After half a decade of strong growth, Qatar’s banking sector is well positioned to weather regional economic volatility in 2016. As of the end of the first half of 2015 the country was home to the third-largest banking industry in the GCC, boasting total assets of $293bn. The sector consists of 18 institutions, including six domestic...
How concerned are you that bank lending in the country could be impacted in 2016 given the current state of the economy? SEETHARAMAN: Lending is an overall function of economic momentum in the country. If the state is going to score 4.3% growth, then I would expect overall lending in the industry to expand by 7-8%. With regards to...
Given that the QCB’s current strategy for developing the state’s financial services industry ends in 2016, what are the new strategy’s objectives?
Do you expect infrastructure financing to continue playing a key part in local financing in 2016?
The banking sector has seen steady, robust credit growth in recent years, even as macroeconomic indicators throughout the GCC have signalled a challenging period ahead. From end-2010 through December 2015 bank loans in Qatar expanded at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19%, according to figures from Qatar Central Bank (QCB). By the end...
During her visit to Qatar in late November 2015, Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the IMF, issued a statement endorsing the regulatory work carried out by the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) in recent years. “Substantial progress has been made on enhancing financial sector regulation, including adopting the international regulatory...
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