Banking
From The Report: Qatar 2020
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Against a backdrop of sluggish global economic growth and ongoing tensions in the region, Qatar’s banking sector is proving to be strong and resilient, with growth in assets and profits reported by nearly all of the country’s listed institutions at the end of 2019. With a strong pipeline of major development project financing over the short term, against a backdrop of strong and sustained growth in recent years, Qatar’s banking sector can anticipate profits and success well into the future. A merger involving one of its oldest conventional lenders to form the country’s third-largest Islamic bank suggests a considerable appetite for sharia-compliant facilities. This chapter contains interviews with Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor, Qatar Central Bank; Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa, Group CEO, Qatar National Bank; and Joseph Abraham, Group CEO, Commercial Bank of Qatar.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Strong and stable: A healthy environment supported by strategic regulations has allowed local banks to perform well in recent years
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Against a backdrop of sluggish global economic growth and ongoing tensions in the region, Qatar’s banking sector is proving to be strong and resilient, with growth in assets and profits reported by nearly all of the country’s listed institutions at the end of 2019. Following the conclusion of the country’s first ever banking merger, there were five conventional Qatari commercial banks and five Islamic lenders at the start of 2020, in addition to Qatar Development Bank (QDB), which…

Interview

New horizons: Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor, Qatar Central Bank (QCB), on responding to changing tools and business structures
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Interview:Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani Considering its share in banking investment portfolios, what do you identify as the most significant trends in large-scale project financing? SHEIKH ABDULLA BIN SAOUD AL THANI: Project financing plays a significant role in accomplishing sustainable asset growth for the banking sector. In Qatar and the wider region, it is mainly focused on sectors like power, oil and gas, petrochemicals, infrastructure and ICT. Recent trends show that banks are…

Interview

Branching out: Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa, Group CEO, Qatar National Bank, on the sector’s transformation and international expansion
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Interview:Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa To what extent is Qatar National Bank (QNB) targeting further expansion into international markets, and which sectors are of most interest? ABDULLA MUBARAK AL KHALIFA: International expansion is one of the key pillars of QNB Group’s strategy required to achieve its vision of becoming a leading bank in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia (MEASEA). In line with this vision, QNB Group will continue to invest strategically while ensuring adequate…

Analysis

Ahead of the curve: Government institutions are supporting local financial technology firms to improve the banking experience for customers
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While technological change may not be new in financial services, financial technology (fintech) offers a broad range of alternative methods to pay, save, borrow, manage risk and offer advisory services that draw on innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data, cloud computing, crypto-assets and mobile telephony. Digitalisation has been a major focus for Qatar’s banks as they look to implement fintech solutions and deliver more efficient services. Doha has emerged as…

Interview

Banking on the future: Joseph Abraham, Group CEO, Commercial Bank of Qatar (CBQ), on leveraging digital technology and innovation
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Interview:Joseph Abraham In what ways can regulations be amended to create an environment conducive to safe, secure and dynamic digital banking? JOSEPH ABRAHAM: The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) fully recognised the importance of financial technology in developing the banking industry in its Second Strategic Plan for Financial Sector Regulation 2017–22, and has also recognised the need for appropriate regulation. As such, the current regulatory framework already facilitates safe and secure digital…