Company Insights Qatar National Bank Banking & Finance Qatar National Bank Overview Qatar National Bank (QNB Group) is a Qatari multinational commercial bank with headquarters in Doha, Qatar. Founded in 1964, it currently has subsidiaries and associates in 31 countries. With an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50 percent) and the private sector (50 percent), the QNB Group has grown to be the biggest bank in Qatar It is also the largest lender by assets in the GCC, according to S&P Global, with with more than $323 billion in assets. In 1974, QNB’s first branches outside Doha opened in Al Khor and Mesaieed. By 2015, QNB had established 76 branches in Qatar. QNB Group completed the acquisition of a 99.88 percent stake in Turkey’s Finansbank (now known as QNB Finansbank), in 2016. Then in 2013, QNB acquired QNB Alahli (now QNBAA), the second-largest private bank in Egypt. QNB offers corporate and consumer banking, including Islamic finance, credit cards, mortgages and asset management among its services. In July 2024, QNB made a proposal to distribute the first-ever interim dividend in six decades after strong earnings. Qatar National Bank News Banking & Finance Dubai’s Mashreq enters Oman’s growing banking sector Mashreq, the UAE’s fifth largest bank by assets, has launched operations in Oman in what it says is a strategic move to support the sultanate’s economic diversification plans. Oman’s banking industry has more than doubled in size since 2013 but may lack the scale to meet state financing needs, experts told AGBI last October, with […] January 21, 2025 Analysis Banking & Finance Problem loans soar at Qatar National Bank’s Turkish unit Qatar National Bank (QNB), the Middle East and Africa’s largest lender by assets, this week reported another solid set of annual earnings. Yet within its financials lurks a potentially worrying statistic: rising loan defaults by consumers and small companies. As the Qatari government’s lender of choice – the state owns half the bank – QNB […] January 16, 2025 Economy Slow restart predicted for GCC aid to Lebanon A resumption of badly needed GCC financial aid to Lebanon may take time, even though most Gulf countries have given their blessing to the new Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, according to observers. The six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council were previously among the biggest aid donors and investors in Lebanon, before they cut assistance as […] January 14, 2025 Banking & Finance Qatar National Bank reports strong profit growth Qatar National Bank, the Middle East and Africa’s largest lender by assets, reported a 11 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit on Monday as net interest and fee income increased. QNB, which is 50 percent owned by Qatar’s government, dominates the country’s banking sector and has sizeable operations in Egypt and Turkey. It made a fourth-quarter […] January 13, 2025 Opinion Banking & Finance Stable, if lacking excitement: the outlook for Gulf banks GCC banks are well capitalised, have low cost-to-income ratios and have been generating healthy profits January 8, 2025 Finance $500bn QIA to go ‘aggressive’ and close big deals says CEO The $500-billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will be investing more “aggressively” and closing more “big-ticket” deals, according to a news report. Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the fund’s new chief executive officer, told the Financial Times that QIA will invest with “more frequency” and undertake a review of its investment strategy. The fund remains bullish on the US, […] December 12, 2024 Finance Qatar replaces chief of its $510bn sovereign fund The Qatari government has appointed Mohammed Al Sowaidi to lead its $510 billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). He replaces Mansoor Al Mahmoud who had headed the sovereign wealth fund since 2018. Al Sowaidi joined the fund in 2010 and worked as the Americas region’s chief investment officer. The QIA, set up in 2005, manages revenues […] November 13, 2024 Analysis Banking & Finance Analysts expect ‘mixed’ picture from Gulf banks’ Q3 results The Gulf’s largest banks are likely to report mixed earnings for the third quarter, analysts say, as pressure on margins lessens the benefit of lending growth. Qatar National Bank and Dubai’s Emirates NBD – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and fifth largest banks by assets – have already published Q3 results. QNB’s profit rose […] October 23, 2024 Finance Qatar to reduce stake in UK supermarket Sainsbury’s Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is selling part of its 15 percent stake in the British supermarket Sainsbury’s as the fund pushes ahead with expansion in the United States and Asia, particularly China and India. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the biggest shareholder in Sainsbury’s, is selling £306 million ($399 million) worth of shares in the retailer, […] October 11, 2024 Finance Qatar National Bank’s Q3 profit rises on loan growth Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest lender by assets in the GCC, reported a 5 percent year-on-year growth in its net profit for the third quarter of 2024, on higher levels of loans and advances. The bottom line rose to QR4.5 billion ($1.23 billion) from July to September, as net interest income and net fees […] October 9, 2024 Posts navigation 1 2 … 4 Next
Banking & Finance Dubai’s Mashreq enters Oman’s growing banking sector Mashreq, the UAE’s fifth largest bank by assets, has launched operations in Oman in what it says is a strategic move to support the sultanate’s economic diversification plans. Oman’s banking industry has more than doubled in size since 2013 but may lack the scale to meet state financing needs, experts told AGBI last October, with […] January 21, 2025
Analysis Banking & Finance Problem loans soar at Qatar National Bank’s Turkish unit Qatar National Bank (QNB), the Middle East and Africa’s largest lender by assets, this week reported another solid set of annual earnings. Yet within its financials lurks a potentially worrying statistic: rising loan defaults by consumers and small companies. As the Qatari government’s lender of choice – the state owns half the bank – QNB […] January 16, 2025
Economy Slow restart predicted for GCC aid to Lebanon A resumption of badly needed GCC financial aid to Lebanon may take time, even though most Gulf countries have given their blessing to the new Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, according to observers. The six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council were previously among the biggest aid donors and investors in Lebanon, before they cut assistance as […] January 14, 2025
Banking & Finance Qatar National Bank reports strong profit growth Qatar National Bank, the Middle East and Africa’s largest lender by assets, reported a 11 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit on Monday as net interest and fee income increased. QNB, which is 50 percent owned by Qatar’s government, dominates the country’s banking sector and has sizeable operations in Egypt and Turkey. It made a fourth-quarter […] January 13, 2025
Opinion Banking & Finance Stable, if lacking excitement: the outlook for Gulf banks GCC banks are well capitalised, have low cost-to-income ratios and have been generating healthy profits January 8, 2025
Finance $500bn QIA to go ‘aggressive’ and close big deals says CEO The $500-billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will be investing more “aggressively” and closing more “big-ticket” deals, according to a news report. Mohammed Al-Sowaidi, the fund’s new chief executive officer, told the Financial Times that QIA will invest with “more frequency” and undertake a review of its investment strategy. The fund remains bullish on the US, […] December 12, 2024
Finance Qatar replaces chief of its $510bn sovereign fund The Qatari government has appointed Mohammed Al Sowaidi to lead its $510 billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). He replaces Mansoor Al Mahmoud who had headed the sovereign wealth fund since 2018. Al Sowaidi joined the fund in 2010 and worked as the Americas region’s chief investment officer. The QIA, set up in 2005, manages revenues […] November 13, 2024
Analysis Banking & Finance Analysts expect ‘mixed’ picture from Gulf banks’ Q3 results The Gulf’s largest banks are likely to report mixed earnings for the third quarter, analysts say, as pressure on margins lessens the benefit of lending growth. Qatar National Bank and Dubai’s Emirates NBD – the Middle East and Africa’s largest and fifth largest banks by assets – have already published Q3 results. QNB’s profit rose […] October 23, 2024
Finance Qatar to reduce stake in UK supermarket Sainsbury’s Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is selling part of its 15 percent stake in the British supermarket Sainsbury’s as the fund pushes ahead with expansion in the United States and Asia, particularly China and India. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the biggest shareholder in Sainsbury’s, is selling £306 million ($399 million) worth of shares in the retailer, […] October 11, 2024
Finance Qatar National Bank’s Q3 profit rises on loan growth Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest lender by assets in the GCC, reported a 5 percent year-on-year growth in its net profit for the third quarter of 2024, on higher levels of loans and advances. The bottom line rose to QR4.5 billion ($1.23 billion) from July to September, as net interest income and net fees […] October 9, 2024
