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Around 22.5mn cubic metres treated wastewater will be pumped annually through the Treated Sewage Effluent Transmission Main and Pumping Station (D-Line) project by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).According to an official statement, Ashghal continues to implement the project which will transfer treated wastewater from the Doha South Sewage Treatment Works in Nuaija area to the Seasonal Storage Lagoons.This is with the aim of balancing the deficit and surplus of the treated sewage water and achieving its optimal use.Eng. Abdulrahman Mohamed al-Sulaiti, head of the Treatment Plants Projects and Treated Water Networks Section in the Drainage Networks Projects Department, said that the project is part of Ashghal’s efforts to benefit from treated wastewater and encourage efficient and sustainable consumption of water resources.This is in line with the sustainable development objectives and the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, which includes reusing 100% of treated wastewater by 2030.“Ashghal pays great attention to reusing treated wastewater as part of its efforts to preserve the environment noting that the project will pump approximately 22.5mn cubic metres of treated wastewater annually,” he noted.Eng. Walid al-Ghoul, project manager at Ashghal’s Drainage Networks Projects Department, said the project will balance the deficit and surplus of treated wastewater (treated sewage effluent, TSE) by storing the surplus during winter months to be reused during the summer when demand for TSE is high to supply feed farms with irrigation water, and thus reducing the use of groundwater.“The D-Line project also aims to supply the Ghadeer Feed Farms with irrigation water during the summer, and will meet the expected future demands of additional feed farms such as Hassad farms in Al Rakhiya and others,” he explained.The D-Line project consists of a 65km TSE transmission pipeline that runs at a depth of approximately 2.5-5.5m underground.This starts at the existing Doha South Sewage Treatment Works (STW) and is to be laid along the main service route of Salwa Road passing through the Rakhiya farms and surrounding areas and up to the TSE Storage Lagoons where excess treated wastewater is stored.The project includes the construction of a pumping station with a capacity of 120,000 cubic metres/day which will pump the TSE flow from the Doha South STW to the seasonal storage lagoons.This is in addition to the mechanical, electrical and related equipment works.The treated sewage transmission pipelines are equipped with advanced automation technology and systems for monitoring, controlling and leak detection.The D-Line project comes in line with Qatar’s objectives in the field of environmental sustainability and its efforts to preserve the environment and water resources for future generations, as part of the Third National Development Strategy 2024-2030.

QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, has been awarded the prestigious title of ‘Best Retail Bank for Digital Customer Experience (CX)’ in both Qatar and Middle East by The Digital Banker magazine.This recognition underscores QNB's commitment to delivering customer-centric and innovative digital banking solutions.The bank’s focus on digital transformation has positioned it as a leader in the region and beyond, attracting a growing customer base as a forward-thinking financial institution.The Digital Banker has recognised QNB's outstanding efforts in enhancing the digital banking experience for its customers. The award acknowledges the bank's continuous investment in cutting-edge technologies and its dedication to provide seamless, secure, and convenient customer experience through its digital ecosystem.QNB has consistently pushed the boundaries through digital touch points such as QNB Mobile and Internet banking, and self-service machines, by introducing a range of services designed to meet the evolving needs of its customers.The new services include advanced technological and payment solutions, such as digital account opening, eLoan, virtual credit card, Fawran (instant payments to anyone in Qatar), and cross-border payments via Ripple Net.The bank's digital transformation strategy focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence, big data analytics, blockchain, augmented reality, and contactless solutions to create personalised and efficient banking experience.Commenting on the achievement, Adel Ali al-Malki, senior executive vice president, QNB Group Retail Banking said, "We are honoured to receive these prestigious awards from The Digital Banker. These recognitions reflect our long term and unwavering commitment to enhancing our digital services and providing our customers with the best possible banking customer experience.“As we continue to innovate and invest in the latest technologies, we remain dedicated to setting new standards in the banking industry and offering our customers tomorrow’s digital banking, today."QNB Group currently ranks as the most valuable bank brand in the Middle East and Africa. Through its subsidiaries and associate companies, the Group’s presence spans some 28 countries across three continents providing a comprehensive range of advanced products and services.The total number of employees is 30,000, operating from approximately 900 locations, with an ATM network of 5,000 machines.

Opec+ delegates expect the group’s monitoring session next month to be routine, making no changes to plans for a supply hike starting in the fourth quarter.The group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia agreed last month to begin gradually restoring roughly 2.2mn barrels a day of halted crude output from October. When prices immediately slumped, officials stressed that a committee due to gather on August 1 could postpone the hike if necessary.The market has since rebounded, with Brent futures trading back near $85 a barrel, easing the group’s sense of urgency. There are no plans for the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee to issue any recommendations on output policy, said the delegates, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private.That would still leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies with several more weeks to consider whether to proceed with the supply boost — in theory up until cargo allocations need to be set for customers in early September. This would be in keeping with previous decisions by the eight Opec+ members involved in the so-called “voluntary” cutbacks.“Opec+ will most likely wait and see if the much anticipated demand increase this summer materialises before taking any decision on production,” said Jorge Leon, senior vice-president at consultant Rystad Energy AS.The coalition has been withholding supplies for almost two years to prop up crude prices by staving off a surplus threatened by burgeoning American output. Their intervention has had some success, pushing the market into an expected deficit this quarter and stabilising a source of vital revenue for the group.Some members, such as the United Arab Emirates, have been eager to return the shuttered output and deploy new production capacity. Others, such as Russia, Iraq and Kazakhstan, have dragged their heels in delivering agreed cuts while they seek to maximise revenue.Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman spoke on Wednesday about Opec+ co-operation, the Kremlin said in a statement. Moscow has pledged to make up for failing to deliver its share of cutbacks with additional compensatory curbs, but has yet to provide full details of how it will do this.“The consensus is that, if demand increases in the second half of this year, Opec+ would have room to start unwinding cuts starting in October,” said Rystad’s Leon.Yet there are still reasons why the group may exercise its option to “pause or reverse” the scheduled supply increase.While global inventories should deplete at a steady pace this quarter, markets are likely to slacken considerably after that as China’s demand growth cools, according to the International Energy Agency. Stockpiles are set to stabilise in the fourth quarter and supply could tip into surplus next year, even if Opec+ shelves the planned hike.“I still don’t think the market will be strong enough for long enough to substantiate significant Opec volumes,” said Aldo Spanjer, commodities strategist at BNP Paribas.

Global credit rating agency Capital Intelligence has affirmed Qatar's long-term foreign currency rating (LT FCR) and LT local currency rating (LT LCR) at ‘AA’. The sovereign’s short-term (ST) FCR and ST LCR have been affirmed at ‘A1+’. The outlook for the ratings remains "stable".The ratings reflect Qatar’s very strong external balances and budgetary performance, supported by still favourable liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices.The ratings factors the country’s capacity to absorb external or financial shocks given the large portfolio of foreign assets held by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and consequent comfortable net external creditor position when including these assets.The ratings continue to be supported by substantial hydrocarbon reserves, expanding LNG (liquefied natural gas) production and export capacity, and very high GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, as well as high and increasing official foreign reserves.Qatar's financial buffers remain large, benefitting from still favourable hydrocarbon prices, it said.Very large budget and current account surpluses have contributed to a very high net asset position, with QIA’s total assets estimated at around 175.3% of projected GDP and 163.4% of gross external debt this year – although an assessment of the quality and liquidity of these assets is hindered by limited transparency.Highlighting that the public finances remain strong, CI said the central government budget position is expected to post a very high surplus of 4.6% of GDP in 2024 against 4.8% in 2023."Moving forward, the budget surplus is expected to average at 4.1% of GDP in 2025-26, supported by an expected increase in LNG production capacity from the North Field and consequently, a lower fiscal breakeven hydrocarbon price," it said.While the reliance on hydrocarbon revenues remains a rating constraint, the sovereign has ample leeway to respond to severe fluctuations in hydrocarbon prices given the size of fiscal buffers and the degree of expenditure flexibility.The central government deposits stood at 13.2% of GDP in May 2024, while total government and government institution deposits in the domestic banking system alone were around 42.2% of GDP.According to CI, gross central government debt (including short-term treasury bills and bank overdrafts) is expected to decline further to 41.8% of GDP (144.7% of revenues) in 2024, from 44% in 2023 (147.4%), reflecting nominal GDP growth and a large primary budget surplus.The rating agency expects debt dynamics to remain favourable in the medium term, resulting in a further decrease in the central government debt-GDP ratio to 39.1% by 2026.Finding that external finances as "very strong", CI said the current account is slated to remain in a very large surplus of 13.2% of GDP in 2024 compared to 15.5% in 2023.The rating agency expects the current account to average at a very high – albeit narrowing – surplus of 10.3% of GDP in 2025-26, reflecting its expectation of a slight decline in hydrocarbon prices in the medium term. As a percentage of GDP, gross external debt is expected to decrease further to 107.4% in 2024 (from 114.3% in 2023).It is, however, projected to increase slightly to 181.5% of current account receipts (CARs) in 2024, against 179.6% in 2023, reflecting declining hydrocarbon exports.Official foreign exchange reserves rose to $68.3bn in May 2024 from $67.4bn in December 2023.(Ends)

Doha Bank has reported net profit of QR432mn in the first half (H1) of 2024, representing an increase of 10.3% on an annualised basis.Total assets reached QR105.9bn to grow by 13.8% year-on-year, while net loans and advances stood at QR59bn with a growth of 5.7% on a yearly basis, according to Sheikh Fahad bin Mohamed bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman of Doha Bank.Customer deposits grew by QR7.5bn or 17% to QR51.6bn at the end of June 30, 2024.“The bank continues to maintain stable capital and liquidity positions. The common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio remains at 13.43% and the total capital adequacy ratio is strong at 19.71%,” said Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed bin Jabor al-Thani, managing director of Doha Bank.The loan-to-deposit ratio has improved significantly, reaching 96.2%, which is well within the limits of the regulator, he said.The bank has "significantly" improved its funding profile over the last six months, and this will allow the bank to fund future lending growth, which it is anticipating for this year, according to him.Liquidity coverage ratio continues to be high at 166%, up from year-end 142%. The total shareholder’s equity reached QR14.6bn, showing an increase of 3.2% compared to last year.Doha Bank's group chief executive officer, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Fahad bin Faisal al-Thani, said it launched many new initiatives during the first half of 2024."We have a clear way forward as we advance on the transformation of Doha Bank. Our priorities for the year include driving profitable assets and low-cost liabilities growth, advancing our digital capabilities, driving cost efficiencies, and strengthening the stability and sustainability of the bank. Doha Bank is committed to delivering long-term value and sustainable growth for its shareholders,” he added.The lender returned to the international debt capital markets with a bond issuance of $500mn, the success of this transaction demonstrates the positive investor reception of strategic changes being implemented by the bank.Fitch, the international credit rating agency, upgraded the bank’s long-term issuer default rating (IDR) to 'A' from 'A-' and short-term IDR to 'F1' from 'F2'; with a "stable" outlook. While Moody’s has maintained its bank's deposit long-term rating at 'Baa1' with a "stable" outlook.

QIIB posted a net profit of QR655mn in the first half of the year (H1) with a growth rate of 6.5% compared to the same period of 2023.The bank’s results were announced by chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani bin Abdullah al-Thani after a meeting of its board of directors here yesterday.He said QIIB results demonstrated the bank's consistent improvement and validated its alignment with the high level of solvency that the Qatari economy enjoys thanks to the patronage and support of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar.Earnings per share reached QR0.38 in H1, QIIB said.During its meeting, QIIB board of directors approved the distribution of interim cash dividends to the shareholders, amounting to 23% of nominal share value (QR0.23 per share), which will be paid to eligible shareholders as at the close of trading on July 30.Sheikh Dr Khalid said: “In the first half of 2024, QIIB maintained its outstanding results, which is a testament to the tremendous efforts made at all levels of the organisation to enhance performance and stay up with the State of Qatar's economic revival across a range of industries"."We have continued to implement our strategy by focusing on the local market, as there are many rich opportunities for different local business sectors. Additionally, we are dedicated to actively participating in development initiatives that will improve society and strengthen the Qatari economy.“QIIB has been able to solidify its financial position and stable growth for a long period, and has consolidated its position locally through the growing confidence it has gained, and externally through the partnerships it has forged with partners in various countries of the world, which have manifested in a high level of trust and desire in continuing co-operation and strengthening business ties in line with the prestigious position of QIIB.”Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani noted: “Based on the distinguished position of the bank and the stable financial results, leading international credit rating agencies rated the bank at high ratings. Fitch upgraded QIIB rating to “A” from “A-”, with a stable outlook. In turn, Capital Intelligence affirmed QIIB rating at “A+” with a stable outlook”.Moody's assigned “A2” Ratings to QIIB with a stable outlook.QIIB chief executive officer Dr Abdulbasit Ahmed al-Shaibei noted: “At the end of H1,2024, the bank’s total income reached QR1,681mn compared to QR1,393mn in the same period (2023) with a growth rate of 20.6%.Total assets at the end of the first half of the year amounted to QR59.3bn compared to QR58.1bn at the end of the same period in 2023, with a growth rate of 2.1%, while the financing assets have grown by 7.6% reached QR38.6bn.“Customer deposits at the end of the first half of this year amounted to QR40.4bn, compared to QR36.3bn at the end of the same period in 2023 . Total equity amounted to QR9.4bn and the capital adequacy under Basel III reached 19.46%, which indicates the strength and robustness of QIIB’s financial position in the face of various potential risks.Dr al-Shaibei noted: “The distinguished results achieved by QIIB during the period ending on June 30 this year are the result of implementing the plans and strategies developed by the board of directors, which focus on the local market, and working closely with the local business sector, as the Qatari economy offers distinct opportunities that we are keen to take advantage in accordance with our adopted standards, which we are keen to be in line with the requirements of the markets”."QIIB continued to respond to the expansion of its customer base through many ways, including increasing services and products innovation, and accelerating digital transformation through various available channels, which provided the various categories of our customers with an advanced banking experience that keeps pace with the best global banking developments".The CEO said: “The first half of this year witnessed the launch of many products, whether for companies or retails, including products launched for the first time in Qatar, such as the Visa debit card for medium and small companies.“The bank also launched promotional offers with competitive benefits for the bank’s customers, which included prizes that the bank granted for the first time. These services and offers have received a great positive response from our customers and have strengthened our position in the banking market in the face of competitive factors”.He continued: “The first half of 2024 also witnessed an important investment at the international level, represented by the success of QIIB in issuing sustainable sukuks (ORYX) worth $500mn, which were listed on the London Stock Exchange. QIIB was the first Qatari bank to issue sustainable sukuks.The bank issued these sukuks as part of its engagement in keeping up with the third strategy for the financial sector launched by the Qatar Central Bank, and also as part of keeping up with government trends and plans that pay special attention to sustainability issues and the importance they entail”.

The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) yesterday opened the week on a stronger note with its key index gaining as much as 26 points on the back of foreign funds’ buying interests.The telecom, industrials and banking counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.26% to 10,060.21 points, recovering from an intraday low of 9,994 points.The Gulf institutions’ weakened net profit booking had its influence in the main market, whose year-to-date losses were at 7.11%.The Arab individuals continued to be net buyers but with lesser intensity in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR1.76bn or 0.3% to QR582.02n on the back of midcap segments.The local individuals were increasingly seen bearish in the main market, which saw no trading of exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank).The domestic institutions turned net sellers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of treasury bills.The foreign retail investors were seen net profit takers in the main market, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the sloppy path.The Total Return Index gained 0.26%, the All Islamic Index by 0.36% and the All Share Index by 0.27% in the main market.The telecom sector index shot up 1.8%, industrials (0.41%), banks and financial services (0.41%) and insurance (0.01%); while transport declined 0.96%, real estate (0.27%) and consumer goods and services (0.26%).Major gainers in the main market included Ahlibank Qatar, Ooredoo, Medicare Group, Milaha, QLM and Industries Qatar.Nevertheless, Nakilat, Ezdan, Qatari Investors Group, QIIB, Dlala and Al Faleh Educational Holding were among the shakers in the main bourse. In the venture market, both Al Mahhar Holding and Techno Q saw their shares depreciate in value.The foreign institutions’ net buying increased significantly to QR32.04mn compared to QR7.21mn on July 18.The Gulf institutions’ net profit booking decreased noticeably to QR8.22mn against QR11.32mn the previous trading day.However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling expanded markedly to QR18.8mn compared to QR7.99mn last Thursday.The domestic institutions turned net sellers to the tune of QR3.17mn against net buyers of QR8.01mn on July 18.The foreign individuals were net sellers to the extent of QR3.15mn compared with net buyers of QR0.34mn the previous trading day.The Gulf retail investors turned net profit takers to the tune of QR2.07mn against net buyers of QR0.34mn last Thursday.The Arab retail investors’ net buying weakened marginally to QR3.37mn compared to QR3.41mn on July 18.The Arab institutions continued to have no major net exposure for the fifth straight session.Trade volumes in the main market shrank 37% to 112.78mn shares, value by 45% to QR258.78mn and transactions by 52% to 9,185.The venture market saw 49% surge in trade volumes to 0.79mn equities and 35% in value to QR1.52mn but on 8% fall in deals to 55.

A hard-left French MP has said Israeli athletes were not welcome at the Paris Olympics from next week because of the war in Gaza. France Unbowed (LFI) lawmaker Thomas Portes had said at a rally in support of Palestinians that "the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli sportspeople are not welcome at the Paris Olympic Games" and called for "mobilisation" around the event. "It's time to end the double standard," Portes added.

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese stressed that the Israeli occupation practices apartheid against the Palestinians, adding that Israel is becoming more brutal towards its victims every day.In a post on the X platform, Albanese said that in fact, a single state in Palestine already exists and that Israel is practicing apartheid against the Palestinians.This comes at a time when the International Court of Justice confirmed, on Friday, during its session to announce its opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967, that the Israeli occupation's settlement policies and its exploitation of natural resources in the occupied territories violate international law, adding that the Israeli settlement policy violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, clarifying that Israel, as the occupying power, must manage the lands for the benefit of the Palestinians.For the 289th consecutive day, the Israeli occupation continues its unprecedented aggression against the Gaza Strip by launching air strikes and artillery shelling, while committing massacres against civilians, amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation as a result of the siege and the displacement of more than 95 percent of the population.

The Katara Summer Camp 2024 commenced Sunday, featuring a range of educational, entertaining, and cultural activities with the participation of various entities in the country.Director of Public Relations and Communication at the Cultural Village Foundation - Katara, Salem Mubkhout Al Marri, stated that following the great success and the positive feedback of the Katara Summer Camp 2023, Katara has decided to organize the camp for the second consecutive year, including more activities to ensure variety.He added that each activity listed in the program aims to achieve the intended goals of the camp, such as developing children's abilities and skills, enhancing awareness of Qatari heritage and societal and national values, as well as gaining more cultural knowledge.The camp will run until August 7, with activities scheduled four days a week. Participating entities include the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Al Jazeera Media Institute, Sout Al Khaleej Radio, Al Rami Sports Club, Qatar Red Crescent Society, Al Shaqab, Al Thuraya Planetarium, Poet Majles, and the Al Gannas Association.

The Qatari Media Center of the Ministry of Culture announced Sunday that the second phase of its training summer program will kick off on Aug. 1, targeting age groups from 8 to 16.In a statement, Director of Qatari Media Center, Iman Al Kaabi, stated that the program features a series of educational and recreational workshops and sessions that best suit those age groups that will superbly offer them numerous skills in a nice environment.Al Kaabi underlined that the center is committed to holding a wide variety of activities that essentially draw younger people. She called on all those interested in registering their names to closely follow the center's platforms to have a glimpse of these activities and the registration mechanism.The second phase of the summer program includes an anime drawing workshop on Aug. 4 and 5, while a summer bead bracelet workshop will be held on Aug.6 and 7, followed by a workshop under the title of the small media professional during the period Aug. 11-14, along with a training program under the title of the magic of sounds, which focuses on teaching Arabic phonetics.Moreover, the program will conclude with a wide diversity of recreational activities scheduled from Aug. 25 to 29.In early July 2024, the center launched the largest summer program by holding numerous workshops and training sessions in various media fields, as well as a professional session on cybersecurity.

"The Ministry of Education and Higher Education's (MOEHE) summer centers, in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, are witnessing great turnout by students.A total of 23 summer centers and youth organizations across Qatar hold activities in the fields of science, social, recreation, sport, art, creativity and technology as well as awareness-raising activities. All to better develop the students' talents, refine their potential and personalities, develop their abilities, invest in their free time, and provide them with what is needed to bring value to their community and hold responsibility for their country.The Doha Girls Center at Al Bayan First Primary Independent School for Girls is receiving great attention and demand for its summer activities by female students. It is organizing various workshops focused on raising awareness and technology aimed at different age groups.Sheikha Hussein Abdullah Babsil, president and director of the Doha Girls Center, stated to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the slogan for the 2024 summer is "summer of excellence".She highlighted the successful collaboration with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the MOEHE which resulted in benefiting the students by developing their personal and social skills since the activities offer chances to enhance their communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.She said that partaking in such activities promotes mental and physical health, allows students to discover new talents and hobbies as they dive into various kinds of activities, and enhances self-confidence and the ability to face new challenges.Babsil explained that an integrated plan for activities, programs and events was developed by the Doha Girls Center team so that it covers all areas. The themes of the training programs and workshops include recycling, cooking, drawing, gift making, proper nutrition, creative narrative thinking for children, frame decorating, self-defense, teamwork skills, as well as preserving the planet, targeted at the 7 to 12 years age groups.As for the young adults, the programs and workshops address developing the best version of oneself, Arab Youth Day, the first year of marriage, leadership, decision-making, and expressing feelings.The president and director of the Doha Girls Center praised the progress of the participants as well as their parents. Between 140 and 200 female students from the target groups participate daily in the Center's summer activities, which proves the success of its diverse and high-quality structure that allows students to develop their personalities and skills fully, as well as contribute to their future.The five-week summer centers, launched on July 1, have become an annual event to take advantage of the summer vacation by immersing students in various diverse and impactful activities and programs, thus providing them with different knowledge for the benefit of their academic and practical lives, helping them deal with modern requirements, and face challenges with wisdom and fortitude.These centers have been allocated in schools inside and outside Doha with trained administrative and educational staff to manage them with high efficiency during their opening times.