Capital Markets

Regional political turbulence since 2011 has resulted in a challenging environment for exchanges across the GCC, but Doha’s relatively young bourse has shown its resilience over 2013. The Qatari bourse grew by 24.2% over 2013, led by a 38.7% expansion in the transportation sector. Even the year’s slowest-growing sectors – insurance and real estate – posted double-digit expansion. It has also continued to implement a strategic development plan that has established new indices and a junior market for small and medium-sized enterprises. GDP growth is expected to continue to grow over the coming years, with fiscal surpluses remaining high. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Adel Abdulaziz Khashabi, Head of QNB Financial Services.