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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.

In a significant development aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Qatar's capital market, Edaa announced a reduction in the settlement period for transactions executed on the Qatar Stock Exchange from T+3 to T+2, starting from January 2024. This initiative comes in coordination with the Qatar Central Bank, the Qatar Financial Markets Authority, and the Qatar Stock Exchange, as part of efforts to modernise the mechanisms of the Qatari financial market, expedite trading activities, and attract investments in securities. The strategic initiative that complements the Qatar financial market development initiatives focuses on reducing the settlement period for trades executed on the Qatar Stock Exchange from three business days following the transaction (T+3) to only two business days (T+2)."We collaborate with all partners, under the guidance of QFMA to achieve a set of short-term goals. Our key priorities are to facilitate transactions for our local and global investors, and to ensure operational efficiency. This initiative embodies our commitment to achieving these goals," said Sheikh Saif bin Abdullah al-Thani, chief executive officer of Edaa.Edaa anticipates applying the new settlement period by the beginning of next year (January 2, 2024).This will allow institutional investors, local and foreign portfolio managers to prepare to fulfil the technical requirements on their end.Concurrently, Edaa will work with these stakeholders to provide support in applying the necessary regulatory and technical amendments, and coordinate with them to secure smooth settlement operations.Global fund managers have been eyeing the fastest growing economy due to its strong macro fundamentals, especially after Doha unveiled its plans to enhance its liquefied natural gas production to 126mn tonnes per annum by 2027, which offered indirect benefits to the private sector as well.In 2014, most markets in Europe transitioned to T+2 settlement cycle, while the settlement cycle in the US is T+2 for equities and corporate bonds and T+0 or T+1 for the money market instruments and government securities, and Hong Kong has 'T+2' cycle.A key industry demand has been to shorten the settlement cycle in view of Qatar having the necessary enablers such as the market and technological infrastructure.A cost-benefit analysis of the shortened settlement cycle has found that major bourses across the world favoured shortened settlement period as it helped reduce clearing and settlement risk as well as the overall costs for the securities' industry, thus making the market safer.The significant improvements in straight through processing and the underlying technology over the last few years call for a shortened settlement cycle, which at this point of time greatly improves volume and liquidity in the system, market experts said.

The foreign funds’ increased buying interests Tuesday led the Qatar Stock Exchange gain more than 145 points and its index crossed the 11,100 levels, reflecting the three-.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[59949]**year high oil price.A higher than average demand, particularly in the industrials sector, lifted the 20-stock Qatar Index 1.32% to 11,108 points.The Gulf institutions turned bullish in the main market, which saw the index touch an intraday high of 11,126 points.The Arab retail investors’ weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main bourse, whose year-to-date gains strengthened to 4%.However, more than 51% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market, whose capitalisation added QR7.786n or 1.22% to QR649.86bn with midcap segments gaining the most.The local retail investors were increasingly bearish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.27mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.65mn changed hands across 22 deals.The domestic institutions were also increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen gaining faster than the other indices in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index soared 1.32%, All Share Index by 1.13% and Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) by 1.36% in the main market, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The industrials sector index shot up 2.46%, banks and financial services (1.07%), real estate (1.05%), telecom (0.89%), consumer goods and services (0.21%) and insurance (0.05%); while transport declined 0.6%.Major movers in the main market included Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Dukhan Bank, Barwa, Industries Qatar, Qamco, Commercial Bank, QNB, Doha Bank, Qatar Electricity and Water and Ooredoo. In the venture market, both Al Faleh Educational Holding and Mahhar Holding saw their shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Mannai Corporation, Alijarah Holding, QLM, Mekdam Holding, Qatar Oman Investment, Widam Food, Ezdan and Nakilat were among the losers in the main market.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased noticeably to QR87.24mn compared to QR75.3mn on July 31.The Gulf institutions were net buyers to the tune of QR30.93mn against net sellers of QR3.27mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors’ net selling decreased perceptibly to QR18.13mn compared to QR20.57mn on Monday.However, the local retail investors’ net profit booking grew substantially to QR51.53mn against QR14mn on July 31.The domestic funds’ net selling strengthened significantly to QR43.59mn compared to QR34.15mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking expanded markedly to QR2.83mn against QR2.33mn on Monday.The Gulf individuals’ net selling increased notably to QR1.89mn compared to QR1.01mn on July 31.The Arab institutions turned net sellers to the extent of QR0.21mn against no major net exposure the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market were up 2% to 195.94mn shares, value by 9% to QR572.46mn and deals by 6% to 19,583.The venture market saw a 45% contraction in trade volumes to 1.14mn equities and 47% in value to QR2.52mn but on 7% jump in transactions to 251.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem in the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) is ripe with opportunities for the startups, according to top official of Invest Promotion Agency Qatar (IPA Qatar).These countries provide valuable resources, as workshops, incubators, mentors and co-working spaces, IPA Qatar chief executive officer Sheikh Ali Alwaleed al-Thani said in an article.Finding that angel investing has gained "significant" traction in the recent years, attracting substantial startup funding; he said this support has propelled three GCC countries – Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – to be placed within the top ten of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2022/23 National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI).Entrepreneurship has emerged as a powerful catalyst for economic transformation and sustainable development, particularly in emerging markets, he said, adding countries like Malaysia, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay rely heavily on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to drive employment and foster growth.Creating a supportive ecosystem is essential for entrepreneurs to thrive in emerging markets, from pathways to connect with mentors, advisors and peers, to access to key resources and networks, he said in the article, which is part of Centre for the New Economy and Society of the World Economic Forum.Governments, corporations and non-profit organisations must collaborate to establish and fund business incubators and accelerators that encourage entrepreneurism, according to him.Qatar exemplifies this collaborative approach through key stakeholders, including the Qatar Development Bank (QDB); Qatar Foundation (QF); and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP).These entities actively empower entrepreneurs and startups to realise their full potential and achieve sustainable growth, Sheikh Ali said.QDB offers funding options, grants and technical assistance, QF provides initiatives and resources to support startups and QSTP offers services, such as office space, mentorship and funding opportunities."These stakeholders, coupled with Qatar's favourable policies for entrepreneurship, including simplified business registration processes and funding accessibility, have created a conducive environment for the startups to thrive," he said.Identifying four keys to entrepreneurial success in emerging markets; he suggested governments and organisations in these markets should establish and fund tailored support programmes for entrepreneurs.Governments can, for example, create entrepreneurship development funds that provide low-interest loans and grants for MSMEs in emerging markets, he said.PPPs or public-private partnerships can facilitate the establishment of business incubators, accelerators and co-working spaces for entrepreneurs, according to him. Corporations can sponsor mentorship programmes or provide in-kind support, while government agencies can offer regulatory incentives for private sector involvement.Sheikh Ali said innovative financing models can help address funding challenges faced by entrepreneurs in emerging markets."Governments can support these models through regulatory frameworks and collaborate with financial institutions to establish specialised impact investment funds and crowdfunding platforms for entrepreneurs in emerging markets," he suggested.Entrepreneurship education should be integrated into formal education systems, vocational training programmes and community initiatives to help navigate the challenges of starting and growing a business, he said.Through collaboration, governments and educational institutions can develop relevant and up-to-date curricula that align with the needs of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, he added.

Qatar's producers' price index (PPI), which captures the price pressure felt by the producers of goods and services, eased this May on both annualised and monthly basis, according to the official estimates.The country's PPI plummeted 31.33% year-on-year owing to a noticeable decline in the indices of hydrocarbons and certain manufactured products such as chemicals, refined petroleum products and basic metals, according to the figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).The PPI saw a 3.24% contraction month-on-month in June 2023 on hydrocarbons as well as refined petroleum products, chemicals and rubber and plastics products.The PPI measures inflation from the perspective of costs to industry or producers of products as it measures price changes before they reach consumers.The PSA had released a new PPI series in late 2015. With a base of 2013, it draws on an updated sampling frame and new weights. The previous sampling frame dates from 2006, when the Qatari economy was much smaller than today and the range of products made domestically much narrower.The lower expectations on global inflation and its appurtenant reaction within the central banks expect to scale back the pace of interest rate increases, which is expected to get reflected in the industrial PPI.The mining PPI, which carries the maximum weight of 82.46%, reported a 31.42% plunge on an annualised basis in June 2023 owing to 31.46% shrinkage in the index of crude petroleum and natural gas and 0.28% in other mining and quarrying segments.The mining sector PPI had seen a 3.05% dip month-on-month in June 2023 as the index of crude petroleum and natural gas was seen plummeting 3.05%, while that of other mining and quarrying segments was flat.The manufacturing sector PPI, which has a weight of 15.85% in the basket, tanked 33.54% on a yearly basis in June 2023 due to a 41.13% decline in the index of chemicals and chemical products, 33.15% in refined petroleum products, 23.54% in basic metals, 1.26% in cement and other non-metallic mineral products, 0.84% in printing and reproduction of recorded media, and 0.29% in rubber and plastics products. Nevertheless, there was a 4.11% surge in the index of food products and 1.82% in beverages in the review period.The manufacturing PPI shrank 4.43% on a monthly basis in June 2023 on account of a 5.34% decrease in the index of chemicals and chemical products, 4.58% in refined petroleum products, 4.22% in basic metals, 3.92% in rubber and plastics products, 1.02% in cement and other non-metallic mineral products, and 0.16% in beverages; even as there was a 0.18% jump in the index of food products.The index of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply - which has a weight of 1.16% in the PPI basket - reported a 0.39% rise on a yearly basis but fell 3.6% month-on-month this June.The index of water supply - which has weight of 0.53% in the PPI, was seen expanding 18.02% year-on-year but was down 0.44% month-on-month in June 2023.

The Qatar Stock Exchange Monday was on a roller-coaster drive to finally settle mere nine points higher despite strong buying support from foreign institutions..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[59949]**A higher than average demand was visible in the counters of banking, transport, consumer goods and telecom as the 20-stock Qatar Index edged up 0.08% to 10,962.95 points.The local retail investors’ weakened net selling pressure had its marginal influence in the main market, which saw the index touch an intraday low of 10,913 points.However, more than 53% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose year-to-date gains improved to 2.64%.The domestic institutions were increasingly into net selling in the main market, whose capitalisation was down QR0.75bn or 0.12% to QR642bn with microcap cap segments losing the most.The Arab retail investors were seen bearish in the main bourse, which saw a total of 0.11mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.39mn changed hands across 23 deals.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index declined vis-à-vis marginal gains in the other indices in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Total Return Index was up 0.08% and All Share Index by 0.09%, while Al Rayan Islamic Index (Price) was down 0.03% in the main bourse, whose trade turnover grew amidst lower volumes.The banks and financial services sector index gained 0.75%, transport (0.56%), consumer goods and services (0.47%) and telecom (0.4%); while industrials shrank 1.68%, real estate 0.46% and insurance 0.31%.Major movers in the main market included Qatar Islamic Bank, United Development Company, QLM, Woqod, Baladna, Doha Bank and Milaha. In the venture market, Al Faleh Educational Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar Oman Investment, Industries Qatar, Inma Holding, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Zad Holding, Masraf Al Rayan, Widam Food, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Barwa, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar and Gulf Warehousing were among the shakers in the main market. In the juniour bourse, Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased significantly to QR75.3mn compared to QR26.45mn on July 30.The local retail investors’ net profit booking weakened noticeably to QR14mn against QR32.19mn the previous day.However, the domestic funds’ net selling strengthened substantially to QR34.15mn compared to QR17.4mn on Sunday.The Arab individual investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR20.57mn against net buyers of QR10.2mn on July 30.The Gulf institutions were net sellers to the extent of QR3.27mn compared with net buyers of QR10.99mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors turned net profit takers to the tune of QR2.33mn against net buyers of QR1.69mn on Sunday.The Gulf individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR1.01mn compared with net buyers of QR0.25mn on July 30.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 3% to 191.95mn shares but value increased 35% to QR526.68mn and deals by 55% to 18,510.The venture market saw trade volumes more than double to 2.09mn equities and value by also more than double to QR4.74mn on 76% surge in transactions to 235.