Company Insights Qatar Development Bank Banking & Finance Qatar Development Bank Overview Qatar Development Bank – QDB – offers financial services, banking and loans to help develop sectors of the Qatari economy such as industry, tourism, healthcare, agriculture and fisheries. Previously known as Qatar Industrial Development Bank, it was created in 1997 with the aim of diversifying the country’s economy. In 2010, QDB formed the Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) as a joint venture with the Social Development Center, part of the Ministry of Social Development and Family. It officially started operating in March 2014 and is now the most extensive mixed-use incubator facility in the Middle East. QBIC’s aim is to promote companies and finance business ideas, and it has signed memorandums of understanding with global companies including Microsoft to encourage technology entrepreneurship. QDB says it focuses on several pillars: access to finance (creating new paths to provide access to capital); access to knowledge (to develop Qatari nationals’ skills and talent); access to markets (working on a global scale); effective partnerships (working with established businesses); and supporting Qatar’s government agenda. Qatar Development Bank News Analysis Economy Qatar to write off SME loans in bid to boost non-oil growth Qatar will write off some private sector loans as part of government efforts to boost the subdued non-oil economy. Its government said on Wednesday that the loan write-offs will include those for Qatari companies “benefiting” from the National Response Guarantee Program (NRGP), launched in 2020 to support businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. State-run Qatar Development […] October 11, 2024 Mining Saudi industry minister tempts investors with funding incentives Saudi Arabia’s ministry of investments and mineral resources is prepared to finance up to 75 percent of industrial projects in the country, as the kingdom tries to boost its low foreign direct investment (FDI) numbers. Bandar Al-Khorayef, the minister of industry and mineral resourcespointed to well-developed infrastructure across 36 industrial cities, prefabricated factories ready to […] May 3, 2024 UK and Qatar renew commitment to deepen collaboration The UK and Qatar governments have renewed their commitment to deepen collaboration with investments in key sectors including clean technologies, life sciences, biotech, agtech and electric vehicles. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,Qatar’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, and James Cleverly, the UK’s foreign secretary, signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to […] February 22, 2023 Business of Sport Qatar sees 341% surge in VC sports and fitness funding Venture capital funding into Qatari sports and fitness startups nearly quadrupled last year as the country’s multibillion dollar hosting of the 2022 World Cup helped swell interest in related industries. In 2022, sports and fitness startups received 15 million riyals ($4.12 million) in funding – up from around 4.4 million riyals a year earlier – […] February 21, 2023 Analysis Business of Sport Qatar 2022: The making of a sports nation From Formula 1 to the 2030 Asian games, Qatar’s hosting of a series of major events before and after the World Cup has reinforced its role in the global sporting diary. Having built eight stadiums for the 2022 tournament, the Gulf state now boasts an infrastructure that will make it a go-to location for many […] December 19, 2022 New deals aim to enhance UK-Qatar trade and investments The UK has enhanced its relationship with Qatar, its third largest Gulf trading partner, with the announcement of two new agreements to boost trade and investment. UK trade minister Ranil Jayawardena met Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani in London last week to agree the partnerships at the third UK-Qatar […] August 30, 2022 Posts navigation
Analysis Economy Qatar to write off SME loans in bid to boost non-oil growth Qatar will write off some private sector loans as part of government efforts to boost the subdued non-oil economy. Its government said on Wednesday that the loan write-offs will include those for Qatari companies “benefiting” from the National Response Guarantee Program (NRGP), launched in 2020 to support businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. State-run Qatar Development […] October 11, 2024
Mining Saudi industry minister tempts investors with funding incentives Saudi Arabia’s ministry of investments and mineral resources is prepared to finance up to 75 percent of industrial projects in the country, as the kingdom tries to boost its low foreign direct investment (FDI) numbers. Bandar Al-Khorayef, the minister of industry and mineral resourcespointed to well-developed infrastructure across 36 industrial cities, prefabricated factories ready to […] May 3, 2024
UK and Qatar renew commitment to deepen collaboration The UK and Qatar governments have renewed their commitment to deepen collaboration with investments in key sectors including clean technologies, life sciences, biotech, agtech and electric vehicles. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani,Qatar’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, and James Cleverly, the UK’s foreign secretary, signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to […] February 22, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar sees 341% surge in VC sports and fitness funding Venture capital funding into Qatari sports and fitness startups nearly quadrupled last year as the country’s multibillion dollar hosting of the 2022 World Cup helped swell interest in related industries. In 2022, sports and fitness startups received 15 million riyals ($4.12 million) in funding – up from around 4.4 million riyals a year earlier – […] February 21, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Qatar 2022: The making of a sports nation From Formula 1 to the 2030 Asian games, Qatar’s hosting of a series of major events before and after the World Cup has reinforced its role in the global sporting diary. Having built eight stadiums for the 2022 tournament, the Gulf state now boasts an infrastructure that will make it a go-to location for many […] December 19, 2022
New deals aim to enhance UK-Qatar trade and investments The UK has enhanced its relationship with Qatar, its third largest Gulf trading partner, with the announcement of two new agreements to boost trade and investment. UK trade minister Ranil Jayawardena met Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani in London last week to agree the partnerships at the third UK-Qatar […] August 30, 2022
