Stock Market

Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) index rose 0.17% at the opening of Tuesday's trading session, gaining 16.53 points from the previous session's close to reach 9,823 points, buoyed by gains across five sectors. QSE data showed that the Consumer Goods and Services sector led the gainers, advancing 1.95%, followed by Real Estate, which rose 0.41%; Telecoms, up 0.18%; Banks and Financial Services, which gained 0.15%; and Industrials, which edged up 0.09%. On the other hand, the Insurance sector fell 0.96%, while Transportation declined 1.12%. By 10am, trading value on the QSE reached QR 76.137 million, with 21.369 million shares changing hands through 3,951 transactions, according to QSE data.

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Central Bank (QCB) has enabled payment service providers to open accounts with the central bank and gain direct access to the Real-Time Gross Settlement System (QA-RTGS), allowing them to conduct settlement operations directly without intermediaries. The move is in line with the Third Financial Sector Strategy and forms part of QCB's ongoing efforts to develop the country's payment ecosystem and enhance the efficiency of its financial infrastructure. In a post on X, QCB said SADAD Payment Solutions and Dibsy are the first two payment service providers to join QA-RTGS, marking the initial implementation of direct access for payment service providers. QCB said the move will help reduce operational costs for payment service providers and merchants by allowing settlement operations to be conducted directly. It will also simplify the payment cycle by reducing the number of parties involved, supporting faster and more efficient financial transactions. In addition, the initiative will strengthen QCB's direct oversight and monitoring of settlement operations, the central bank said. QCB said the initiative forms part of its ongoing efforts to develop the payment ecosystem, with additional payment service providers able to join the Real-Time Gross Settlement System (QA-RTGS) in accordance with the applicable requirements and procedures.

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Chairman of Qatar Chamber (QC), Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, received yesterday, at the Chamber’s headquarters, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ecuador, H E Alejandro Dávalos, in the presence of Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador in the State of Qatar, H E Carlos Zambrano. QC Second Vice Chairman, Rashid bin Hamad Al-Athba; QC Board Member, Mohamed bin Ahmed Al-Obaidli; and Acting General Manager, Ali Bu Sharbak Al-Mansori were also present. During the meeting, both sides discussed economic and trade relations between Qatar and Ecuador and ways to further enhance them, as well as areas of cooperation between the Qatari and Ecuadorian private sectors. The two sides also discussed the possibility of organising a Qatar–Ecuador Business Meeting during the first quarter of next year, bringing together business leaders and investors from both countries to explore key sectors and available investment opportunities and strengthen partnerships between their business communities. For his part, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim praised the relations between Qatar and Ecuador, affirming Qatar Chamber’s keenness to strengthen cooperation and communication among business leaders from both countries, contributing to increased trade and investment cooperation and the establishment of joint ventures. In a separate meeting, Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim also met with Acting Secretary-General of the Arab-Indian Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Wael Awad. The meeting discussed economic and trade relations between Qatar and India and ways to strengthen them, as well as opportunities for cooperation, partnership and investment between the private sectors of both countries. During the meeting, Dr. Wael Awad invited Qatar Chamber, Qatari business leaders and investors to attend the Indian Economic Forum, which will be held from December 18 to 19, 2026. He noted that the forum will provide an important platform for business leaders and investors to connect and explore opportunities for cooperation, partnership and investment. He also called on Qatari investors to explore investment opportunities in India, particularly in promising sectors such as agriculture, artificial intelligence and tourism, among others.