QNB – The Leading National Bank in Qatar
Qatar National Bank (QNB) was established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank, with an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50%) and the private sector (50%).
QNB has steadily grown to be among the largest banks in the region and is by far the leading financial institution in the country, with the largest distribution network of 42 branches and offices in Qatar, in addition to 11 Islamic branches and offices, and more than 154 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
QNB offers a full range of Retail, Corporate, Investment, Treasury, Wealth Management, and Islamic Banking products and services for individuals, corporate institutions and government entities in Qatar as well as internationally.
QNB was the first conventional bank in Qatar to offer Islamic Banking products and services through QNB Al Islami and the first Qatari bank to launch equity funds for companies listed on the Doha Securities Market.
QNB’s international presence is counted in London, Paris, Iran, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Libya, Singapore and Sudan. QNB owns 33.2% of the shares of the Jordan-based Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF), 23.8% of the shares of Commercial Bank International (CBI) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 50% of the Tunisian-Qatari bank, 30% of The Kuwaiti-Qatari Company for Ijara and Investment, 20% of the Doha-based Al Jazeera Islamic Company, and a 49% of QNB-Syria which is to be established soon.
QNB also recently established a new investment company QNB Capital, the investment banking arm of the Bank, which provides a wide range of services to corporate, government and institutional clients within Qatar and globally.
The London-based Ansbacher, QNB’s Wealth Management and Private Banking subsidiary, also provides a wide range of wealth management services in Qatar and the region.
QNB has the highest credit rating among regional banks from leading rating agencies including Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch, and Capital Intelligence.
Amwal
Founded in Qatar in 1998, Amwal was the first investment company to be granted a full onshore license by Qatar Central Bank and has since become Qatar’s leading investment banking and asset management firm. Since its inception Amwal has been a pioneer in the Qatari market through several innovative initiatives such as the launch of the first investment portfolio and the first mutual fund in the Doha Securities Market, recently ranked the best performing Qatar equity fund in March 2009. Amwal has as well broken ground by underwriting the first non-Qatari Initial Public Offering in the country.
As a result of Amwal’s rapid growth and innovative transactions, Amwal received the “Qatar Deal of the Year Award” in islamic finance in March 2009 for structuring a USD 200 million Istisna mezzanine facility for the Al Wa’ab City project. In June 2006, Amwal was named the Leading Investment Firm in Qatar by Iktissad Wa Amal Group, the leading publishing group in the region.
The Firm boasts a strong shareholder base that includes some of the most respected financial institutions and business groups in the region including: Shuaa Capital from the UAE, Qatar Foundation, Qatar National Bank, Qatar Navigation & Prominent high net worth Qatari individuals .
Amwal has one of the largest and most talented investment banking and asset management teams in Qatar, employing a growing number of investment professionals drawn from a global talent pool. Together, the teams have leveraged their outstanding international experience and skills to secure several high-profile mandates and to ensure the successful execution of some of the most prestigious landmark transactions in the region.
Barwa
BARWA is one of the premier organizations in the State of Qatar. As the name “BARWA” or “Contractual Commitment” suggests, we are inspired by our vision of a glowing future for Qatar.
With business interest in real estate & project development, property & facility management, construction material production, environmental activities & health, banking & finance, hotels & resorts, technology & utility, knowledge & communications and agriculture; BARWA is driven by the conviction that people deserve a comfortable living and working environment.
With extensive operations in Qatar and around the world, we believe that every BARWA project is the seed for an incredible journey, where our greatest achievement is realizing the dreams of our stakeholders.
We decided to widen the geography of our investments, and to diversify our projects to generate the finest returns for our investors and our people. We aimed to create proper opportunities for other companies to participate in this growth and development of the Qatari economy and the region.
Urbanization and construction civilization is a major target that we aim for in all of our residential, industrial, and medical projects. Our local projects will lead the real estate business through their innovative ideas and they include: BARWA Al Baraha, BARWA Al Doha, BARWA City, BARWA Al Khor (Urjuan), BARWA Commercial Avenue, BARWA Al Sadd, BARWA Financial District, BARWA Housing Program and BARWA Village.
Our international projects include: Nuzul Holding, Shaza Hotels, New Cairo City Project in Egypt, Four Properties in Paris – France, Seven Hotels in Switzerland, Ajman Corniche Residence in the UAE, Istanbul Sea Gate in Turkey, New Central Vegetable Market in Jeddah – KSA and Shard of Glass in London - UK
QATAR DIAR
QATARI DIAR is entrusted with realizing Qatar’s vision for a beautifully built environment, new sustainable communities and developments that catch the imagination of a world audience.
We are a major player in Qatar’s emergence as a vibrant investment, commercial, cultural and social community. As an investor and a fully integrated real estate developer, our mission is to promote a better quality of life by creating distinguished legacy developments, planned, built and managed to internationally recognized standards.
QATARI DIAR is fully owned by the Qatar Investment Authority. The company was founded to support Qatar’s rapidly expanding economy and to provide structure and quality control for the country’s real estate development priorities.
Our company is an innovator and instigator, and our unique position as an arm of the government has attracted blue-chip international partners to our projects.
Capitalized at US$1 billion, we have the investment resources to be truly innovative and forward thinking. The company is founded on the world’s best practice project development and management disciplines, enabling it to impact on the built environment to enrich and enhance the quality of life of the communities it serves. Although only launched in March 2005, the company has 30 projects underway.
QATARI DIAR is building signature projects and facilitating vibrant new communities on an unprecedented scale. These range from our giant Lusail project in Qatar to the development of landmark resorts, such as Ras Al-Hadd eco-tourist resort in Oman, to Ibn Bay Resort in Syria to St. Regis Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.
We are determined that our projects will have a significant impact and influence on the way people live around the world, for the enhancement of the planet and its environment and for the long-term benefit of the people who live in our communities.
Construction Products Holding Company
CPC (Construction Products Holding Company) is a dynamic and reputable entity possessing a wealth of global experience in construction products serving elite clients. Its head office is in Jeddah, with branches in Riyadh, Bahra, Dammam, Damascus, Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Dakar with Algeria, Morocco, and India operating soon. These outlets enable CPC to provide clients with superior service in key parts of the region.
CPC has risen to the challenge and, by consolidating 15 limited liability companies, it provides their clients exactly what they have been searching for, a “One Stop Shop” providing a full range of products and services that any major construction project might require.
It is a challenging time for the construction Industry, with greater demands being placed on achieving the highest quality with tighter deadlines. Ultimately, this means that construction companies need logistics that are 100% reliable. Under the professional and experienced staff, our subsidiaries each specialize in vital elements for any construction project including steel, marble, granite, precast concrete, glass, adhesives, cables aluminum, and wood products, along with a transport company. Together they provide the building industry with all of their logistical requirements, all from a single source.
CPC has not only provided the construction industry with a valuable service, but has reduced CPC’s corporate risk and gave it a competitive edge over any competition. CPC offers complete turnkey projects for private villas, impressive high rise buildings, furnished compounds, prestigious shopping malls, and even to the extent of complete cities, maintaining the highest standard codes in the construction industry. CPC is committed and focused on delivering quality products, with price competitiveness on a timely fashion, with professional integrity and business ethics constituting their core foundation.
By implementing these strategic principles as part of our daily routine, it represents a conscious effort to fulfill our vision….The unique and valuable experience of a “One Stop Shop Towards Building the Future”.
The Qatar Financial Centre
The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) is a financial and business centre established by the Government of Qatar and located in Doha. It has been designed to attract international financial services institutions and major multi-national corporations and to encourage participation in the growing market for financial services in Qatar and elsewhere in the region. The QFC will operate to international standards and provide a first class legal and business infrastructure for those operating within the QFC. The QFC was created by Qatar Law No.(7) and has been open for business since 1 May 2005.
QFC Authority
The principal objectives of the QFC Authority are to develop and promote the Qatar Financial Centre as a leading location for international finance and business, and to promote and act in accordance with international best practice and eliminate bureaucracy to the maximum extent. It is also tasked with ensuring the financial stability of the QFC, and (in consultation with the QFC Regulatory Authority and the QFC Appeals Body) with the establishment and maintenance of the QFC legal and regulatory environment.
One of the QFC Authority’s most important roles is to approve and issue licenses to individuals, businesses and other entities that wish to incorporate or establish in the Centre. Businesses wishing to undertake financial services will also require authorisation from the QFC Regulatory Authority
The Application Process
A streamlined application process has been adopted for those seeking to establish in the QFC. Applicants need to register with the QFC Companies Registration Office (CRO), obtain a licence from the QFC Authority and (in the case of financial services businesses) authorisation from the Regulatory Authority. More information is available at www.qfc.com.qa and www.qfcra.com .
Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority
Launched by the Emiri Decree (24) in 2007, Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority (QTEA)’s role is to develop Qatar into an upscale destination reputed for quality and excellence, and guide the development of sustainable events and supporting infrastructure. By combining exhibitions and tourism under the unique control of a same authority, it enables QTEA to create a unique tourism strategy, offering a business oriented tourism, combined with leisure activities. Qatar Tourism & Exhibitions Authority gets actively involved in organizing events and promotions which positively reflect on the general image of Qatar as an evolving tourism destination .
With a complete new identity, including a new logo and a new strategy, Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority is now enhancing to travellers the country’s exclusive MICE facilities combined with vibrant leisure and cultural attractions, high-quality services, as well as the independent spirit and progressive orientation that makes Qatar unique : Qatar is the bridge between the Arabic traditional heritage and global innovation, as symbolized by QTEA’s logo, a seal with the sole “Qaf”.
Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority’s strategy is to grow the tourism industry in Qatar by 20% in the next five years. This is delivered through a variety of methods including attracting travellers flying through Doha. An estimated 50 million passengers will come through the New Doha International Airport when it opens in 2012. QTEA is targeting 5% of these passengers to stay an extra 48 hours in the country past their initial scheduled time.
