GCC Business

Kuwait: Kuwait Bourse closed trading on Wednesday as the All Share Index gained 17.30 points to reach 8,859.84 points, an increase of 0.20 percent. As many as 311.6 million shares valued at KWD 82.6 million (roughly USD 251.9 million) were traded via 20,752 transactions. The Main Market Index went down by 7.91 points to reach 8,192.17 points, down by 0.10 percent, through 134.8 million shares done via 11,384 transactions valued at KWD 25.8 million (roughly USD 78.6 million). The Premier Market Index gained 24.29 points to reach 9,463.38 points, up by 0.26 percent, through 176.7 million shares done via 9,368 transactions valued at KWD 56.8 million (roughly USD 173.2 million). Meanwhile, the bourse Main 50 Index went up by 28.65 points to reach 8,639.05 points, up by 0.33 percent, through stock volume of 82.17 million shares done in 5,764 deals at a value of KWD 16.7 million (roughly USD 50.9 million).

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: VoPay International Inc., a global fintech infrastructure platform, yesterday announced the establishment of its global headquarters in Qatar. The move positions Qatar as VoPay’s primary hub for advancing digital financial infrastructure and supporting scalable financial modernization across the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, Southeast Asia, and other high-growth regions, while continuing to serve the company’s operations across North America, Europe, and Latin America. From its Doha headquarters, VoPay will expand and operate foundational financial infrastructure that supports central banks, financial institutions, government and public-sector entities, and large enterprises in modernizing financial systems and connecting regional markets to global financial ecosystems. As part of this expansion, VoPay plans to hire more than 400 professionals in Qatar over the next three years across engineering, technology, security, compliance, data, and platform operations, reinforcing the country’s role as a long-term center for financial infrastructure development. “Our decision to establish VoPay’s global headquarters in Qatar reflects a deep alignment with the country’s long-term vision for economic diversification and digital leadership,” said Hamed Arbabi, Founder and CEO of VoPay. “Qatar offers a unique platform for scaling financial infrastructure that connects regions, institutions, and markets. With the support of Invest Qatar and the Qatar Financial Centre, we are investing for the long term by building world-class talent and advancing financial infrastructure that operates across borders with scale, intelligence, and resilience.” VoPay’s global headquarters decision aligns with Qatar’s emergence as a platform for innovation and digital transformation, shaped by the country’s long-term national vision under the leadership of H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar. As articulated in Qatar National Vision 2030, “the Qatar National Vision 2030 builds a bridge between the present and the future,” a direction that continues to support the development of a diversified, knowledge-based economy with global reach and creates an environment where technology companies can scale internationally while operating from the region. VoPay’s expansion into Qatar has been supported by Invest Qatar, whose leadership and engagement played a meaningful role in facilitating the company’s decision to establish its global headquarters in Doha. Through strategic dialogue and ongoing collaboration, Invest Qatar has supported VoPay’s market entry and long-term growth strategy aligned with Qatar’s national economic priorities. Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani, CEO, Invest Qatar, said: “We are pleased to welcome VoPay to Qatar as it establishes its global headquarters and expands its international footprint. This investment reinforces our commitment to building a diversified, knowledge-based economy and positioning Qatar as a leading hub for advanced financial technologies. Through strategic partnerships and a supportive regulatory environment, Qatar continues to attract companies that are shaping the future of financial technology.”

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Qatar witnessed more than 3,800 transactions through its Land Transport Sector in the fourth quarter (Q4) of last year showing that the sector has become a key enabler of the Qatari economy. Nearly 3,884 transactions were conducted through its Land Transport Sector in the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2025, Ministry of Transport (MoT) revealed in a post on its X account, yesterday. This shows a rise of 16.2 percent on year-on-year basis when compared to same period in 2024 and 13.2 percent on quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) basis when compared to third quarter of 2025. The data further showed that in the fourth quarter of last year, out of the total 3,884 transactions; 1,097 dealt with land transport planning, 1,047 were related to land transport licensing, 942 transactions to road affairs, and 798 to public transport affairs. The main services of the land transport sector include railway safety, bust stop relocation, bus service, road defects detection, safety on roads, directional signs, building permit requests, traffic impact studies, approval of land transport network planning cases. The services also include issuing preliminary approvals for limousine business activities, land transport activities, and car rental business activities. Qatar has continued its efforts to develop a state-of-the-art transport network in line with the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. In a recent post on social handle, Ministry of Transport highlighted the key milestones of the transport sector in 2025. The Qatar Bicycle Master Plan takes into consideration the Third Qatar National Development Strategy (NDS3) by prioritises a high quality of life by benefiting from Qatar’s advanced transportation infrastructure by increasing utilisation and efficiency and accelerating the transition to more sustainable mobility options. The comprehensive plan includes 4,400 km of cycling tracks and 500 specially designed safe intersections to encourage cycling. This effort is also aligned with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the initiatives outlined in the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar (TMPQ 2050). MoT Strategy 2025-2030 is based on a clear vision, an integrated secure, resilient, and sustainable transport ecosystem. The mission is to drive the development of the transport ecosystem towards high logistic efficiency, supporting the pillars of Qatar National Vision, the Ministry stated in a post on its social media handle. The Ministry’s strategy features an ambitious roadmap focused on developing the transportation and mobility industry in Qatar and enhancing its role in economic growth, sustainability, and innovation. The strategy stems from the Qatar National Vision 2030 and is aligned with the MOT’s endeavors to achieve the goals of the Third National Development Strategy by developing a world-class infrastructure that places the country in an advanced position globally in terms of logistics performance, digital transformation, and smart mobility innovation. It includes 125 projects stemming from 42 initiatives, with active participation from the private sector at a rate of up to 40 percent, which enhances economic diversification, deepens development partnerships and contributes to raising the efficiency of implementing future projects. It focuses on improving the public transport system through 17 quality initiatives that contribute to providing reliable and environmentally friendly services that serve different segments of society and give priority to innovation and building national capabilities through specialised training programs and technology development projects.