Despite having one of the lowest non-performing loan (NPL) rates in the region, the onset of the global economic crisis in 2008 came as a reminder to Qatari lenders of the vulnerability of some areas of their loan books to economic distress. The high levels of personal debt in the GCC were of particular concern to regional regulators and many...
A rapidly expanding population and a steady supply of hydrocarbons and infrastructure projects have allowed Qatar’s banking sector to maintain the double digit growth it has achieved over recent years. However, while the project pipeline remains full, the increasingly competitive banking environment has encouraged the nation’s lenders to seek...
It is easy to discern the fresh momentum in the drive to boost the private sector and, more particularly, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar. A number of recent developments indicate the government’s determination to create a more balanced economy for the hydrocarbons-rich state: the appointment in January 2015 of the minister...
Although total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Qatar declined in 2013, foreign investment is thriving in Qatari industry, representing over half of all investment in the sector in 2014. As construction activity ramps up in the state, FDI in the industrial sector is expected to expand further on the back of planned industrial zones,...
With oil prices bouncing along the bottom of the charts, and most forecasts suggesting they are likely to stay well submerged for some time, Qatar’s infrastructure project pipeline may now be coming on-stream at a lessthan-opportune time, although the state’s solid economic fundamentals and rapid non-oil growth will help mitigate the worst of...
The Qatari government has increasingly shifted its focus to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups as it moves to expand economic diversification and non-oil growth in the state. Start-ups and entrepreneurs will benefit as a result, with the state launching new support mechanisms for the sector, including the recently...
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