More Filters
There were 1816 results found for:

All Regions and All Sectors

Analysis

Qatar’s localisation policies drive sustainable employment growth
OBG
plus

GCC countries have been actively pursuing workforce nationalisation policies to reduce their reliance on expatriate workers and create sustainable employment opportunities for their growing local populations. Proactive Measures In Qatar, the workforce nationalisation rate stood at 19% in 2022, with a goal to increase this to 20%, as per the Qatarisation Policy of 2013. The country is currently accelerating…

Analysis

GCC countries adopt new taxes to diversify revenue streams
OBG
plus

Since gaining independence at various points during the 20th century, the GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – have maintained a fiscal model built on oil revenue and a low- to no-tax environment. Historically, GCC governments did not impose taxes because they achieved independence without fiscal burdens such as reparations or colonial taxes, relying instead…

Analysis

Qatar expands investment in emerging markets to support sustainability goals
OBG
plus

Qatar has built an outsized global investment presence through its sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). Established in 2005, QIA was valued at over $526bn as of November 2024 and has, in recent years, pursued a strategy to diversify beyond Western markets and energy exports. This shift has seen Qatar expand its international investment footprint, with a growing emphasis on emerging…

Analysis

Qatar’s banking sector modernises with regulatory focus on digital innovation
OBG
plus

With a robust digital infrastructure and a young, tech-savvy population, Qatar is well positioned to become a leading centre of financial innovation. The country’s financial authorities have taken decisive steps to modernise legislative and regulatory frameworks, aligning them with global best practices. At the same time, local banks, financial technology (fintech) start-ups and new market entrants…

Analysis

Qatar’s banks adopt new technologies to enhance financial services
OBG
plus

Open banking has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in global finance, redefining traditional banking models by enabling secure, application programming interface (API)-driven data sharing and third party service integration. Valued at approximately $25.1bn in 2023 and poised to surge to $29.6bn by 2025 – ultimately eclipsing $306.6bn by 2035 – the global market’s projected compound annual…

Analysis

Qatar's digital payment platforms expand across emerging markets
OBG
plus

Despite the ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds experienced by the global economy, one area of the international financial system that has shown steady progression is digital payments. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, they have been spurred by a jump in remittance flows, and the greater availability of digital infrastructure and services, as well as higher demand for fast and seamless non-physical…

Analysis

Islamic finance sees rising demand for sustainable debt to meet climate goals in Qatar
OBG
plus

Qatar’s financial development plans increasingly highlight the importance of innovation when it comes to deepening and widening the market. As part of this approach, the country is looking at new debt capital market instruments: green bonds and sukuk (Islamic bonds). Global demand for these products is growing, as corporations and governments look for effective ways to achieve their sustainable finance…

Analysis

Qatar emerging markets embrace sustainability initiatives
OBG
plus

Impact investment – which is purposely designed to generate tangible social and environmental benefits alongside financial returns – presents promising risk-adjusted prospects. This type of investment not only provides value for investors, but can also greatly advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. According to the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), the impact investing market has…

Analysis

Qatar’s insurers drive digital transformation by integrating legacy systems and innovation
OBG
plus

In February 2025, the Doha headquarters of Qatar Insurance Company (QIC), the country’s oldest and largest insurer, hosted a strategic meeting that underscored a key trend in the region’s financial services. QIC CEO Salem Al Mannai met with leaders of three of the GCC’s most dynamic insurance technology (insurtech) start-ups: Jaguar Transit, MIC Global and Digital Petroleum. The outcome was a…

Analysis

Qatar’s insurance market aligns with international standards amid regulatory changes
OBG
plus

Insurance companies worldwide have been preparing for the most significant change in global accounting standards in almost two decades. On January 1, 2023 the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17 came into effect. Replacing the previous standard, IFRS 4, which was issued in 2004, IFRS 17 aims to standardise insurance accounting globally through a uniform approach in order to improve…