The Middle East

A string of global natural disasters in 2011 did have an impact on some of Qatar’s local insurers that have overseas exposure, with the sector overall seeing a general slowdown. Cumulative net profits for the five Qatar Exchange-listed insurers rose 5.17% in 2011, a decline in profit growth from 2010. Yet while penetration rates for insurance products are low, at 0.89%, more than 85% of Qataris...

With strong banking and financial services segments, combined with an expanding insurance sector and global demand for Islamic bonds, sharia-compliant finance in Qatar is expected to see continued growth in 2013. Indeed, the sharia-compliant segment has recently shown some of the best growth figures in a country where expansion is generally high. In particular, takaful (Islamic insurance) and re-...

High oil and natural gas prices, combined with a 20-year strategic investment programme, have catapulted Qatar into the ranks of the highest per-capita income economies in the world. Yet the country continues to demonstrate an ability to leverage its significant natural resources to drive growth and is well placed to meet the goals and vision for economic diversification outlined by the National...

With Qatar’s exchange the best performing in the GCC region for the last two years, the capital markets look set for further development. In comparison to the GCC exchange averages, the Qatar Exchange (QE) scored higher both in terms of price to earnings and price to book value in 2011. In addition, in April 2011, the QE became the first in the region to offer a full delivery-versus-payment (DvP...

Banking in Qatar has long been a robust business. The sector weathered the international credit crunch well and has since achieved double-digit asset growth, and leading players are establishing strong overseas positions as they grow out of a highly competitive local market. According to the Qatar Central Bank (QCB), in April 2012 the sector’s total assets stood at QR727.2bn ($199.7bn), up from...

Political stability is ushering in a promising era of economic and human development, enabling the government to develop initiatives and diplomatic activities to shape a more knowledgeable and prosperous Qatar. In foreign policy, the Arab Spring has presented the state with the opportunity to implement its overseas goals, with the Emir emphasising long-term stability brought about by continuous...