted 9.41% of the total new vehicles registered in the country in the review period.The registration of new private motorcycles stood at 218 units, which plummeted 80.6% and 5.6% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023. These constituted 3.3% of the total new vehicles in the review period.The registration of new heavy equipment stood at 118, which constituted 1.79% of the total registrations in June 2023. Their registrations had seen a 43.3% and 48.7% contraction year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in the review period.The registration of trailers amounted to 29 units, which reported a 37% decline on an annualised basis but grew 7.4% month-on-month in the review period.The renewal of registration was reported in 67,250 units, which saw 5.9% and 12.8% shrinkage on yearly and monthly basis respectively in June 2023. It constituted 57% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The transfer of ownership was reported in 33,145 vehicles in June 2023, which declined 2% and 6.2% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. It constituted 28% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The modified vehicles’ registration stood at 4,408; which declined 45.8% and 28.5% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023. They constituted 3.72% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of lost/damaged vehicles stood at 3,493 units, which tanked 60.5% and 19.2% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023. They constituted 2.94% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of vehicles meant for exports stood at 2,075 units, which reported a 1.4% and 13.8% decrease on a yearly and monthly basis respectively in June 2023. It constituted 1.75% of the clearing of vehicle-related processes in the review period.The number of cancelled vehicles was 1,149; shrinking 47.4% and 32.3% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023.The re-registration of vehicles stood at 102, which tanked 34.2% and 51.4% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in June 2023.The clearing of vehicle-related processes stood at 118,485 units, which was down 12.5% and 12.8% on a yearly and monthly basis respectively in the review period.

The foreign institutions' profit booking pressure dampened the sentiments in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), whose key index fell more than 63 points this week..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[64312]**An across the board selling – particularly in the telecom, real estate, transport, insurance and industrials sectors – dragged the 20-stock key index 0.59% this week which saw market heavyweight Industries Qatar (IQ) report net profit of QR2.09bn in the first half (H1) of 2023.About 64% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market this week which saw Milaha’s H1 net profit at QR648mn.The Arab retail investors turned net sellers in the main bourse this week which saw Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding (MPHC) report QR584.85mn net profit in H1-2023.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices this week which saw Qamco register net profit of QR239.84mn in January-June 2023.The Gulf institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw Lesha Bank’s net profit at QR44.72mn.However, the local retail investors were bullish in the main bourse this week which saw the Qatari Investors Group record QR101.61mn net profit in the first six months of this year.The Gulf individual investors were seen net buyers in the main market this week which saw Qatar Islamic Insurance and Beema report net profit of QR64.23mn and QR32.34mn respectively in H1-2023.The foreign individuals continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.29mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.67mn trade across 35 deals.The Arab retail investors’ net profit booking eased marginally in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.03mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.31mn change hands across 23 transactions.Market capitalisation eroded QR7.21bn or 1.13% to QR630.21bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week which saw the banks and industrials sectors together constitute more than 64% of the total trade volume in the main bourse.The Total Return Index shed 0.59%, the All Share Index by 0.85% and the All Islamic Index by 0.52% this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The telecom index tanked 2.05%, realty (1.94%), transport (1.68%), insurance (1.26%), industrials (0.97%), banks and financial services (0.51%) and consumer goods and services (0.34%) this week which saw no trading of treasury bills.Major losers in the main market included QLM, Salam International Investment, Qamco, Barwa, QNB, Lesha Bank, Mannai Corporation, IQ, MPHC, Estithmar Holding, Qatar Insurance, Mazaya Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, Ooredoo, Nakilat, Milaha and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week which saw Baladna’s H1 net profit at QR42.3mn.Nevertheless, Dlala, Beema, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Inma Holding, QIIB, Gulf International Service and Qatar Islamic Insurance were among the gainers in the main market which saw Qatari German Medical Device report net profit of QR1.56mn in January-June 2023.The foreign funds were net sellers to the tune of QR25.24mn against net buyers of QR158.63mn the week ended August 3.The Gulf institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR4.97mn compared to QR57.06mn the previous week.However, the domestic institutions turned net buyers to the extent of QR30.27mn against net sellers of QR92.53mn a week ago.The local retail investors were net buyers to the tune of QR8.19mn compared with net sellers of QR86.43mn the week ended August 3.The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR2.24mn against net sellers of QR1.28mn the previous week.The foreign individuals’ net profit booking shrank drastically to QR2.33mn compared to QR15.39mn a week ago.The Arab retail investors’ net selling eased marginally to QR18.09mn against QR19.85mn the week ended August 3.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure compared with net sellers of QR0.21mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 28% contraction in trade volumes to 652.92mn shares, 24% in value to QR1.76bn and 13% in deals to 70,680 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes plunged 24% to 4.49mn equities, value by 30% to QR9.39mn and transactions by 6% to 889.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday gained more than 19 points on the back of buying interests, especially in the industrials sector.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.18% to 10,735.63 points.The domestic funds were increasingly into net buying in the main market, whose year-to-date gains strengthened further to 0.51%.The Arab retail investors were net buyers in the main bourse, which saw the index regain from an intraday low of 10,706 points.However, Qatari individuals were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation was down QR0.39bn or 0.06% to QR630.21bn with microcap segments losing the most.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly bearish in the main market, which saw a total of 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.11mn changed hands across 16 deals.The foreign individual investors’ net profit booking increased in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the main index in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.18% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.25%, while All Share Index was down 0.04% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The industrials sector index shot up 1.36%; whereas real estate declined 1.14%, telecom (0.69%), transport (0.5%), insurance (0.46%), banks and financial services (0.34%) and consumer goods and services (0.31%).Major gainers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qatar Oman Investment and QIIB.Nevertheless, more than 60% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Dlala, Salam International Investment, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Qatar Insurance, Barwa, QNB and United Development Company. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR15.8mn compared with net sellers of QR1.52mn on August 9.The domestic institutions’ net buying increased marginally to QR7.89mn against QR7.34mn the previous day.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR4.34mn compared with net buyers of QR6.52mn on Wednesday.However, the local retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR13.9mn against net buyers of QR4.47mn on August 9.The foreign institutions’ net selling strengthened considerably to QR11.25mn compared to QR1.44mn the previous day.The foreign individual investors’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR2.81mn against QR2.29mn on Wednesday.The Gulf retail investors’ net selling also increased marginally to QR0.08mn compared to QR0.02mn on August 9.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 18% to 137.19mn shares, value by 12% to QR369.15mn and deals by 7% to 15,310.The venture market saw a 75% surge in trade volumes to 1.83mn equities, 93% in value to QR4.06mn and 82% in transactions to 369.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Wednesday snapped two days of bearish run as its key index gained more than 32 points on the back of buying interests, especially in the real estate and industrials counters.The domestic institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.28% to 10,716.45 points.The foreign funds’ weakened net profit booking pressure had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date gains expanded to 0.33%.The local retail investors continued to be net buyers but with lesser vigour in the main bourse, which saw the index regain from an intraday low of 10,609 points.The Arab individuals were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation rose QR0.95bn or 0.15% to QR630.6bn with microcap segments gaining the most.The foreign individual investors’ net selling was seen strengthening in the main market, which saw a total of 0,24mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.61mn changed hands across 13 deals.The Gulf institutions were seen increasing into net profit booking in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index rose 0.28%, All Share Index by 0.16% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.33% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The realty sector index was up 0.91% and industrials (0.8%); whereas telecom shrank 0.72%, consumer goods and services (0.1%), insurance (0.04%) and banks and financial services (0.01%). The transport index was rather flat.Major gainers in the main market included Dlala, Alijarah Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Salam International Investment, Gulf International Services, Industries Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar and Ezdan. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Qatar Industrial Manufacturing, Qamco, Medicare Group and Doha Insurance were among the losers in the main market. In the juniour bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The domestic institutions’ net buying increased noticeably to QR7.34mn compared to QR4.72mn on August 8.The foreign institutions’ net selling decreased considerably to QR1.44mn against QR17.89mn the previous day.However, the Arab individual investors’ net selling rose perceptibly to QR6.52mn compared to QR5.76mn on Tuesday.The foreign individuals’ net profit booking strengthened markedly to QR2.29mn against QR0.45mn on August 8.The Gulf institutions’ net selling expanded marginally to QR1.52mn compared to QR1.51mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.02mn against net buyers of QR1.48mn on Tuesday.The local retail investors’ net buying shrank significantly to QR4.47mn compared to QR19.41mn on August 8. The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market shot up 24% to 166.48mn shares, value by 6% to QR417.41mn and deals by 5% to 16,447.The venture market saw an 89% surge in trade volumes to 1.04mn equities, 98% in value to QR2.1mn and 83% in transactions to 203.

As much as 84% of Middle East organisations consider AI or artificial intelligence a top priority, while emerging risks underscore urgent need for responsible AI (RAI), according to a joint study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and MIT Sloan Management Review.The study found 38% of Middle East organisations believe they are prepared for AI regulations and that 25% of entities in the Middle East are RAI leaders, while 75% are lagging.“The AI landscape in the Middle East, both from a technological and regulatory perspective has changed dramatically,” said Elias Baltassis, Partner and Director, BCG X.The rapid adoption of generative AI tools has brought AI to the forefront of conversations in the region, he said, adding yet, the fundamentals of responsible AI remain crucial."This year, our research emphasises the pressing need for Middle Eastern organisations to invest in and scale their RAI programmes to address the growing uses and risks of AI in a region that is increasingly embracing digital transformation,” according to him.In the Middle East, the components of RAI programmes encompass broad principles (43%), policies (49%), governance (76%), monitoring (49%), tools and implementation (51%), and change management (43%).Individual considerations within these RAI programmes include transparency and explainability (62%), social and environmental impact (59%), accountability (57%), fairness (54%), safety, security, and human wellbeing (68%), and data security and privacy (86%).Finding that 75% of the Middle Eastern organisations are RAI laggards; it said there was an urgent need for most organisations in the region to double down on their RAI efforts.The data suggests that organisations in the region can experience a range of benefits from RAI, including better products/services (43%), brand differentiation (27%), increased customer retention (43%), improved long-term profitability (30%), accelerated innovation (41%), and improved recruiting and retention (16%).The vast majority (78%) of organisations surveyed globally are highly reliant on third-party AI tools, exposing them to a host of risks, including reputational damage, the loss of customer trust, financial loss, regulatory penalties, compliance challenges, and litigation. Still, one-fifth of them that use third-party AI tools fail to evaluate their risks at all.The study said only 38% of organisations feel adequately prepared for AI regulations, highlighting the need for more awareness and preparedness. The regulatory landscape is evolving almost as rapidly as AI itself, with many new AI-specific regulations taking effect on a rolling basis.It highlighted that the chief executive officers or CEOs play a key role in both affirming an organisation’s commitment to AI and sustaining the necessary investments in it."Organisations with a CEO who takes a hands-on role in RAI efforts (such as by engaging in RAI-related hiring decisions or product-level discussions or setting performance targets tied to RAI) report 58% more business benefits than do organisations with a less hands-on CEO, regardless of their leader status," it said.

The Qatar Stock Exchange Tuesday continued its bear run for the second consecutive session with its key index losing 118 points to settle below 10,700 points and capitalisation.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[63305]**erode QR5bn. The industrials sector witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index plunged 1.09% to 10,686.03 points.The foreign funds were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,812 points.The Arab individuals were seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, whose year-to-date gains truncated to 0.05%.About 64% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose capitalisation shrank 0.85% to QR629.65bn with small and microcap segments losing the most.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, which saw a total of 10,032 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.09mn changed hands across nine deals.The foreign retail investors turned net profit takers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main index in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 1.09%, All Share Index by 0.91% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.07% in the main market, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the rise.The industrials sector index tanked 2.12%, banks and financial services (0.86%), real estate (0.84%), transport (0.34%), insurance (0.31%) and consumer goods and services (0.16%); while telecom gained 1.47%.Major losers in the main market included Industries Qatar, QLM, Salam International Investment, Alijarah Holding, QIIB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Estithmar Holding, Barwa and Mazaya Qatar. In the venture market, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Dlala, Inma Holding, Widam Food, Ooredoo, Qatari German Medical Devices, Baladna, Beema and Qatar Islamic Insurance were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased noticeably to QR17.89mn compared to QR3.54mn on August 7.The Arab individual investors’ net selling strengthened markedly to QR5.76mn against QR0.99mn on Monday.The foreign individuals turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.45mn compared with net buyers of QR0.48mn the previous day.The domestic institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR4.72mn against QR17.69mn on August 7.However, the local retail investors’ net buying increased significantly to QR19.41mn compared to QR6.24mn on Monday.The Gulf individuals’ net buying strengthened perceptibly to QR1.48mn against QR0.31mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking shrank considerably to QR1.51mn compared to QR20.19mn on August 7.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market were up 13% to 124.53mn shares, value by 17% to QR392.69mn and deals by 7% to 15,669.The venture market saw an 18% plunge in trade volumes to 0.55mn equities, 25% in value to QR1.06mn and 13% in transactions to 111.

The proposed single window committee is expected to ease and streamline the listing process in the Qatar’s capital market, leading the country’s bourse to see brisk activities on an expected faster approval of listings and instruments in the future, according to experts."As the name suggests, there is no need to apply in various authorities. This, in itself, will cut down the time taken for the approval. The (opportunity) cost (towards listing) also comes down in the process," an analyst with a leading brokerage house said.Early last month, the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) issued a resolution to establish a "Single Window Committee for the Capital Market" with the goal of reducing time and effort and significantly simplifying procedures for companies whose activities are related to the financial markets in the country.“The move makes it easier for the issuers to process their applications,” he said, adding the stage is set for smooth and speedier initial public offerings (IPOs) and follow-on issues as well as other instruments such as exchange traded funds and derivatives.According to Dr Tami bin Ahmed al-Binali, QFMA chief executive officer, the establishment of a "Single Window Committee for the Capital Market" represents an important step forward as it will facilitate and simplify procedures for companies active in the country's financial market.The 11-member Committee will have five members from the QFMA, four from the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), and each from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Edaa (formerly Qatar Central Securities Depository Company).Among the other advantages provided by the 'one-stop-shop window for the capital market' for these companies is having streamlined and smooth processes for the public offering and listing of securities on QSE, whether upon their incorporation, conversion to a joint stock company, direct listing, or entry into any acquisitions or mergers.The listing process would speed up because the due diligence and other legwork start at least a year before the (actual) listing, market sources said.Since (multiple) authorities concerned are in the committee, the chance of delay at each step comes down as the new single window system will be the nodal point, which will vet the applications based on the broad guidelines set by the QFMA, according to the sources.The proposed single window committee comes amid reports of more listings expected, considering that the procedural reforms as direct listing and book-building mechanism ought to attract more companies.Having put in place a new trading mechanism, the Qatari bourse is all set to move into a T+2 settlement cycle compared to T+3. The initiative is in line with international best practices in regional and international markets, to achieve efficiency, and reduce the risks of long settlement period.

The Gulf institutions substantially stronger net selling Monday dragged the Qatar Stock Exchange more than 17 points but overall its key index stood above 10,800 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[62830]**The telecom, industrials, real estate and consume goods counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index settled 0.16% lower at 10,803.54 points.The foreign institutions were seen net profit takers in the main market, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 10,837 points.The foreign individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, whose year-to-date gains stood at 1.15%.About 49% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose capitalisation shrank QR1.27n or 0.2% to QR635.03bn with small cap segments losing the most.The Gulf retail investors’ lower net buying had its say in the main bourse, which saw a total of 19,284 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.14mn changed hands across 11 deals.However, the domestic institutions turned bullish in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index shed 0.16%, All Share Index by 0.09% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 0.29% in the main market, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The telecom sector index tanked 1.61%, industrials (0.96%), realty (0.71%), and consumer goods and services (0.24%); while insurance gained 0.5%, banks and financial services (0.39%) and transport (0.35%).Major losers in the main market included Baladna, Widam Food, Ooredoo, Alijarah Holding, Qatari German Medical Devices, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services, Qamco, Ezdan and Barwa. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Ahlibank Qatar, Medicare Group, Al Meera and Qatar Islamic Bank were among the gainers in the main bourse.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR20.19mn compared with net buyers of QR12.39mn on August 6.The foreign institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR3.54mn against net buyers of QR8.9mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors’ net buying declined perceptibly to QR0.48mn compared to QR2.72mn the previous day.The Gulf individuals’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.31mn against QR0.55mn on August 6.However, the domestic funds were net buyers to the extent of QR17.69mn compared with net sellers of QR7.37mn on Sunday.The local retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.24mn against net profit takers of QR8.04mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net selling shrank noticeably to QR0.99mn compared to QR9.16mn on August 6.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure.Trade volumes in the main market were down 4% to 110.13mn shares, but value shot up 35% to QR334.59mn and deals by 69% to 14,597.The venture market saw a 68% surge in trade volumes to 0.67mn equities, 83% in value to QR1.41mn and 61% in transactions to 127.

Qatar’s non-energy sector witnessed a rosy start in the second half of 2023 with output, new orders, employment and purchasing witnessing expansion, according to Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).The latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey data from the QFC said backlogged work continued to fall, albeit less so than in the first half of the year, while inflationary pressures eased.The Qatar PMI indices are compiled from survey responses from a panel of around 450 private sector companies. The panel covers the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and services sectors, and reflects the structure of the non-energy economy according to official national accounts data.The headline PMI – a composite single-figure indicator of non-energy private sector performance that is derived from indicators for new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times and stocks of purchases – posted 54 in July, up slightly from 53.8 in June, indicating another strong improvement in business conditions.The latest figure was a superior outcome relative to the first half of 2023 (52.5) and remained well above the long-run trend of 52.3.“Qatar PMI data continued to point to an expansion of the non-energy private sector as we enter the second half of 2023. The latest headline figure of 54.0 is well above the long-run survey average as total business activity and demand both rose strongly in July," said Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida, chief executive officer, QFC Authority.Companies also stepped up hiring as a slower fall in outstanding work hinted at returning pressure on business capacity, according to him.Total business activity among Qatari non-energy private sector firms rose further in July. Output has risen every month for more than three years, except for a brief correction in January following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The rate of expansion accelerated since June and was the second-strongest of 2023 so far."The 12-month outlook for the non-energy private sector remained optimistic in July. Higher expected business volumes were linked to new sales strategies, new hires, tourism and new products," it said, adding positive expectations remained broad-based by sector with service providers being the most optimistic, followed by goods producers.July data signalled another increase in non-oil private sector employment and at the fastest rate since July 2022.Recruitment was aimed both at new workloads and efforts to clear backlogs, which were reduced for the twelfth successive month. Supply chains continued to improve as average lead times fell for the fifteenth successive month, a series-record sequence.Input inventories rose only slightly, suggesting companies managed stock levels well during the month.Price pressures eased in July, as the overall input prices index fell since June and was at a level indicative of a marginal rate of inflation. Meanwhile, output prices fell for the third month running, albeit only marginally.Qatar's financial services sector continued to expand markedly at the start of the second half of 2023. Growth in new business remained sharp, leading to another strong rise in total activity. The outlook brightened since June and employment in the sector rose at the strongest rate in over a year."Financial services remains a strong point for the economy, with the key indices for activity and new business both remaining elevated in July, while employment in the sector rose at the strongest rate in over a year," al-Jaida said.

Hotel apartments in Qatar saw improved rooms' yield on an annualised basis in June 2023, even as revenue per available room in the country’s overall hospitality sector was on the decline, according to official statistics.During the period in review, the occupancy increased in deluxe hotel apartments; while it fell in star hotels and standard hotel apartments, according to the figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority.The deluxe hotel apartments registered a 4.4% year-on-year increase in average revenue available per room to QR190 this June with occupancy jumping 11% to 58%, even as the average room rate in the category was seen dipping 14.55% on an annualised basis to QR329 in the review period.However, Qatar's overall hospitality sector saw a 20.5% year-on-year plunge in average revenue per available room to QR221 in June 2023 as the average room rate declined 14.56% to QR405 and occupancy by 4% to 55% in the review period.The lower rooms’ yield comes amidst a 93.6% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals to 281,994. On a monthly basis, the total visitor arrivals, was down 1.1% in June 2023.The visitor arrivals from the Gulf Co-operation Council or GCC were 118,597 or 42% of the total, followed by other Asia (including Oceania) 78,045 (28%), Europe 35,415 (13%), other Arab countries 26,261 (9%), Americas 18,034 (6%), and other African countries 5,642 (2%) in the review period.On an annualised basis, the visitor arrivals from other Arab countries zoomed 159.1%, other African countries by 135.2%, other Asia (including Oceania) by 131%, GCC by 98.9%, Europe by 44.5% and Americas by 18.7% in June 2023.On a month-on-month basis, the visitor arrivals from the GCC declined 13.6%, Americas by 5%, other Asia (including Oceania) by 4.6% and other Arab countries by 0.1%; whereas there was a 27% jump in those coming from Europe and 9% in other African countries in the review period.In the case of five-star hotels, the average revenue per available room decreased 24.29% to QR293 in June 2023 as the average room rate fell 6.22% to QR603 and the occupancy by 11% to 49%.The average revenue per available room in the four-star hotels plummeted 19.74% on a yearly basis to QR122 in June 2023 as the occupancy plunged 6% to 43% and the average room rate by 10.63% to QR227.The three-star hotels saw a 20.73% year-on-year contraction in average revenue per available room to QR130 as the average room rate shrank 13.43% to QR174 and the occupancy by 7% to 75% in the review period.The two-star and one-star hotels' average revenue per available room tanked 19.53% year-on-year to QR136 this June as the occupancy plummeted by 6% to 89% and the average room rate by 14.04% to QR153 at the end of June this year.In the case of standard hotel apartments, the room yield improved by 3.11% year-on-year to QR166 in June 2023 as the average room rate rose 5.8% to QR219 despite 2% lower occupancy at 76%.

Qatar's maritime sector witnessed a more than 5% jump in transshipment volumes this July compared to that in June 2023, as 100,842 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and more than 166,000 tonnes of cargo were handled at Hamad, Doha and Ruwais ports, according to Mwani Qatar.As many as 226 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in July 2023, which was 14.72% higher than in June 2023. But it was down 6.22% on annualised basis, the official data has suggested.A total of 1,542 ships had called on the three ports during the first seven months of this year."The maritime sector of Qatar has undergone a significant transformation in recent years,” Mwani Qatar had said in a tweet.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 139 vessels call on the port in the review period.The container handling through the three ports rose 5.08% month-on-month but declined 17.26% on an annualised basis in July this year.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhance ease of doing business and support economic diversification, which is one of the most vital goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.Hamad Port, which is the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, saw 98,879 TEUs of containers handled this July.The container volume at the three ports stood at 733,871 TEUs during January-July 2023.The general and bulk cargo handled through the three ports stood at 166,113 tonnes in July 2023, which grew more than eight fold month-on-month and more than doubled year-on-year in the review period.Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO (vehicles), grains and livestock – handled 95,582 freight tonnes of breakbulk and 66,900 freight tonnes of bulk in July this year.A total of 937,996 freight tonnes of general and bulk cargoes were handled by the three ports during the first seven months of this year.The three ports handled 6,044 RORO in July 2023, which registered a 19.87% and 15.81% decrease month-on-month and year-on-year respectively. Hamad Port alone handled 6,037 units in July this year.A total of 46,206 RORO units were handled by three ports during January-July 2023.The building materials traffic through the three ports stood at 35,296 tonnes in July 2023, which shrank 14.21% and 1.44% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively.As much as 309,990 tonnes of building materials were handled by Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports during the first seven months of 2023.The three ports had handled 5,468 livestock in July 2023, which showed 76.96% and 21.01% decrease on yearly and monthly basis respectively.As many as 299,499 livestock heads were handled by three ports during January-July this year.