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The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) IPO (initial public offering) outlook remains cautiously optimistic during the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, with five maiden offers raising $0.93bn, and another 11 private entities and five funds set to be listed by the end of this year, according to Ernst & Young (EY).Listings in the Mena region marked a significant 76.8% year-on-year (YoY) increase in value in the review period, EY said in its latest report.While the global IPO market overall experienced a mild slowdown during Q3-2024, the Mena market is still exhibiting a strong IPO pipeline as an additional 11 private companies across various sectors as well as five funds intend to list on the Mena exchanges by the end of this year.In the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council), notable companies that have made announcements regarding their listing plans include LuLu Group International on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Talabat Middle East on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and OQ Exploration and Production on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX).In Saudi Arabia, Tamkeen Human Resources Company, Arabian Company for Agricultural and Industrial Investments and Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing have obtained approval from the Capital Market Authority (CMA).In terms of Mena stock exchange performance, the Egyptian Exchange (EGX30) retained its top position during Q3-2024 with a 26.8% increase from the beginning of the year.Meanwhile, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index closed Q3-2024 with a gain of 14.3% against the beginning of the year, making it the highest-performing market in the GCC. At the end of the quarter, four out of the five Mena IPOs showed a positive return compared to their IPO price."Despite the ongoing and challenging geopolitical environment in the Mena region, the IPO pipeline remains robust. We can expect to see a number of IPOs in the final quarter across a variety of sectors,” said Brad Watson, EY Mena Strategy and Transactions Leader.Highlighting that the UAE recorded the region’s largest IPO for the quarter; the report said ADX welcomed the largest offering of the quarter in the Mena region with NMDC Energy, which specialises in EPC solutions and marine construction, raising $877mn and contributing 94.8% of the overall IPO proceeds.Furthermore, environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals remains high on the agenda. The UAE has enacted a law that will become effective in May 2025, mandating companies to report carbon emissions, comply with decarbonisation strategies, and implement solutions such as renewable energy and carbon offsetting.The law applies to all sectors, including free zones, and sets penalties for non-compliance. It also encourages research and development, and establishes a carbon credit registry to facilitate carbon trading in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.Saudi Arabia was the frontrunner in listing activity in the third quarter of this year with three IPOs out of five with a total fundraising of $27mn. The highest proceeds – $12mn – belonged to Tharwah Human Resources Company, followed by ASG Plastic Factory Company with $9m and Al Ashghal Almoysra Company with $6mn.All three IPOs were listed on the Nomu – Parallel Market. The funds have been raised in the commercial and professional services as well as materials sectors. The Kingdom also witnessed two direct listings on the Nomu – Parallel Market, the Naas Petrol Factory Company and the Arabian United Float Glass (UFG) Company.The third quarter of the year is typically quieter in terms of listing activity after the summer. However, the Mena region still witnessed five IPOs, including the first listing on the EGX since 2022, said Gregory Hughes, EY Mena IPO Leader."Saudi Arabia continues to lead IPO activity in the region. The Tadawul Nomu–Parallel Market has become an attractive option, offering improved fundraising opportunities for the kingdom’s growing SME or small and medium enterprises sector. For the Mena region, it is now the stock exchange with the highest number of IPOs in 2024,” he added.

Qatar is slated to lead the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC ) in real oil gross domestic product (GDP) growth this year with a 1.4% jump against a 3.2% fall in the region, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) data.Four out of six of the GCC countries are expected to witness contractions in their oil GDP growth in 2024: Saudi Arabia (-5%), Kuwait (-6.6%), Oman (-3.4%) and Bahrain (-1%)."Comparatively, Qatar is expected to lead in terms of real oil GDP growth at 1.4% in 2024, followed by the UAE at 0.3%," said Kamco Invest, quoting data from the IMF's latest Regional Economic Outlook.The GCC oil GDP growth is expected to recover in 2025 led by the UAE which is expected to witness 6.7% real oil GDP expansion in 2025, followed by the Saudi Arabia (+5%) and Kuwait (+4%).In terms of non-oil GDP activity, the GCC region is expected to witness a relatively higher growth rate of 3.7% in 2024 supported by a 10-bps (basis points) growth rate upward revision, followed by 4% expected growth rate in 2025.Despite a "significant" reduction in oil and energy export revenues, the GCC countries continue to maintain their economic diversification and reform projects, which underpin the expected growth of the region’s non-oil economy, Kamco Invest said.The IMF expects the UAE to lead in terms of non-oil GDP growth in the GCC region in 2024 at 5.3% followed by Bahrain (+3.8%) and Saudi Arabia (+3.7%).The GCC real oil GDP growth is expected to contract by 3.2% in 2024 after a 5.8% contraction in 2023. Headline GCC oil GDP forecast for 2024 was lowered by 210-bps, due to the expectation that the voluntary oil production cuts will remain intact until the end of 2025. Opec+ has lowered their world oil demand forecast for 2024 and 2025 for three consecutive months.Highlighting that the GCC inflation continues to remain subdued; Kamco Invest said it is expected to continue to decrease gradually from 6.7% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024 and 4.3% in 2025.However, the rate of decline in headline inflation is expected to be different for the different regions in the world with advanced economies poised to witness faster inflation decline as compared to emerging markets and developing economies, it said, adding the decline of global inflation was supported by lower oil prices coupled with a faster than expected decrease of global food commodity prices."For the oil exporting countries in the region, especially the GCC, inflation remains subdued during 2024 with almost all the GCC countries witnessing inflation rates of under or near 2%. Comparatively, inflation in the wider Mena (Middle East and North Africa) regions is expected to remain in double digits till 2025," it said.Finding that currently ongoing conflicts such as the war on Gaza and Lebanon have exacerbated heightening uncertainty, disrupting trade routes and displacing people from their dwellings; Kamco Invest said the volume of container shipping that passed through the Suez Canal was over 70% below the pre-conflict levels as most of the trade has been re-routed around the bottom of Africa in the Cape of Good Hope.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday gained more than 23 points on buying interests especially in the telecom, transport, real estate and consumer goods sectors.The Gulf individuals were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.22% to 10,568.52 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,528 points.The foreign individuals’ weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 2.42%.The foreign funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR0.23bn or 0.04% to QR627.08bn on the back of small cap segments.The Arab retail investors also continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main market, which saw as many as 0.19mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.46mn trade across 31 deals.The Islamic index was seen gaining faster than the other indices of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The domestic institutions were increasingly into net selling in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The local retail investors turned net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 0.22%, the All Islamic Index by 0.29% and the All Share Index by 0.15% in the main market.The telecom sector index shot up 1.02%, transport (0.62%), real estate (0.5%), consumer goods and services (0.4%), banks and financial services (0.11%) and insurance (0.05%); while industrials declined 0.28%.Major movers in the main market included Beema, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Al Khaleej Takaful, Nakilat, Qatar National Cement, Woqod, Qamco, Barwa, Mazaya Qatar and Ooredoo.Nevertheless, as much as 48% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers in the main bourse being Estithmar Holding, Doha Insurance, Qatar German Medical Devices and Dlala. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.The Gulf individuals were seen net buyers to the tune of QR1.04mn compared with net sellers of QR2.42mn on November 4.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined perceptibly to QR1.97mn against QR8.09mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors’ net selling weakened noticeably to QR3.51mn compared to QR9.75mn on Monday.The Qatari individual investors’ net profit booking shrank markedly to QR3.11mn against QR19.88mn on November 4.However, the domestic institutions’ net selling strengthened notably to QR7.88mn compared to QR4.29mn the previous day.The foreign institutions’ net buying shrank substantially to QR13.08mn against QR31.41mn on Monday.The Arab individual investors’ net buying decreased significantly to QR2.36mn compared to QR13.01mn on November 4.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the fourth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 33% to 132.35mn shares, value by 18% to QR330.68mn and transactions by 2% to 12,656.The venture market saw 61% contraction in trade volumes to 0.27mn equities, 61% in value to QR0.71mn and 56% in deals to 30.

Qatar has an "incredibly bright" future for its capital market and distributed ledger technology (DLT) and digital assets are set to drive the future of the financial industry, according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Khaled al-Thani, Assistant Governor for Financial Instruments and Payment Systems at Qatar Central Bank (QCB)."The future of capital markets in Qatar and the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) is incredibly bright. By embracing DLT, AI (artificial intelligence), and other innovative technologies, we are setting the stage for a more efficient, secure, and globally integrated financial system," Sheikh Ahmed, who is also the chairman of Edaa, told the Network Forum Middle East, organised by Edaa for the first time in Qatar.Recognising the immense potential of DLT and digital assets in driving the future of the financial industry, he said since the launch of the fintech strategy, Qatar has made tremendous strides in advancing digital transformation across various sectors."As part of our fintech strategy, we have made tremendous strides in advancing digital transformation across various sectors, positioning ourselves as a key player in the adoption of innovative financial technologies," he said, adding the country has introduced regulatory guidelines for innovative solutions such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), crowdfunding, and e-KYC, creating a strong regulatory foundation for new digital products and services.Highlighting that the goal is to cultivate a thriving fintech ecosystem, attracting startups and established players alike to innovate and grow in the Qatari market; he said "we are all aware that international investors are increasingly focusing on our region, drawn by the stability, strategic opportunities, and commitment to innovation that the GCC offers."Stressing that Edaa has been working diligently to ensure that its financial infrastructure meets the highest global standards, particularly by shortening the settlement cycle; he said Edaa has been at the forefront of this transformation, successfully modernising its systems to bring settlement times in line with global norms, ensuring that Qatar remains an attractive and competitive market.Innovation is central to the future of capital markets, and CSDs (central securities depositories) play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of financial systems, he said.“As part of the capital markets platform, we are constantly leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI to enhance our post-trade infrastructure. AI can revolutionise our operations by improving trade monitoring, detecting fraud, and optimising regulatory compliance," he added.These technological advances will not only streamline services but also significantly improve risk management, delivering faster and more reliable outcomes for both local and international investors. Besides, the growing interest in securities lending and digital custody further highlights the need for strong frameworks to manage risk and ensure the security of digital assets, according to him.Highlighting the need to strike a balance between trust and ease of use; Qatar Stock Exchange acting chief executive officer Abdulaziz Nasser al-Emadi said "regulation should not restrict innovation, but regulators should play a key role in the way market behaviours and practices are regulated."

Doha saw faster increase in new business in the non-energy private sector, generating renewed expansion in the overall business activity and signalling a booming labour market, especially in the financial services, in October 2024, according to the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).The 12-month outlook remained stronger than the long-run survey trend, according to the QFC's purchasing managers' index (PMI), a composite single-figure indicator of non-energy private sector performance derived from indicators for new orders, output, employment, suppliers’ delivery times and stocks of purchases.Demand for goods and services increased at a faster rate, leading to growth in total activity and the greatest build-up of outstanding business in over two years, it said."The headline PMI rose to 52.8 in October, taking it above the average for the third quarter (52.0) and signalling renewed momentum in the non-energy sector. New business growth accelerated, driving total activity higher and leading to a faster build-up in outstanding work," QFC Authority Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Mohamed al-Jaida said.The Qatar PMI indices are compiled from survey responses from a panel of around 450 private sector companies from the manufacturing, construction, wholesale, retail, and services sectors, reflecting the structure of the non-energy economy according to official national accounts data.The rise in the PMI since September mainly reflected a faster increase in new business, which in turn generated a renewed expansion in overall business activity. Inflows of new business expanded for the 10th month running, linked to successful marketing, service enhancements, population growth and client satisfaction. Outstanding business increased for the second month running and at the fastest rate since June 2022.October data signalled continued investment in staff in order to boost capacity. Over the past two months non-energy employment has risen more quickly than at any other time in the survey history. Service providers in particular raised staffing levels at a rapid rate."A key theme of recent months has been the booming labour market, and this continued at the start of the fourth quarter. The employment and staff costs sub-indices remained close to September’s record highs as firms reported hiking salaries to boost capacity and retain skilled and experienced staff. However, higher staff costs have not been passed on to customers as prices charged fell further in October," al-Jaida said.Wage inflation in the non-energy sector remained close to September's record level in October. The seasonally adjusted Staff Costs Index was the second highest on record. Companies reported boosting salaries to retain experienced and skilled staff in a highly competitive market.Overall cost pressures were the highest since July 2020. In contrast, prices charged for goods and services fell for the third month running as firms competed for business.Confidence regarding the next 12 months remained strong in October, with sentiment the second highest since early-2023, it said, adding positive forecasts were linked to improving market conditions, population growth, real estate investment, new products, marketing and tourism.Competition among suppliers and good relationships led to another reduction in average lead times in October. Inventory levels rose, leading to a downward adjustment in purchasing activity.There was a further marked increase demand for Qatari financial services in October, driving a record increase in employment in the sector. The seasonally adjusted Financial Services Employment Index rose to 63.3, from 60.9 in September, the highest since the series began in April 2017. New business (index 60.8) expanded at a relatively strong rate.Companies were strongly optimistic regarding the 12-month outlook, with sentiment at the second-highest level since early-2023 (69). Total financial services activity increase at a faster rate (57).In terms of prices, average charges set by financial services companies fell for the third month running. Meanwhile, average input prices rose the most since July 2020.

Containers, bulk cargo and RORO (vehicles) through Qatar's ports saw a brisk year-on-year growth in October 2024, indicating the country's growing trade and economic ties with the rest of the world, according to the official data.The number of ships calling on Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports stood at 259 in October 2024, which saw a 4.02% increase on a monthly basis but down 1.52% year-on-year, according to the figures released by Mwani Qatar.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 149 vessels call (excluding military) in the review period. A total of 2,304 ships had called on the three ports during the first 10 months of this year."We’ve hit all-time highs in total F/T (freight tonnes) and units handled for our RORO operations at Hamad Port," QTerminals had said in its social media handle X.The general and bulk cargo handled amounted to 151,663 freight tonnes through the three ports, which surged 94.77% year-on-year but fell 6.17% month-on-month in October 2024.Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock – handled 268,477 freight tonnes of cargoes of which break-bulk was 91,056 freight tonnes and bulk was 45,022 freight tonnes this October. A total of 1.43mn freight tonnes of general and bulk cargoes were handled by the three ports during January-October 2024.The container handling through the three ports stood at 131,608 twenty-foot equivalent units or TEUs, which saw 10.18% and 5.43% growth year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in October 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. With a stacking area of 176,000sq m, the container terminal 2 or CT2 is equipped with the latest advanced technology, including remote-operated ship-to-shore cranes, hybrid rubber-tyred gantries, and electric tractors.Hamad Port, which recently celebrated a huge milestone of exceeding 10mn TEUs since beginning operations in 2016, has rapidly evolved into a critical hub for international shipping, catering to the needs of all major global shipping lines.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 130,627 TEUs this October. The container volume at the three ports totalled 1.23mn TEUs during January-October 2024.The three ports handled as many as 16,187 RORO in October 2024, which registered a 149.26% and 56.65% surge on annualised and monthly basis respectively. Hamad Port alone handled 16,145 units this October. A total of 105,483 RORO units were handled by three ports during January-October 2024.RORO ships – which are designed to transport vehicles like cars, trucks, and motorcycles – feature ramps that allow vehicles to drive directly on and off, eliminating the need for cranes and making it an efficient way to move cargo across the seas.Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, especially in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the latest data of the National Planning Council.The three ports were seen handling 40,661 livestock in October 2024, which shrank 3.09% year-on-year but shot up 43.42% on a monthly basis. As many as 471,581 livestock heads were handled by three ports during the first 10 months of this year.The three ports had reported no traffic of building materials this October. As much as 264,719 tonnes of building materials have been so far handled by Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports.

Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production will increase by 35% from the current levels by 2027, suggesting demand for additional exports, particularly to Europe and enhancing the country's per capita income to rise above $80,000, according Standard & Poor's (S&P), an international credit rating agency."Qatar's LNG production is set to rise further once the North Field Expansion (NFE) project comes online, which we expect by 2026-27. The strategic pivot away from Russian gas, particularly by European economies, suggests there will be demand for additional exports from Qatar," S&P said, affirming 'AA/A-1+' long-and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Qatar with a "stable" outlook.The stable outlook reflects its view that Qatar's fiscal and external buffers should continue to benefit from the country's position as one of the world's largest exporters of LNG over the next two years, further boosted by production increases through the NFE project over 2026-30.Qatar remains supported by its sizeable external and fiscal net asset positions, underpinned by funds accumulated within the sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), from past exports of hydrocarbons, in particular LNG. "We forecast the government's liquid assets will average 165% of GDP (gross domestic product) over 2024-27."We expect Qatar to remain one of the largest exporters of LNG globally. The government plans to increase Qatar's LNG production capacity to 126mn tonnes per year (Mtpa) by 2027 from 77 Mtpa currently and further to 142 Mtpa before 2030, an almost 85% increase above the current capacity," it said.Qatar derives about 40% of its GDP, 80% of government revenue, and 90% of exports from the hydrocarbon sector. As a result, S&P forecasts the country's strong fiscal and current account surpluses will persist in 2024-27, based on a Brent oil price assumption of $81 per barrel (/bbl) in 2024 and $75/bbl in 2025-2027, together with expected increases in LNG production capacity by 2027.Finding that almost all of Qatar's exports currently pass through the Strait of Hormuz and more than 70% of Qatar's LNG exports go to Asia; the rating agency said "we expect this to remain broadly unaffected by the current geopolitical tensions, including the widening war between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and the incidents in the Red Sea.""We understand that disruptions have not prevented delivery of Qatar's LNG, as shipments going north to Europe have been rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope," it added.Qatar's fiscal and external inflows are expected to remain supported by uninterrupted export flows, given that Qatar predominantly exports LNG to Asian buyers and these flows have remained unaffected by the ongoing disruption of Red Sea trade, according to S&P.Despite the geopolitical risks in the Middle East, it anticipates that the macroeconomic conditions in Qatar would remain broadly stable.Forecasting the fiscal surplus to strengthen to about 8% of GDP by 2027 as new LNG production comes on stream from the NFE project, S&P said in the first half of 2024, the central government's fiscal surplus stood at QR4.6bn (0.6% of GDP)."We expect real GDP to expand by 2% on average in 2024-25, supported by nonhydrocarbon sectors, such as wholesale and retail trade, finance, and hospitality. We forecast growth will temporarily accelerate to 7% in 2027 as additional gas production starts and the spillover effects also benefit the nonhydrocarbon sector," it said.Highlighting that Qatar's income levels remain among the highest of rated sovereigns, supporting its credit profile; S&P forecasts GDP per capita should increase above $80,000, once the NFE project boosts LNG production after 2026.

Earnings prospects and optimism at the geopolitical front in the Arab region helped Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) saw an across the board buying, resulting in 123 points gain in the key index and about QR14bn in capitalisation this week.The Arab retail investors turned net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index surged 1.19% this week which saw the listed companies report a total net profit of QR39.75bn in the first nine months (9M) of this year.The real estate, telecom and transport counters witnessed higher than average demand in the main market this week which saw Milaha wins QR262mn New Fiber Link project from North Oil Company.About 77% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse this week which saw IRU (International Road Transport Union), which represents voice of more than 3.5mn companies operating mobility and logistics services in over 100 countries, say Qatar will display the strongest growth in road freight in the Gulf region at 35% between 2023 and 2030.The foreign institutions’ weakened net selling had its influence in the main market this week which saw QIIB report net profit of QR1.04bn in 9M-2024.The Gulf funds’ lower net profit booking also had its say in the main bourse this week which saw Industries Qatar’s 9M-2024 net profit at QR3.5bn.The Arab institutions’ weakened bearish grip had its impact in the main market this week, which saw Gulf International Services report net profit of QR573mn in January-September 2024.However, the local retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.35mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.77mn trade across 40 deals.The foreign individuals were seen into lesser net buying in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.13mn change hands across 13 transactions.The domestic institutions’ weakened bullish grip held its sway on the main bourse this week which saw the realty and industrials sectors together constitute more than 60% of the total trade volumes.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main market this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.Market capitalisation added QR13.64bn or 2.23% to QR625.21bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week, which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the increase in the main market this week, which saw a Qatar Insurance report net profit of QR525mn in 9M-2024.The Total Return Index gained 1.19%, the All Share Index by 1.31% and the All Islamic Index by 1.39% this week, which saw Hamad Port witness a record breaking month in October 2024 as its cargo handling and RORO hit all-time high.The real estate sector index shot up 5.37%, telecom (1.96%), transport (1.54%), banks and financial services (1.18%), consumer goods and services (1.16%), industrials (0.84%) and insurance (0.26%) this week.Major gainers in the main bourse included Ezdan, Alijarah Holding, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar, Salam International Investment, Aamal Company, Medicare Group, Commercial Bank, Doha Bank, Lesha Bank, Baladna, Qatari Investors Group, Qatar Electricity and Water, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Estithmar Holding, Al Khaleej Takaful, Mazaya Qatar and Barwa. In the venture market, Al Mahar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Inma Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices, Qatar National Cement and Al Faleh Educational Holding were among the losers in the market. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.The Arab individual investors were net buyers to the tune of QR13.24mn against net sellers of QR15.34mn the week ended October 24.The foreign institutions’ net selling declined considerably to QR74.73mn compared to QR121.54mn a week ago.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking shrank markedly to QR15.83mn against QR38.75mn the previous week.The Arab institutions’ net selling weakened marginally to QR0.11mn compared to QR0.57mn the week ended October 24.However, the Qatari individuals’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR61.59mn against QR60.39mn a week ago.The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR2.33mn compared with net buyers of QR1.58mn the previous week.The domestic funds’ net buying decreased substantially to QR138.52mn against QR207.66mn the week ended October 24.The foreign individuals’ net buying shrank perceptibly to QR2.83mn compared to QR27.34mn a week ago.The main market witnessed an 80% surge in trade volumes to 1.15bn shares, 49% in value to QR2.45bn and 29% in deals to 76,922 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes soared 56% to 12.21mn equities, value by 56% QR29.44mn and transactions by 65% to 694.

The foreign institutions were seen hurriedly squaring off their position on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which on Wednesday saw its key index plummet 127 points and capitalisation erode as much as QR5bn.The telecom and transport counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 1.2% to 10,463.68 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,596 points.The Gulf institutions were increasingly into net profit booking in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.39%.As much as 69% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR4.77bn or 0.76% to QR623.16bn on the back of large and midcap segments.The Arab funds were seen net profit takers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.04mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.11mn trade across seven deals.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main barometer in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the local retail investors turned net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 1.2%, the All Islamic Index by 1.09% and the All Share Index by 1.05% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.86%, transport (1.7%), industrials (1.18%), banks and financial services (1.06%), consumer goods and services (0.4%) and insurance (0.34%); while real estate gained 0.48%.Major losers in the main bourse included Ooredoo, Qatar Islamic Bank, Milaha, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatari Investors Group, QIIB, Industries Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco, Mazaya Qatar and Nakilat.Nevertheless, Ezdan, Qatar Oman Investment, QLM, Meeza and Gulf International Services were among the gainers in the market.In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR62.73mn compared to QR10.2mn on October 29.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking expanded noticeably to QR18.18mn against QR2.22mn the previous day.The Arab institutions were net profit takers to the tune of QR0.08mn compared with no major net exposure on Tuesday.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased perceptibly to QR45.98mn against QR52.72mn on October 29.However, the Qatari individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR17.71mn compared with net sellers of QR36.04mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net buying strengthened considerably to QR11.63mn against QR1.63mn on Tuesday.The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.71mn compared with net sellers of QR5.1mn on October 29.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.99mn against net profit takers of QR0.78mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 28% to 214.85mn shares, value by 17% to QR491.55mn and transactions by 7% to 15,395.The venture market saw a 79% contraction in trade volumes to 0.68mn equities, 79% in value to QR1.7mn and 75% in deals to 66.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Monday fell about 56 points on the back of selling pressure, especially at the telecom and industrials counters.The foreign funds were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.53% to 10,504.28 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,593 points.The foreign individuals were also seen net sellers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 3.01%.As much as 48% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation was down QR0.43bn or 0.07% to QR621.88bn on the back of microcap segments.The Gulf funds were seen bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.1mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.22mn trade across 10 deals.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover fell amidst higher volumes.The Arab individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the domestic funds were net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.53%, the All Islamic Index by 0.54 and the All Share Index by 0.38% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.27%, industrials (0.74%), banks and financial services (0.38%) and transport (0.23%); while real estate gained 0.99%, insurance (0.28%) and consumer goods and services (0.13%).Major shakers in the main bourse included Ooredoo, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qamco, Industries Qatar, Al Khaleej Takaful, Dukhan Bank, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding and Nakilat.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Ezdan, Salam International Investment, Doha Insurance, Aamal Company, Doha Bank and Qatar Oman Investment were among the gainers in the main market.In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR19.51mn compared with net buyers of QR25.18mn on October 27.The foreign individual investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.76mn against net buyers of QR5.11mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers compared with net buyers of QR3.67mn on Sunday.The Arab individuals’ net buying declined noticeably to QR0.78mn against QR3.84mn on October 27.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the tune of QR23.82mn compared with net sellers of QR8.42mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR0.58mn against net sellers of QR3.94mn on Sunday.The Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR0.29mn compared with net sellers of QR25.45mn on October 27.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were up 1% to 235.3mn shares, whereas value shrank 7% to QR418.5mn despite 19% higher transactions at 15,020.The venture market saw a 34% contraction in trade volumes to 2.53mn equities, 33% in value to QR5.9mn and 12% in deals to 106.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Sunday opened the week on a stronger note with its key index gaining more than 159 points and capitalisation adding about QR11bn on an across the board buying interests.The real estate, telecom and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index shot up 1.53% to 10,559.95 points, although the index touched an intraday high of 10,575 points.The foreign funds were seen net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 2.5%.As much as 90% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR10.78bn or 1.76% to QR622.31bn on the back of large cap segments.The Arab individuals were seen bullish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.16mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.36mn trade across 13 deals.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign individuals were seen increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index rose 1.53%, the All Islamic Index by 1.8% and the All Share Index by 1.45% in the main market.The realty sector index shot up 2.29%, telecom (2.23%), industrials (1.69%), transport (1.41%), banks and financial services (1.35%), insurance (1.28%) and consumer goods and services (0.59%).Major gainers in the main market included Ezdan, Alijarah Holding, Qatari Investors Group, Al Khaleej Takaful, Salam International Investment, QIIB, Masraf Al Rayan, Lesha Bank, Baladna, Meeza, Qatar Investors Group, Aamal Company, Qamco, Mazaya Qatar and Ooredoo. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Zad Holding, Al Meera and Qatar National Cement were the losers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR25.18mn compared with net sellers of QR49.8mn on October 24.The foreign individual investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR5.11mn against QR3.06mn last Thursday.The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR3.84mn compared with net sellers of QR17.92mn the previous trading day.The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR3.67mn against net profit takers of QR6.14mn on October 24.However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling expanded substantially to QR25.45mn compared to QR12.83mn last Thursday.The domestic funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR8.42mn against net buyers of QR81.64mn the previous trading day.The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.94mn compared with net buyers of QR2.49mn on October 24.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net profit takers to the extent of QR0.5mn last Thursday.Trade volumes in the main market soared 80% to 233.09mn shares and value by 22% to QR451.29mn, while transactions were down 5% to 12,630.In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 3.81mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR8.83mn on 10% jump in deals to 120.

Qatar will post the strongest growth in road freight in the Gulf region at 35% between 2023 and 2030, according to IRU (International Road Transport Union), which represents the voice of more than 3.5mn companies operating mobility and logistics services in over 100 countries.Qatar had the strongest growth in the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) road freight market in 2023 (6.1% year-on-year); even as the UAE is expected to have the highest growth in 2024 (3.8% year-on-year), IRU said in its briefing 'Road freight and trade in the Gulf Co-operation Council region: Challenges and opportunities'.The size of the GCC road freight market was $22.6bn in 2023, which was 1.2% of the region’s GDP (gross domestic product), the report said, adding it represents 27% of the overall freight transport industry’s gross output and is expected to grow by 22% between 2023 and 2030. It is the second fastest growing mode in terms of market size, after air freight.The UAE has the largest road freight market by size, 39% of the region’s total in 2023; followed by Saudi Arabia (22%), it said, adding Oman has the highest share of road freight out of the total freight transport market, 27% in 2023; followed by Saudi Arabia (22%).Almost all overland freight within the GCC is transported by road. Road freight in the region is projected to continue growing over the coming years, driven by planned infrastructure projects, growing intra-GCC trade, and e-commerce expansion across the broader Middle East and North African region."Current geopolitical conflicts are also boosting road freight demand in the GCC. The ongoing Red Sea crisis has notably impacted maritime shipping, with regional and intercontinental trade being rerouted away from the Suez Canal towards overland or intermodal options," the report said.More than 1mn trucks are in operation in the GCC, a number that increases by 5% to 9% every year, it said, adding the GCC E-commerce sector grew by 7.6% year-on-year in 2023, reaching $23.8bn. "This rapidly growing cross-border sector will boost the need for road freight services across the Middle East and beyond," it said.Highlighting that in terms of the types of road freight services available in the GCC, the full truck load (FTL) and less than truck load (LTL) segments currently constitutes almost half of the total road freight market; IRU said "this will continue to increase due to the region’s strategic position and its free trade zones and economically dynamic cities."Although intra-GCC trade has been growing rapidly, borders have not kept up, it said, adding there are a limited number of border crossing points, many of which have not been significantly upgraded for years.The report also said many GCC-based companies are less digitalised than enterprises in more developed markets, reducing their competitiveness versus international companies.The main trade itineraries within the GCC are UAE exports to Kuwait (17mn tonnes in 2022), followed by Oman exports to Qatar (15mn tonnes) and Saudi Arabia exports to the UAE (13mn tonnes), the IRU said, adding the total value of all these itineraries was $62bn in 2022.

The geopolitical uncertainties was seen playing spoilsport in the regional bourses, including the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key index plummet 333 points and capitalisation erode about QR19bn this week.More than 90% of the traded constituents were in the red as the 20-stock Qatar Index plunged 3.1% this week which saw Nakilat and Milaha report net profit of QR1.28bn and QR917mn respectively in January-September 2024. An across the board selling dragged the main bourse this week which saw Vodafone Qatar ring in net profit of QR437.09mn in the first nine months (9M) of this year.The banking and telecom counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market this week which saw Qamco saw its 9M-2024 net profit at QR427.72mn. The local retail investors continued to be net sellers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse this week which saw Doha Bank report net profit of QR690.4mn in January-September 2024.The foreign funds also continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main market this week, which saw Aamal Company’s 9M-2024 net profit at QR302.41mn.The Gulf institutions remained net profit takers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.31mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.69mn trade across 65 deals.The domestic funds’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.02mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.24mn change hands across 19 transactions.The foreign retail investors were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw the banking, industrials and consumer goods sectors together constitute about 72% of the total trade volumes.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices in the main market this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds. Market capitalisation eroded QR18.87bn or 2.99% to QR611.57bn on the back of large and midcap segments this week, which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease in the main market this week, which saw a Kamco Invest report that said projects awarded in Qatar grew 57.9% year-on-year to $4.2bn in the third quarter of 2024.The Total Return Index plunged 3.1%, the All Share Index by 3.03% and the All Islamic Index by 2.82% this week, which saw Qatar’s core inflation rise faster than the general consumer price index in September 2024.The banks and financial services sector index plummeted 4.18%, telecom (3.66%), transport (2.95%), real estate (2.13%), insurance (1.58%), consumer goods and services (1.23%) and industrials (1.05%) this week which Akber Khan, acting chief executive officer of Al Rayan Investment, view Qatar’s local currency debt market is expected to gain traction.Major losers in the main market included Alijarah Holding, Ezdan, Qatar Islamic Bank, Gulf Warehousing, Estithmar Holding, QNB, Commercial Bank, QIIB, Lesha Bank, Dlala, Qatar German Medical Devices, Salam International Investment, Widam Food, Baladna, Meeza, Aamal Company, Gulf International Services, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo, Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Beema, Al Meera, Qatar National Cement and Industries Qatar were the gainers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The Arab institutions’ net profit booking grew marginally to QR0.57mn compared to QR0.3mn the week ended October 17.The domestic funds’ net buying decreased substantially to QR207.66mn against QR641.98mn the previous week.The foreign institutions’ net selling declined considerably to QR121.54mn compared to QR204.82mn a week ago.The Qatari individuals’ net selling weakened significantly to QR60.39mn against QR266.73mn the week ended October 17.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking shrank markedly to QR38.75mn compared to QR62.06mn the previous week.The Arab individual investors’ net selling eased perceptibly to QR15.34mn against QR18.23mn a week ago.The foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR27.34mn compared with net sellers of QR85.71mn the week ended October 17. The Gulf retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR1.58mn against net profit takers of QR4.04mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 29% slump in trade volumes to 638.78mn shares, 33% in value to QR1.64bn and 18% in deals to 59,729 this week. In the venture market, trade volumes grew more than tripled to 7.84mn equities and value almost tripled to QR18.39mn on 64% surge in transactions to 421.

The German-Qatar partnership is set to deepen, with potential growth in shared areas such as energy security, investment, research and innovation, talent development and logistics, according to a joint report of Invest Qatar and the German association for small and medium sized businesses (BVMW).“As Germany continues to seek secure and sustainable energy supplies, Qatar’s role as a key provider of LNG (liquefied natural gas) is set to expand,” the report said, adding the signing of a declaration of intent on an energy partnership in 2022 and the launch of a strategic dialogue in 2023 reflect the growing importance of this bilateral relationship.As Qatar ramps up its LNG production capacity to 142mn tonnes per annum by 2030, it offers Germany a “stable and reliable” energy source, aiding in its efforts to diversify away from traditional energy supplies, it said.Beyond LNG, the two nations share a commitment to renewable energy and sustainability goals.Qatar’s investments in solar power and hydrogen production, as well as its ambitious targets for carbon capture and storage (CCS), align with Germany’s long-term Energiewende (energy transition) strategy to achieve a climate-neutral energy system by 2045.Qatar is a significant investor in Germany, with total investments of about $27bn across various sectors, including automotive, energy, finance and real estate. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has strategically acquired substantial stakes in key German companies In 2023, Qatar’s exports to Germany totalled $726.2mn.

Reflecting the rising geopolitical tension, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Wednesday plummeted 158 points and capitalisation eroding about QR11bn with the banks and real estate counters witnessing higher than average selling pressure.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly into net profit booking as the 20-stock Qatar Index tanked 1.49% to 10,415.28 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,619 points.The Gulf institutions were also increasingly net sellers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened further to 3.83%.More than 78% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation eroded QR10.78bn or 1.73% to QR611.48bn on the back of large and midcap segments.The Arab individuals turned bearish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.1mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.25mn trade across 19 deals.The Islamic index was seen declining slower the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The foreign retail investors’ lower net buying had its marginal influence on the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the domestic institutions were increasingly bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index lost 1.49%, the All Islamic Index by 1.28% and the All Share Index by 1.61% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index plummeted 2.49%, realty (1.62%), telecom (0.84%). transport (0.79%), industrials (0.64%) and insurance (0.62%); while consumer goods and services was up 0.01%.Major losers in the main market included Qatar General Insurance, Ezdan, Widam Food, Salam International Investment, Qatar German Medical Devices, QNB, Qatar Islamic Bank, Commercial Bank, QIIB, Lesha Bank, Medicare Group, Mannai Corporation, Aamal Company, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Estithmar Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo and Gulf Warehousing.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, QLM, Woqod, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Meeza and Ahlibank Qatar were among the gainers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net selling increased substantially to QR64.33mn compared to QR11.07mn on October 22.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking strengthened significantly to QR18.9mn against QR5.17mn the previous day.The Arab retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR5.66mn compared with net buyers of QR4.97mn on Tuesday.The foreign individual investors’ net buying weakened marginally to QR6.63mnn against QR7.64mn on October 22.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying expanded drastically to QR53.34mn compared to QR11.36mn the previous day.The Qatari individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR29.01mn against net profit takers of QR5.78mn on Tuesday.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking eased perceptibly to QR0.1mn compared to QR1.87mn on October 22.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net sellers to the tune of QR0.07mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market soared 64% to 178.69mn shares, value by 34% to QR435.18mn and transactions by 35% to 14,578.The venture market saw 212-fold jump in volumes to 6.36mn equities and more than 189-fold in value to QR15.14mn on more than 49-fold growth in deals to 295.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Tuesday witnessed intense gyrations intraday to finally settle 34 points lower, amid geopolitical tensions in the region.The foreign institutions were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.32% to 10,573.21 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,608 points.The banking, transport, consumer goods, insurance and real estate counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 2.38%.About 77% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.41bn or 0.23% to QR622.26bn on the back of small and microcap segments.The Gulf institutions were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.09mn trade across nine deals.The Islamic index was seen declining faster the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The Gulf individual investors turned bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.32%, the All Islamic Index by 0.41% and the All Share Index by 0.34% in the main market.The banks and financial services sector index declined 0.82%, transport (0.6%), consumer goods and services (0.45%), insurance (0.37%) and realty (0.33%); whereas telecom and industrials gained 0.91% and 0.71% respectively.Major losers in the main market included QLM, Meeza, QIIB, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Lesha Bank, Salam International Investment, Estithmar Holding, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco and Ezdan.In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Beema, Industries Qatar, Ooredoo, Qatar Oman Investment and Mannai Corporation were among the gainers in the main bourse.The foreign funds were net sellers to the tune of QR11.07mn compared with net buyers of QR16.81mn on October 21.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased perceptibly to QR5.17mn against QR3.05mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors turned net sellers to the extent of QR1.87mn compared with net buyers of QR0.3mn on Monday.The Arab institutions were net profit takers to the tune of QR0.07mn against no major net exposure on October 21.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased drastically to QR11.36mn compared to QR52.93mn the previous day.However, the foreign individual investors’ net buying strengthened noticeably to QR7.64mn against QR2.29mn on Monday.The Arab retail investors’ net buying strengthened noticeably to QR4.97mn compared to QR2.72mn on October 21.The Qatari individuals’ net profit booking shrank substantially to QR5.78mn against QR71.99mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market tanked 25% to 109.06mn shares, value by 4% to QR325.1mn and transactions by 13% to 11,696.The venture market saw flat volumes at 0.03mn equities but on 14% jump in value to QR0.08mn amidst 45% contraction in deals to 11.

The National Planning Council (NPC) will unveil its strategy for database and statistics by the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, while it has instituted National Training Centre for Data and Statistics and announced 'Qatar Data Hackathon'."We are currently working on preparing the National Data and Statistics Strategy, which is scheduled to be launched during the last quarter of this year," NPC Secretary-General Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak al-Khalifa told the Second Doha Data Forum for innovation in sustainable development.The strategy would address the pressing needs in the era of the digital revolution, given the pivotal and important role of data and statistics in making informed and sustainable decisions, he said in his inaugural address at the forum, which will conclude today.The proposed strategy, based on developing an integrated system for data management, is not merely a regulatory tool, but rather a comprehensive vision for leading the national data and statistics agenda, according to him."It is a new step towards achieving integration among various sectors and providing the accurate information and data necessary to support planning and development processes, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030," al-Khalifa said.The strategy aims to develop an advanced infrastructure that provides access to high-quality and secure data, while enhancing data governance mechanisms and ensuring privacy and security."This initiative is an open call for innovation, as we seek to enable national entities to provide smart solutions and make the most of modern technologies as artificial intelligence and advanced analytics," he said.On the National Training Center for Data and Statistics, he said through this, NPC aims to develop national cadres capable of exploiting the power of data and statistics and building national capabilities in various data fields.(The centre) will “serve as a station for continuous learning and an incubator for developing advanced skills in data management and analysis, machine learning, advanced analytics, and modern data technologies," he said.Elaborating on 'Qatar Data Hackathon', al-Khalifa said this initiative is not just a competition, but rather a platform to empower young talents and stimulate innovative thinking to find practical solutions to the challenges facing various sectors."Through this initiative, we will work to highlight smart ideas that contribute to improving the quality of life and enhancing performance in various fields," he added.The event is being attended by experts in official statistics, data and environment science, and geographic information technology from Qatar, and from specialised UN organisations such as the statistics division, Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund), Unesco (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), ILO (International Labour Organisation), UNDP (The United Nations Development Programme), WHO (World Health Organisation), UNFPA (The United Nations Population Fund), UN Women, ESCWA, the UK Office for National Statistics, Statistics Finland and GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) Statistical Center.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Monday fell about eight points despite five of the seven sectors witnessing buying interests.The local retail investors were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.08% to 10,607.09 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,631 points.The telecom and insurance counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main market, whose year-to-date losses widened to 2.06%.About 53% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation was up QR0.19bn or 0.03% to QR623.67bn on the back of microcap segments.The foreign individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, which saw 0.07mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.18mn trade across 16 deals.The Islamic index was seen declining faster the main barometer in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Gulf individual investors’ lower net buying had its say in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index was down 0.08% and the All Islamic Index by 0.22%, while the All Share Index was up 0.02% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.45% and insurance (0.64%); whereas industrials gained 0.29%, real estate (0.28%), consumer goods and services (0.18%), banks and financial services (0.05%) and transport (0.04%).Major losers in the main market included Meeza, Qatar Islamic Bank, Ooredoo, Ezdan, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Medicare Group, Baladna, Estithmar Holding, Qatar Insurance and Vodafone Qatar.In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Al Meera, Salam International Investment, QNB, Al Faleh Educational Holding and Barwa were among the gainers in the main bourse.In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.The Qatari individuals were net sellers to the tune of QR71.99mn compared with net buyers of QR1.19mn on October 20.The foreign individual investors’ net buying declined noticeably to QR2.29mn against QR7.71mn the previous day.The Gulf retail investors’ net buying weakened marginally to QR0.3mn compared to QR0.76mn on Sunday.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying increased drastically to QR52.93mn against QR8.41mn on October 20.The foreign funds were net buyers to the extent of QR16.81mn compared with net sellers of QR13.14mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net buying strengthened notably to QR2.72mn against QR0.55mn on Sunday.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking fell perceptibly to QR3.05mn compared to QR5.49mn on October 20.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shot up 89% to 144.78mn shares and value by 94% to QR339.25mn on more than doubled transactions to 13,506.The venture market saw as many as 0.03mn equities valued at QR0.07mn change hands across 11 deals.