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Ahead of the cruise season, Qatar saw a robust double-digit year-on-year growth in tourist inflow - especially from the Gulf, Europe and the Americas - this September; as its hospitality sector saw improved room yield, particularly in five-star hotels and deluxe hotel apartments, according to the official estimates.The buoyancy in the hospitality sector came amidst 314,597 visitor arrivals in September 2024 with those coming by land reporting the fastest growth. On a yearly basis, the total visitors rose 27.3% year-on-year but fell 4.1% month-on-month in the review period.The visitors from the Gulf Co-operation Council or GCC were 121,427 or 39% of the total, other Asia (including Oceania) 79,112 (25%), Europe 58,546 (19%), other Arab countries 25,334 (8%), Americas 22,644 (7%) and other African countries 7,534 (2%) in September 2024.On an annualised basis, the visitor arrivals from the GCC reported the fastest growth at 43.3%, followed by Europe at 32.1%, the Americas at 27.5%, other Arab countries at 22.3%, other African countries at 12.8% and other Asia (including Oceania) at 8.5% in the review period.On a month-on-month basis, the visitor arrivals from the Americas declined 19.8%, Europe by 17.1%, the GCC by 8.9% and other African countries by 7.3%; whereas those from other Asia (including Oceania) rose 20.5% and other Arab countries by 14.3% in September 2024.Of the total tourists inflow, those coming by air was 202,533, reporting an annual growth of 19.14%; land 110,304 (45.84%) and sea 1,760 (17.33%) in the review period.Visitor arrivals measures non-residents travelling to Qatar on a short-term basis. It includes arrival at border under 15 different visit visa classes, including all business and leisure visa types (excluding work visas).Qatar's hospitality sector saw a 17.39% year-on-year increase in revenue-per-available room to QR243 as occupancy improved by 5% to 63% and the average room rate by 6.39% to QR383 in September 2024.The five-star hotels' room yield shot up 16.73% year-on-year to QR307 with occupancy rising by 6% to 57% and the average room rate by 4.88% to QR537 in the review period.The four-star hotels saw revenue per available room jump 6.45% to QR132 as occupancy grew 7% to 64%; even as average room rate shrank 6.36% to QR206 in September 2024.The three-star hotels' average room rate was seen flat year-on-year at QR166 but room yield was up 4.72% to QR133 as occupancy improved 4% to 80% in the review period.The two-star and one-star hotels saw their revenue-per-available room decline 8.89% on an annualised basis to QR123 as occupancy fell 11% to 84% despite 2.82% jump in average room rate to QR146 in September 2024.The deluxe hotel apartments registered a 26.42% year-on-year surge in room yield to QR244 with occupancy growing 10% to 72% and the average room rate by 9.35% to QR339 in the review period.In the case of standard hotel apartments, occupancy tanked 19% year-on-year to 58% and the average room rate by 1.36% to QR218, plummeting revenue-per-available room by 26.32% to QR126 in September 2024.

An across the board profit booking pressure on Wednesday dragged the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) more than 46 points and its key index settled below 10,400 levels.The Gulf institutions were seen increasingly into net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.45% to 10,361.45 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,426 points.The foreign institutions were also seen increasingly bearish in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR3.45bn or 0.56% to QR613.655bn primarily on the back of small and microcap segments.The Arab individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market, which saw as many as 1,500 ETFs or the exchange traded funds (sponsored by AlRayan Bank and Doha Bank), valued at QR0.01mn change hands across two deals.The telecom, transport and consumer goods counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices of the main bourse, which saw as much as 72% of the traded constituents in the red.However, the domestic funds were seen increasingly net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.45%, the All Islamic Index by 0.38% and the All Share Index by 0.48% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.12%, transport (1.04%), consumer goods and services (0.61%), industrials (0.49%), realty (0.48%), banks and financial services (0.33%) and insurance (0.16%).Major losers in the main bourse included Aamal Company, Inma Holding, Qatar Oman Investment, Ooredoo, Al Faleh Educational Holding, QNB, Woqod, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Milaha and Nakilat. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Meeza, Qatari Investors Group, Commercial Bank, AlRayan Bank and Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased substantially to QR30.12mn compared to QR9.45mn on November 26.The foreign institutions’ net selling expanded drastically to QR19.59mn against QR7.84mn the previous day.The Arab retail investors’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR1.54mn compared to QR3.25mn on Tuesday.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying strengthened noticeably to QR31.38mn against QR22.8mn on November 26.The Qatari individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR11.54mn compared with net sellers of QR3.02mn the previous day.The foreign retail investors were net buyers to the extent of QR6.07mn against net sellers of QR1.28mn on Tuesday.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling declined markedly to QR0.8mn compared to QR4.45mn on November 26.The Arab institutions had not major net exposure for the eighth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shot up 8% to 97.06mn shares, value by 32% to QR317.69mn and transactions by 35% to 12,631.In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 0.16mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR0.42mn on 84% jump in deals to 35.(Ends)

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Sunday opened the week on a bullish note, albeit at lower levels, with its key index gaining more than 15 points on buying interests especially in the telecom and banking sectors.The foreign institutions were seen net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.14% to 10,409.59 points, but recovering from an intraday low of 10,441 points.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main bourse, whose capitalisation was up QR0.68bn or 0.11% to QR618bn primarily on the back of microcap segments.The domestic funds continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 5,600 exchange traded funds (sponsored by Doha Bank) valued at QR0.06mn change hands across four deals.The Islamic index was seen declining vis-à-vis gains in the other indices of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decline.The foreign retail investors continued to be bullish but with lesser vigour in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf individuals were seen increasingly net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index was up 0.14% and the All Share Index by 0.15%, while the All Islamic Index was down 0.01% in the main market.The telecom sector index gained 0.96%, banks and financial services (0.26%), insurance (0.15%) and industrials (0.07%); while real estate declined 0.48%, consumer goods and services (0.37%) and transport (0.15%).Major gainers in the main bourse included Qatari Investors Group, Doha Insurance, Ooredoo, Beema and Ahlibank Qatar. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, about 57% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main market with major losers being Dlala, Ezdan, Meeza, QIIB and Milaha. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR6.04mn compared with net sellers of QR32.19mn on November 21.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking decreased noticeably to QR6.86mn against QR8.59mn the previous trading day.However, the Gulf individual investors’ net selling grew markedly to QR4.87mn compared to QR0.95mn last Thursday.The Qatari individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR1.26mn against net buyers of QR11.04mn on November 21.The Arab individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.94mn compared with net buyers of QR2.63mn the previous trading day.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined substantially to QR6.85mn against QR25.81mn last Thursday.The foreign retail investors’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR1.05mn compared to QR2.23mn on November 21.The Arab institutions had not major net exposure for the fifth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 23% to 99.8mn shares, value by 40% to QR224.47mn and transactions by 45% to 8,501.The venture market saw 78% shrinkage in trade volumes to 0.12mn equities, 76% in value to QR0.34mn and 59% in deals to 32.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) witnessed an across the board selling, leading to a more than 60 points decline in the key index and more than QR2bn in capitalisation this week.The Gulf individuals were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.58% this week which saw Al Mahhar Holding shareholders approve the board’s proposal to shift it to the main market from the junior bourse.The Arab retail investors turned net sellers this week which saw global credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s forecast Qatar's average debt-servicing costs to be below 5% of general government revenues by 2027, aided by debt reduction strategies and higher expected earnings related to the North Field Expansion,The industrials, telecom, insurance and consumer goods and services sectors witnessed higher than average selling pressure this week which saw the United Nations Development Programme join hands with the Ooredoo Group to establish a comprehensive policy framework to accelerate digital transformation across the Arab region.The foreign institutions continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main market this week which saw Mekdam Holding bag QR71.5mn project from QatarEnergy.The Gulf funds also continued to be bearish but with lesser vigour in the main bourse this week which saw Standard and Poor’s affirm Commercial Bank’s rating at ‘A-/A-2’ with stable outlook.The domestic institutions’ substantially weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw Techno Q bag two major projects in Saudi Arabia.The local retail investors’ lower net buying had its say in the main bourse this week which saw Qatar reiterate its commitment to develop digital ecosystem.The foreign individuals were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.18mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.39mn trade across 37 deals.The Arab funds’ net selling was seen weakening in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.05mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.55mn change hands across 33 transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices in the main market this week which saw the real estate and industrials sectors together constitute about 53% of the total trade volumes.Market capitalisation melted 0.35% to QR617.32bn on the back of small and microcap segments this week, which saw no trading of treasury bills.Trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease in the main market, whereas it showed expansion in the junior bourse this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.58%, the All Share Index by 0.49% and the All Islamic Index by 0.73% this week.The industrials sector index tanked 1.08%, telecom (0.99%), insurance (0.93%), consumer goods and services (0.74%), transport (0.49%), banks and financial services (0.17%) and real estate (0.16%) this week.Major losers in the main bourse included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Aamal Company, Beema, Widam Food, Al Khaleej Takaful, Qatar Islamic Bank, Alijarah Holding, Dlala, Salam International Investment, Woqod, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar Electricity and Water, Industries Qatar, Estithmar Holding, Mazaya Qatar, Ooredoo and Gulf Warehousing. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Ezdan, QIIB, QLM, Medicare Group and Qatari Investors Group were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The Gulf individuals turned net sellers to the tune of QR7.2mn compared with net buyers of QR3.03mn the week ended November 14.The Arab retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.53mn against net buyers of QR10.35mn the previous week.The domestic institutions’ net buying weakened substantially to QR80.11mn compared to QR191.34mn a week ago.The local retail investors’ net buying declined significantly to QR11.24mn against QR47.45mn the week ended November 14.However, the foreign individuals turned net buyers to the tune of QR4.72mn compared with net sellers of QR0.55mn the previous week.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking shrank drastically to QR73.29mn against QR200.48mn a week ago.The Gulf institutions’ net selling decreased considerably to QR12.06mn compared to QR51.1mn the week ended November 14.The Arab institutions’ net profit booking eased marginally to QR0.02mn against QR0.03mn the previous week.The main market witnessed a 22% contraction in trade volumes to 552.73mn shares, 28% in value to QR1.45bn and 24% in deals to 57,955 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes gained 17% to 4.58mn equities, value by 22% to QR11.59mn and transactions by 9% to 337.

The Qatar Stock Exchange on Thursday closed 43 points lower on selling pressure especially at the insurance, telecom and banks.The foreign institutions were seen net sellers as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.42% to 10,394.32 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,465 points.As much as 63% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.77bn or 0.29% to QR617.32bn primarily on the back of microcap segments.The Gulf funds were seen increasingly into net profit booking in the main market, which saw as many as 0.15mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.71mn change hands across 47 deals.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the main barometer of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The Gulf retail investors were increasingly net sellers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.However, the domestic institutions were seen increasingly bullish in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index lost 0.42%, the All Islamic Index by 0.41% and the All Share Index by 0.37% in the main market.The insurance sector index shed 0.93%, telecom (0.74%), banks and financial services (0.45%), industrials (0.38%) and consumer goods and services (0.02%); while real estate and transport gained 0.31% and 0.07% respectively.Major shakers in the main bourse included Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Qatar Islamic Bank, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Inma Holding, Ooredoo, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco and Ooredoo.In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatari Investors Group, Doha Bank, Meeza, Medicare Group, United Development Company and Ezdan were among the gainers in the main market.The foreign institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR32.19mn compared with net buyers of QR1.5mn on November 20.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR8.59mn against QR1.42mn the previous day.The Gulf individual investors’ net selling expanded marginally to QR0.95mn compared to QR0.4mn on Wednesday.However, the domestic institutions’ net buying grew substantially to QR25.81mn against QR3.5mn on November 20.The Qatari individuals’ net buying strengthened considerably to QR11.04mn compared to QR2.69mn the previous day.The Arab individual investors were net buyers to the extent of QR2.63mn against net sellers of QR1.56mn on Wednesday.The foreign retail investors turned net buyers to the tune of QR2.23mn compared with net sellers of QR4.21mn on November 20.The Arab institutions had not major net exposure for the fourth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shot up 18% to 130.36mn shares, value by 25% to QR371.4mn and transactions by 37% to 15,478.The venture market saw a 41% shrinkage in trade volumes to 0.55mn equities and 41% in value to QR1.44mn but on flat deals at 79.

Qatar, which has earmarked QR9bn to achieve digital transformation, on Wednesday reiterated its unwavering commitment to develop a digital ecosystem and said it is developing a specialised programme to encourage foreign direct investment in the sector.Addressing the Digital Ecosystem Conference, organised by Ooredoo Group, HE the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali al-Mannai said the (specialised) programme focuses on facilitating the necessary procedures to support emerging technology companies and providing incentives that contribute to attracting global investors.Highlighting that the legislative and regulatory system is being constantly developed in Qatar, he said the secure data law will be issued soon, which represents a new addition to enhance the regulatory and legislative environment.Through these efforts, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) seeks to open new horizons for economic growth, ensure the comprehensiveness of the digital system, and enhance the competitive position of Qatar at the international level, he told the conference, themed "Legislation and Regulation to Drive a Successful Digital Economy."Highlighting that Qatar has allocated QR9bn ($2.5bn) for digital transformation programmes through investment in emerging technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI), al-Mannai said these investments are the foundation on which Qatar builds its digital future.The Digital Agenda 2030 is at the heart of this transformation, he said, adding it is a roadmap to accelerate digital transformation in Qatar, a strategy to build a knowledge-based economy, reduce dependence on oil resources, and enhance the country's position in the field of innovation.He said the country's journey in the digital transformation is not limited to adopting new technologies but focusing on creating a digital environment where new companies can grow.Ooredoo Group chief executive officer Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo said emerging technologies and their many applications are advancing at such a rapid rate that the old model, where authorities create rules and sector participants follow them, just isn't enough anymore."Instead, we need a collaborative framework and an ecosystem where different participants and stakeholders approach policymaking and regulatory intervention together," he said, adding as sector participants, Ooredoo understands these technologies, their commercial potential and the risk that they may bring.Working closely with regulators is essential for creating an environment that encourages investment while ensuring public safety, trust, and fair competition, according to him."A key message I want to share today is that it's not emerging technologies themselves that necessarily need regulating. Its specific use case they enable," he said.Highlighting that in a world where the industries are intertwined and work in partnership, Fakhroo said Ooredoo Group is now regulated by many stakeholders as the telecom regulator, the central bank and financial oversight authorities."How do these different stakeholders collaborate together to create a proper environment for investment and innovation is the key," he said.

The legal system in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is all set to see drastic positive changes over the next decade in view of the increasing use and innovation of AI (artificial intelligence), according to a senior official of the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC)."Over the next five to ten years, I expect there will be significant and positive changes in the legal sector in the GCC as a result of greater use and innovation using Al," Umar Azmeh, Registrar of QICDRC, said in an article in Lexis Middle East Law Alert, which was distributed at the Digital Ecosystem conference, organised by Ooredoo Group.Within the courts, the main opportunities, according to him, will come from the significant savings in time and resources, which will be important as generally courts are public bodies with finite resources."In addition, the Al innovations we are already starting to see will make case management processes easier and more efficient - resulting in greater access to justices," he said.There is also the potential for a greater use of Al decision making tools by lawyers at the pre-litigation stage but also potentially in the future by judges, he said.Expecting Al tools to be used as decision making aids by judges, rather than a means of making automatic final decisions in cases; Azmeh said Al has the potential to become a very valuable tool for judges in the courts, as it could sift through large volumes of material to spot patterns judges could then interpret, improving the consistency of case decisions.Finding that with the public release of scaled large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, industries and sectors of all types across the world have been looking at ways in which they can harness and benefit from AI, he said: "In this respect, Middle East Courts, including the QICDRC in Qatar are no different."Within a court system, an Al system can either be internal facing or external facing, he said, adding internal Al systems can assist the court, court staff and judges with case progression and decision-making.In this regard, he said, Al can be used to scan and review case papers which are often long, made up of huge numbers of documents and can include complex data, in order, to provide summaries of complex financial data which identifies patterns, or they can be used to automate procedural tasks such as the acceptance and service of a case on behalf of a claimant, which helps make judicial procedures faster and cheaper, improving access to justice.The external facing Al in a court context is technology which assists court users, he said.It may be possible to put programmes in place that review the paperwork which has to be provided to the court to ensure the parties have fulfilled all the mandatory requirements when they file their case and reduce the risk of cases being rejected because of purely procedural mistakes, according to him."Since our first case in 2009, the QICDRC Courts have prided themselves with having a case management system that has a strong technological setup through which cases process and having an online hearing system which allows simultaneous translation so parties from all over the world can participate in cases being heard in our courts live on our website," Azmeh said.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) joined hands with the Ooredoo Group to announce a joint initiative to establish a comprehensive policy framework to accelerate digital transformation across the Arab region.The initiative - which also engages the industry leader, Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM Association) as a technical partner - was launched at Ooredoo’s inaugural Digital Ecosystem conference.The initiative adopts a multi-phased approach, beginning with an evaluation of existing digital regulatory frameworks and adapting them to meet the distinct needs of the Arab region.The Phase 1 will identify global best practices and develop assessment criteria to benchmark each country’s digital policy context. The framework will initially be piloted in a selected country, setting a model for regional adoption.The UNDP’s regional bureau for Arab states and the Ooredoo Group will further explore developing additional collaborative regional projects under this initiative.This initiative not only responds to the urgent need for cohesive digital regulations and policies that support sustainable economic growth but also propose a policy and regulatory framework that fosters investment, reduce transactional friction, and support cross-border innovation; thus enhancing digital readiness in Arab countries and helping them seize opportunities within a rapidly expanding digital economy.“In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, cohesive policies are essential for fostering inclusive economic growth and resilience,” said Sussanne Dam Hanse, deputy director, Amman Regional Hub, UNDP.The partnership marks an important contribution to unlocking the vast potential of the digital economy across the region, she said, adding by creating a unified digital policy framework, the initiative is fostering an environment where innovation can thrive, the digital divides bridged, and sustainable development is within reach for all.The framework will be developed with the expertise of leading organizations and will serve as a guide for policymakers to create regulatory contexts conducive of private sector investments and sustainable digital growth.Without supportive, harmonised policies, the full potential of digital economies remains untapped,” Hilal Mohammed al-Khulaifi, Chief Legal Regulatory and Corporate Governance Officer, Ooredoo, said.Highlighting that the initiative is a decisive step toward creating a unified digital policy framework tailored to the region’s unique landscape; he said: "Our collaboration with UNDP and GSMA brings together unparalleled expertise, marking a landmark step toward creating a digital ecosystem that fosters sustainable progress across Middle East and North Africa region.”

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday declined more than 28 points on selling pressure especially in the telecom and real estate sectors.The foreign institutions were seen increasingly into net selling as the 20-stock Qatar Index shed 0.27% to 10,425.3 points, although it reached an intraday high of 10,461 points.As much as 72% of the traded constituents were in the red in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR2.19bn or 0.35% to QR617.39bn primarily on the back of mid and microcap segments.The Arab individuals were increasingly net profit takers in the main market, which saw as many as 0.03mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.08mn change hands across seven deals.The Islamic index was seen declining faster the other indices of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The foreign retail investors turned bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index lost 0.27%, the All Islamic Index by 0.28% and the All Share Index by 0.25% in the main market.The telecom sector index tanked 1.43%, realty (0.59%), banks and financial services (0.25%), consumer goods and services (0.25%), transport (0.2%) and industrials (0.03%); while insurance gained 0.29%.Major shakers in the main bourse included Ooredoo, Ezdan, Salam International Investment, Qatar Islamic Insurance, Barwa and Mazaya Qatar. In the venture market, Techno Q saw its shares depreciate in value.Nevertheless, Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution, Inma Holding, Estithmar Holding, Qatar Insurance and Qamco were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares appreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking increased noticeably to QR13.37mn compared to QR8.81mn on November 18.The Arab individual investors’ net selling expanded markedly to QR7.29mn against QR0.64mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking grew notably to QR2.06mn compared to QR0.53mn on Monday.The foreign retail investors turned net sellers to the tune of QR0.57mn against net buyers of QR2.46mn on November 18.The domestic institutions’ net buying decreased substantially to QR12.85mn compared to QR24.02mn the previous day.However, the Qatari individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR12.46mn against net sellers of QR12.77mn on Monday.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking weakened perceptibly to QR2.05mn compared to QR3.75mn on November 18.The Arab institutions had not major net exposure for the second straight session.Trade volumes in the main market were down 1% to 107.71mn shares, value by 16% to QR257.22mn and transactions by 23% to 10,184.In the venture market, trade volumes shot up 36-fold to 2.88mn equities and value by almost 34-fold to QR7.19mn on more than seven-fold jump in deals to 124.

Reflecting the gains in the world oil markets, the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Monday rose about 43 points on the back of buying interests, especially in the banks, real estate and telecom counters.The domestic institutions were increasingly net buyers as the 20-stock Qatar Index gained 0.41% to 10,453.36 points, recovering from an intraday low of 10,414 points.The foreign funds’ weakened net profit booking had its effect in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR3.75bn or 0.61% to QR619.58bn primarily on the back of small and microcap segments.The foreign individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main market, which saw as many as 0.01mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.06mn change hands across four deals.The Islamic index was seen gaining slower than the other indices of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.The local individual investors were seen increasingly bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The Gulf retail investors were increasingly into net profit booking in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index gained 0.41%, the All Islamic Index by 0.14% and the All Share Index by 0.48% in the main market.The banks and financial services group index jumped 0.85%, realty (0.78%), telecom (0.59%), consumer goods and services (0.23%) and transport (0.13%); while insurance declined 0.53% and industrials 0.09%.Major movers in the main bourse included Ezdan, QNB, Commercial Bank, Barwa and Baladna. In the venture market, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares appreciate in value.Nevertheless, as much as 56% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices, Widam Food, Qatar Electricity and Water and Estithmar Holding.The domestic institutions’ net buying increased substantially to QR24.02mn compared to QR13.91mn on November 17.The foreign institutions’ net profit booking decreased significantly to QR8.81mn against QR20.43mn the previous day.However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling expanded markedly to QR12.77mn compared to QR2.19mn on Sunday.The Gulf retail investors’ net profit booking grew noticeably to QR3.75mn against QR0.07mn on November 17.The Arab individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR0.64mn compared with net buyers of QR3.31mn the previous day.The Gulf institutions turned net profit takers to the tune of QR0.53mn against net buyers of QR0.57mn on Sunday.The foreign retail investors’ net buying weakened notably to QR2.46mn compared to QR4.91mn on November 17.The Arab institutions had not major net exposure against net profit takers to the tune of QR0.02mn the previous day.Trade volumes in the main market soared 15% to 108.82mn shares, value by 44% to QR307.17mn and transactions by 70% to 13,199.The venture market saw 43% plunge in trade volumes to 0.08mn equities, 42% in value to QR0.21mn and 55% in deals to 17.

Qatar's average debt-servicing costs are expected to be below 5% of general government revenues by 2027, aided by debt reduction strategies and higher expected earnings related to the North Field Expansion or NFE, according to Standard and Poor's (S&P).Highlighting that in the recent years, Qatar's authorities have aimed to reduce the level of external debt; S&P said "we expect this to remain the case, with only partial refinancing of foreign debt coming due."In 2023, the government repaid about QR27bn (about 3.4% of GDP or gross domestic product) of its debt. This year, it expects further debt reduction of about 2% of GDP, partially offset by new debt issuance equivalent of $2.5bn (1.2% of GDP) in May 2024, S&P said in its recent report.Adding the borrowings of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, QIA or Qatar Investment Authority, equivalent to 6% of GDP to the direct government debt, the rating agency said it estimates general government debt to be 48% of GDP at year-end 2024 (versus 50% of GDP in 2023).S&P also expect this will fall to about 33% by 2027 in line with the government's debt-repayment strategy and significant increase in the nominal GDP."Continued debt reduction and an expected increase in revenue from higher gas production related to the NFE will keep average debt-servicing costs below 5% of general government revenue," it said.The country's strong general government net asset position (which it forecasts will average 125% of GDP over 2024-27) remains a credit strength, supported by investment returns on QIA's investments.Sizeable assets accumulated within the QIA will also continue to support Qatar's strong aggregate external net asset position in 2024-27, it said, adding despite this, Qatar stands out in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as having a "significant" amount of net external banking sector liabilities, which keep external financing needs high and pose a potential funding risk for the system.Regulatory directives introduced by the Qatar Central Bank in 2022 initially prompted a substantial ($23bn) reduction in potentially riskier non-resident deposit funding from year-end 2021 to August 2024. However, a jump in interbank liabilities ($8bn in the same period) partially offset the decline in non-resident deposits."Despite the increase in recent months, we expect the banking sector's external debt to broadly stabilize because we expect domestic funding sources should be able to fund the credit growth, which we believe will slow to average 5% over 2024-27 versus 11% on average during 2019-22," S&P said.

The Middle East and North Africa or Mena region witnessed a total of 522 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals valued at $71bn in the first nine months (9M) of 2024 and is expected to close the year with more than 700 deals, close to five-year high of 750 deals, according to EY.The deal volume this year grew by 9%, while deal value saw a 7% rise on an annualised basis, EY said in its latest report."The Mena M&A market is extremely buoyant and we expect to end the year with more than 700 deals, which will be very close to the historic five-year high of 750 deals. This is a remarkable achievement in the context of uncertain geopolitics and higher cost of capital," said Anil Menon, EY Mena Head of M&A and Equity Capital Markets Leader.Cross-border M&As played a significant role, contributing 52% of the overall volume and 73% of the value in 9M-2024, it said, adding meanwhile, domestic M&A value increased year-on-year (y-o-y) by 44% to $19.3bn, primarily driven by government-related entities transactions in the oil and gas, metals and mining and chemicals sectors. Domestic M&A activity accounted for 48% of the total number of deals.The US remained the preferred target destination for Mena investors with 32 deals amounting to $18.3bn. With the US-UAE Business Council playing an active role in promoting partnerships, prominent US companies are collaborating with the UAE public and private sector stakeholders on various initiatives.The UAE and Saudi Arabia were the preferred destinations for investors due to their favourable business policies, with 239 deals with a combined value of $24.5bn. They were also among the top Mena bidder countries in terms of deal volume and value, representing 52% and 81% of the total respectively.Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), such as Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Mubadala from the UAE and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) from Saudi Arabia, continued to lead the deal activity in the region to support their countries’ economic strategies."Deal activity in the Mena region has seen a notable improvement this year, driven by strategic policy shifts, the liberalisation of investment regulations and robust capital inflows from investors. With companies actively seeking opportunities to grow and diversify their operations, we have observed a surge in cross-border M&A volume and value," said Brad Watson, EY Mena Strategy and Transactions Leader.Ten of the Mena region’s highest-valued M&As during 9M-2024 were concentrated in the GCC, it said, adding insurance and oil and gas were the most attractive sectors for investors in the review period, representing 34% of total deal value.With Mena emerging as one of the most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment, inbound deals rose by 20% y-o-y in volume. Meanwhile, deal value surged by 47% y-o-y during 9M-2024. The first three quarters of 2024 saw 127 inbound deals valued at $10.4bn.The US and the UK together accounted for 42% of total inbound M&A activity. The technology and professional firms and services sectors reported the highest deal volume and value, contributing 48% and 39% respectively.The US contributed 33% of the total deal volume in these sectors, with 80% of these deals being partnerships with the UAE.

Global oil market apprehensions and concerns on the key US economic data had their reflection in the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), which saw its key index plummet 113 points and capitalisation erode QR7.57bn as three-fourth of traded constituents were in the red this week.The foreign funds were seen net profit takers as the 20-stock Qatar Index knocked off 1.07% this week which saw QSE showcase listed companies in New York and said foreign institutional investors are increasingly looking at it with them typically accounting for 30-40% of average daily turnover in the recent past.The industrials and consumer goods and services sectors witnessed higher than average selling pressure this week which saw Aamal Company assume full ownership of Advanced Pipes and Casts.The Gulf institutions turned bearish in the main market this week which saw an agreement between Milaha and Qatar Free Zones Authority relating to QR80mn Yachts and Ships Yard at Marsa Port in Umm Alhoul Free Zone.The Arab funds were seen net profit takers, albeit at lower levels, in the main bourse this week which saw Mekdam Holding Group receive a letter of award for a contract worth QR181mn from the country's hydrocarbon behemoth QatarEnergy.The Arab individuals’ weakened net buying had its influence in the main market this week which saw Qatar's banking sector’s total assets reach QR2.03tn in September 2024, an increase of 1.2% month-on-month and 2.9% year-on-year.However, the domestic funds were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw the global credit rating agency Standard and Poor's view that banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council region are expected to do well and be profitable in 2025 amidst lower interest rates.The local retail investors turned bullish in the main market this week, which saw the Qatar Central Bank assistant governor Hamad Ahmed al-Mulla reveal that the country's Islamic banking assets total QR576bn in September.The Gulf individuals were seen net buyers in the main bourse this week which saw a total of 0.12mn Masraf Al Rayan-sponsored exchange-traded fund QATR worth QR0.28mn trade across 34 deals.The foreign retail investors’ weakened net selling had its impact in the main market this week which saw as many as 0.01mn Doha Bank-sponsored exchange-traded fund QETF valued at QR0.06mn change hands across seven transactions.The Islamic index was seen declining slower than the other indices in the main market this week which saw the industrials and banking sectors together constitute more than 53% of the total trade volumes.Market capitalisation eroded 1.21% to QR619.51bn 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 both the main and venture markets this week, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 1.07%, the All Share Index by 1.03% and the All Islamic Index by 0.96% this week which saw the Institute of International Finance forecast Qatar’s public foreign assets to reach $500bn or 240% of gross domestic product by 2025.The industrials sector index tanked 2.04%, consumer goods and services (1.09%), real estate (1.05%), banks and financial services (0.81%), insurance (0.66%) and transport (0.6%); while telecom was up 0.07% this week.Major losers in the main bourse included Al Faleh Educational Holding, Qatar German Medical Devices, Industries Qatar, Commercial Bank, Dlala, QNB, QIIB, Dukhan Bank, Woqod, Baladna, Meeza, Qatar National Cement, Qatar Electricity and Water, Gulf International Services, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Qamco, Qatar Insurance, Ezdan, Mazaya Qatar and Nakilat. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value this week.Nevertheless, Widam Food, Doha Bank, Al Khaleej Takaful, Gulf Warehousing and Doha Insurance were among the gainers in the main market. In the junior bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value this week.The foreign funds were net sellers to the tune of QR200.48mn against net buyers of QR53.37mn the week ended November 7.The Gulf institutions turned net sellers to the extent of QR51.1mn compared with net buyers of QR5.34mn a week ago.The Arab institutions were net profit takers to the tune of QR0.03mn against no major net exposure the previous week.The Arab individuals’ net buying decreased noticeably to QR10.35mn compared to QR15.83mn the week ended November 7.However, the domestic funds turned net buyers to the extent of QR191.34mn against net sellers of QR10.72mn a week ago.The local retail investors were net buyers to the tune of QR47.45mn compared with net sellers of QR45.03mn the previous week.The Gulf individuals turned net buyers to the extent of QR3.03mn against net sellers of QR2.11mn the week ended November 7.The foreign retail investors’ net profit booking weakened markedly to QR0.55mn compared to QR16.67mn a week ago.The main market witnessed a 51% surge in trade volumes to 707.16mn shares and 93% in value to QR2bn on more than doubled deals to 75,873 this week.In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 3.91mn equities and value more than doubled to QR9.5mn transactions more than doubled to 310.

Qatar, which is seeking to cement its position in the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, is expected to see its public foreign assets reach $500bn by 2025, according to the Institute of International Finance (IIF)."The current account and fiscal balances will remain in large surpluses, leading to further accumulation of public foreign assets, which could increase to about $500bn, equivalent to 240% of GDP (gross domestic product), by end-2025," the Washington-based economic think-tank said in its latest report.Highlighting that Qatar is seeking to cement its position as the world’s second-largest gas exporter and the largest exporter of LNG, given its massive reserves and surging global demand; it said massive investment in the natural gas sector is underway to expand LNG production.QatarEnergy had early this year announced that it is proceeding with a new LNG expansion project, the "North Field West” project, to further raise the country's LNG production capacity to 142mn tonnes per year before the end of this decade, representing an increase of almost 85% from current production levels.Qatar’s long-term LNG contracts are linked to crude oil prices and such an expansion in gas production would lower the fiscal and external breakeven oil prices from around $45 per barrel in 2023 to $33 by 2025, IIF said.IIF also said Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon real GDP growth moderated after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Substantial public infrastructure investment on ports, roads, metro, and airports since 2011 set the stage for economic diversification, the report said.Nonetheless, challenges remain to move to a sustained higher non-hydrocarbon growth driven by the private sector as envisaged in the Qatar’s National Vision 2030, it said."We expect non-hydrocarbon growth to remain below 1% due to weaker private consumption and investment," it said.According to IIF, the GCC countries have navigated the global landscape and the conflict in the Middle East "quite well".However, the large current account and fiscal surpluses that helped cushion past shocks have started to narrow, amid falling oil revenues and large investment-related imports needed to diversify their economies away from oil."In our baseline scenario, which assumes no disruption of oil exports from the region, average oil prices could decline from $80 per barrel in 2024 to $70 in 2025," it said.Considerable progress has been made in improving the business climate, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — which, combined, account for 75% of total GCC output. Progress has been made in diversifying GCC economies away from oil, as signalled by the steady decline in the share of the hydrocarbon sector’s contribution to real GDP from 36% in 2015 to 30% in 2024."Digitalisation and AI (artificial intelligence) continue to play a key role in the economic diversification strategy," IIF said.

Doha has identified six critical factors, which include national innovation strategy, high research and development level and diverse funding options for SMEs or small and medium enterprises, for establishing and maintaining a successful startup ecosystem, according to Invest Qatar."By examining the key elements of leading global startup ecosystems, we can identify several critical factors and policies essential for establishing and maintaining a successful ecosystem," Invest Qatar said in a report.Highlighting that the critical factors also include talent and startup attraction strategies, an entrepreneurial culture and robust support systems; it said "for any startup ecosystem to thrive, it must be built on these foundational elements."Stressing that the development of Qatar’s startup ecosystem is an ongoing process, continuously evolving to match global standards; it said public and private stakeholders are committed to improving the foundational elementsof the ecosystem, including education, R&D, funding, support systems and entrepreneurship competitions.Findung that Qatar’s startup ecosystem is a vital engine of economic development and diversification, it said the efforts of entrepreneurs, academic and research entities, and public and private sectors have "significantly" strengthened the ecosystem in recent years.This progress is evident in the well-connected and established network of startups that is now poised to capitalise on numerous opportunities for growth and success, it said, citing a prime example of “Startup Qatar” initiative.This initiative provides a comprehensive support to startups, offering resources such as funding, business setup and registration support, access to information and other support services.By enhancing the local business environment and attracting foreign direct investment, “Startup Qatar” aims to aid the growth of new ventures and position the country as a key player in the global startup landscape."This initiative underscores the significant progress Qatar has made in fostering entrepreneurship and developing a robust startup sector," it said.

Foreign institutional investors are increasingly penetrating the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), typically accounting for 30%-40% of average daily turnover in the recent past and continue to have an active presence in the QSE, which is becoming an investment destination in view of the country embarking on a new phase of growth driven by the proposed North Field expansion.This was the message conveyed by top QSE officials to international investment managers at a roadshow in New York, hosted at the Bank of America’s offices. The roadshow was part of the QSE’s strategy to expand its investor base, attract further foreign investment and showcase the strength and potential of Qatar’s capital markets.The bourse led a delegation of its leading listed companies such as QNB, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Qatar Islamic Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Mesaieed Petrochemical Holding, Industries Qatar, Gulf International Services and Qamco, Qatar Insurance, Milaha and Nakilat.The roadshow offers the US investors an opportunity to expand their relationship with Qatar as an investment destination and strengthen their understanding of investment opportunities with Qatar’s leading companies. It also reflects the increased penetration of foreign institutional investors into Qatar’s capital markets."The QSE’s and our listed companies' commitment to ongoing outreach is part of a long-term commitment. In fact, the Third Financial Sector Strategy enshrines internationalisation as one of its key objectives," QSE acting chief executive officer Abdulaziz Nasser al-Emadi said."This covers not just equity investors but also fixed income investors as well as the regional and global market participants who provide the international connectivity that has been such an important part of Qatar’s overall growth. The two go hand-in-hand with increased awareness, requiring further development of market access and market infrastructure that will make portfolio investment more efficient," he added.Post World Cup and its related infrastructure build-out, he said Qatar is embarking on a new phase of growth driven by the proposed North Field expansion, which will increase liquefied natural gas production capacity to 142mn tonnes per annum by 2030, an 85% increase.According Standard & Poor's (S&P), an international credit rating agency, Qatar's LNG production increase would imply demand for additional exports, particularly to Europe and enhancing of the country's per capita income to above $80,000.Qatar derives about 40% of its GDP or gross domestic product, 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.

Ahead of the US inflation data, the Qatar Stock Exchange on Wednesday continued to be in the negative trajectory with its key index losing more than 38 points as majority of the traded constituents were in the red.The real estate, industrials, telecom and transport counters witnessed higher than average selling pressure as the 20-stock Qatar Index knocked off 0.36% to 10,420.04 points, although it touched an intraday high of 10,495 points.The foreign individuals were seen net profit takers in the main bourse, whose capitalisation melted QR1.82bn or 0.29% to QR618.4bn primarily on the back of small and microcap segments.The domestic institutions’ weakened net buying had its influence on the main market, which saw as many as 0.05mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.14mn change hands across 16 deals.The Islamic index was seen declining faster than the other indices of the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the decrease.The local individual investors’ lower net buying had its say in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign funds continued to be bearish but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Total Return Index shed 0.36%, the All Islamic Index by 0.64% and the All Share Index by 0.19% in the main market.The realty sector index tanked 1%, industrials (0.92%), telecom (0.78%) and transport (0.55%); while insurance gained 0.26%, banks and financial services (0.22%) and consumer goods and services (0.04%).As much as 68% of the traded constituents were in the red with major losers being Ezdan, Aamal Company, Gulf Warehousing, Commercial Bank, Industries Qatar, QIIB, Qatar German Medical Devices, Medicare Group, Baladna and Qamco.Nevertheless, Doha Bank, Mekdam Holding, QNB, Meeza and Doha Insurance were among the gainers in the main bourse.In the venture market, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares appreciate in value.The foreign retail investors were net sellers to the tune of QR5.32mn compared with net buyers of QR5.31mn on November 12.The domestic institutions’ net buying declined significantly to QR31.34mn against QR56.65mn the previous day.The Qatari individuals’ net buying weakened perceptibly to QR25.94mn compared to QR28.13mn on Tuesday.The Arab retail investors’ net buying shrank markedly to QR2.32mn against QR9.33mn on November 12.The Gulf individual investors’ net buying eased marginally to QR0.2mn compared to QR0.93mn the previous day.However, the foreign institutions’ net selling decreased substantially to QR40.23mn against QR60.26mn on Tuesday.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking declined noticeably to QR14.25mn compared to QR40.08mn on November 12.The Arab institutions had no major net exposure for the eighth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market fell 16% to 132.61mn shares, value by 22% to QR362.1mn and transactions by 7% to 15,388.In the venture market, trade volumes more than tripled to 0.67mn equities and value also more than tripled to QR1.62mn on more than doubled deals to 81.

Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) College of Law, in collaboration with Lexis Nexis, held a successful event focused on the role of international commercial courts in resolving digital technology disputes.As part of the QICDRC-HBKU Lecture Series under a MoU, the event brought together legal experts, academics, and practitioners to discuss how international commercial courts manage digital disputes and leverage digital technologies in their proceedings.The session also explored whether these courts are the most suitable for digital technology-related disputes compared to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and online dispute resolution (ODR) methods.