Sharia-compliant funds are emerging as an increasingly popular investment instrument in markets across the region, and Qatar is playing an important role in this expansion. According to the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), sharia-compliant funds accounted for $224m by end 2017; just over 50% of the assets placed in the Qatari mutual fund segment...
The period of easily raising funds from abroad seems to be coming to an end for emerging markets around the world. Amid rising interest rates in the US and increased competition for capital flows, portfolio managers are becoming more selective with where they invest. One way for developing nations to ensure that their financial markets can...
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) has faced considerable external challenges in recent years, including a sustained dip in oil prices and the effects of a regional economic blockade. However, after an initial decline in late 2017, the main index’s performance during 2018 has established it as one of the fastest growing in MENA. The QSE has also...
Once reserved for ambitious start-ups and industry-leading tech operators, financial technology (fintech) has more recently caught the attention of major private sector firms and government planners alike, becoming a regular feature in budget speeches and strategic development plans. As fintech progressively plays a larger part in the lives of...
Qatari banks seeking to build their home loan portfolios have faced a challenging environment in recent years. According to the IMF, Qatar’s real estate price index fell by 11% in 2017, reversing a positive trend that had seen a 53% cumulative increase between 2013 and 2016. The market continued to decline in 2018, with the transacted value of...
Over the course of 2018 Qatar’s banking industry has demonstrated its resilience in the face of the economic blockade placed upon the country by a number of governments. Credit ratings agencies Moody’s and Fitch both upgraded Qatar’s sovereign credit ratings outlook to stable in the summer of 2018, recognising the improving macroeconomic...
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