Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), Qatar’s leading digital bank, has received two notable accolades at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2025. QIB was named “Domestic Retail Bank of the Year in Qatar” and awarded “Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year in Qatar”, recognizing its continuous leadership in digital innovation and its customer-centric approach. This recognition reaffirms QIB’s commitment to delivering advanced retail banking experiences and widening access to Shari’a-compliant financial services. It also reflects the Bank’s strategic focus on innovation, operational efficiency, and accessibility. Domestic Retail Bank of the Year in Qatar award recognizes QIB’s market leadership, strong financial performance, and continued investment in digital innovation. Digital banking remains the core of its strategy, anchored by the QIB Mobile App which now offers more than 320 features, and over 99% of retail transactions conducted through the bank’s digital channels. Key innovations, such as Qatar’s first digital Auto Marketplace, digital onboarding, instant finance & credit card issuance, and enhanced international remittance services, underscore its commitment to convenience, inclusion, and security. Complemented by sustainability initiatives, financial accessibility programs, and award-winning customer experience, QIB continues to set new benchmarks for retail banking experience in Qatar and beyond. Commenting on the recognition, D Anand, QIB’s General Manager – Personal Banking Group, said: “We are pleased to receive these two awards, which reflect the strength of our digital strategy and our ongoing efforts to deliver accessible, customer-focused banking solutions. As we continue to enhance our offerings, our priority remains to serve the diverse needs of our customers through secure, inclusive, and innovative digital experiences.”

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) – Qatar’s leading logistics provider – held an awareness seminar on safe storage and handling of hazardous materials, with the participation of the Prevention Department at the General Directorate of Civil Defence, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change’s Chemicals and Hazardous Waste Department, and academic advisers from the University of Doha for Science and Technology. The seminar aimed to raise awareness of occupational safety standards and equip participants with preventive measures to minimize risks in storage and transportation operations. Nasser Al Hajri, Chief People Officer at GWC, expressed his sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Labour for its efforts in raising awareness of occupational safety standards, emphasizing that the company places the health and safety of its workforce as its top priority, ensuring comprehensive training on occupational safety and health procedures, proper use of personal protective equipment, regular emergency drills, a healthy work environment, active prevention of hazards, and a culture of awareness and best practices, all supported by strict adherence to preventive measures. He added: “At GWC, we follow stringent international safety protocols to ensure the safe storage of hazardous materials. This involves regular employee training on safe handling practices, emergency preparedness, gas monitoring alarms, fire alarms, secondary containment systems, routine maintenance, risk assessments, and continually reinforcing awareness of occupational health and safety.” GWC implements a Safety Observation Reporting (SOR) System—a streamlined process that encourages all employees to report workplace observations they encounter on a day-to-day basis to help identify and mitigate occupational hazards and/or unsafe conditions in the workplace. Al Hajri noted that GWC continuously enhances its occupational safety and health standards by integrating them into its daily operations, while actively promoting awareness of safety, health, and environmental management systems, safe operational practices, and enhancing the quality of risk assessments, work procedure controls, and ongoing monitoring of health, safety, environment, and security performance indicators. This encompasses occupational health, workplace injuries, illnesses, and security incidents, all aligned with the latest international standards and best practices.

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s industrial sector is moving forward driven by the efforts of the government to diversify the economy and boost small and medium enterprises. In the second quarter (Q2) of this year, within the industrial sector ambient warehouse rents improved by 2.9 percent, whereas cold storage facilities maintained stability compared to the previous quarter, noted a report by ValuStrat, recently. Qatar’s economy-maintained growth in Q2 with a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rising by 1.9 percent compared to the same period in last year reaching QR181.8bn at constant prices, compared to QR178.5bn in Q2 2024. This growth was driven primarily by non-hydrocarbon activities, which expanded by 3.4 percent. The non-hydrocarbon activities accounted for 65.6 percent of real GDP, with value added reaching QR119.3bn in Q2 this year against QR115.4bn in the same period last year. This reflects a year-on-year increase of 3.4 percent, underscoring the effectiveness of diversification policies outlined in the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) and Qatar National Vision 2030. Regarding of industrial investment and supply, the report noted that as per the National Planning Council (NPC) data, the Industrial Production Index (IPI) stood at 97.6 points, a decrease of 2.5 percent Year on Year (YoY). The Mining and Quarrying Index declined by 3.7 percent YoY, while the Manufacturing Index recorded a 1.9 percent annual rise. In the same period, Samsung C&T and Qatar Free Zones Authority launched five strategic initiatives in Ras Bufontas and Umm Alhoul Free Zones, including a solar farm and a digital infrastructure project. Meanwhile Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) launched a logistics hub in Ras Laffan, featuring over 6,300 sqm GLA with open yard. This new facility has been developed to support the continued growth and development of Qatar’s energy sector, particularly with the implementation of the North Field Expansion Project—the world’s largest LNG project currently under construction—in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, which prioritises the optimum use of hydrocarbon resources. In terms of industrial performance in the second quarter the report noted that the monthly median asking rent for ambient warehouses increased by 2.9 percent Quarter on Quarter (QoQ) at QR36.4 per sqm, while reflecting a 2.2 percent decrease YoY. Similarly, the monthly median rent for cold storage facilities stabilised quarterly, dropping by 1.3 percent YoY, reaching QR 42.7 per sqm. Ambient warehouse rents within the Industrial area Doha recorded a 3.6% increase QoQ. On the other hand Qatar maritime reported 1,487 vessel calls in first half (H1) of this year over Hamad, Doha, and Ruwais ports recording an increase of 12.4 percent YoY. During the first half of the year, 742,789 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of container cargo were handled across the three ports, a growth of 5 percent YoY. Qatar’s manufacturing industry is of central importance to the government’s economic diversification drive, with high-value production lines receiving substantial public and private investment in recent years.