meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Qatar banks look to calmer waters in 2025

15 January 2025

 

Doha’s lenders enter 2025 with a sense of quiet confidence, backed by broadly favourable macroeconomic trends shaped by still-solid oil prices and non-oil growth that will provide an uplift for operating conditions and loan growth.

Although these operating conditions are not as supportive for Qatari banks as for their peers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, growth is nonetheless coming back to the sector, enabling banks to book more loans.

Credit growth is looking stronger. In the first 10 months of 2024, Qatari banks registered an annualised credit growth of 6.3%, more than double that of 2023, which was 2.9%.

“Resuming growth is supporting operating conditions for Qatari banks,” says Amin Sakhri, primary rating analyst at Fitch Ratings.

According to Sakhri, non-oil economic activity is also increasing. But it is the cornerstone hydrocarbons project, the North Field liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion, that will likely give ballast to lenders in the next two to three years.

By the end of 2025, Qatari LNG production capacity will have risen to 110 million tonnes a year (t/y), ahead of a further increase to 126 million t/y by 2027. That sets the economy up well, with banks positioned to feel the impact.

“The LNG project, which benefits related sub-sectors, also supports credit growth. So there’s also another supportive element for Qatari banks,” says Sakhri.

Robust profitability

Profits have been healthy in the past year, benefitting from banks’ strong capitalisation levels and adequate liquidity.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) expects this trend to continue with only a modest drop in net interest margins owing to interest rate cuts – and the impact of replacing non-resident funding (which is high in Qatar relative to other regional banking sectors) with higher-cost domestic funding sources.

Full-year 2024 results are awaited, but indications are it will have proved another solid year for banks’ bottom lines.

Qatar National Bank (QNB), which represents over 50% of total system assets – with just eight domestic commercial banks, it is one of the Gulf’s most concentrated banking sectors – reported a Q3 2024 net profit of QR4.5bn ($1.23bn), a 5.4% increase over the previous year. Loans and advances were up by 11% in the same period.

Profits were helped by still high interest rates in the first half of the year. While the lower interest rate environment will have some erosion effect on margins, Qatari banks are generally less sensitive to rates than other banks in the region.

Other metrics also look healthy. “We’ve seen the return on average equity increasing to 16.7% from 15.8% in 2023. This is despite still high loan impairment charges in Qatar, which are some of the highest in the GCC,” says Sakhri.

Property market uncertainty

One area of weakness is in the real estate sector, which has suffered from excess supply over a number of years, bringing down prices. According to Fitch, the banking sector’s exposure to the real estate and contracting sectors remains high, representing 17% of total sector lending.

“The real estate and construction sectors remain under pressure, and we see that in the banks’ loan books,” says Sakhri. “The cost of risk is still elevated in a GCC context, at 78 basis points in the first nine months of 2024 for the Qatari banking sector as a collective, well above the level observed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

Those real estate pressures have contributed to higher loan impairment charges compared to the rest of the region. S&P envisages non-performing loans (NPLs) remaining elevated at 4% in 2025.

“If you look at stage 2 loans, the average for the Qatari banking sector is around 10-11%, whereas for the UAE and Saudi, it’s about 5%. Some of the smaller banks are heavily exposed to the real estate and construction sectors, leading to about a third of the loan book being classified as Stage 2, which is quite substantial,” says Sakhri.

However, Qatari lenders have tightened their underwriting standards in the real estate and contracting sectors, focusing on government-related projects and assignment of cash flow proceeds to reduce their repayment risks, notes Fitch. Some banks have also been reducing their exposure to these sectors.

In S&P’s view, while continued pressure on real estate prices could accelerate the migration of stage 2 loans to NPLs at some midsize banks, public sector initiatives and interest rate cuts will help prevent a more severe deterioration in asset quality.

Underlying strength

In any case, the sector’s strong capitalisation and conservative provisioning remain two core strengths. The average CET1 stood at a solid 15.5% at the end of September 2024. This, says Fitch, is further supported by strong provisioning practices, with 140% of stage 3 loans covered by provisions, among the strongest in the GCC.

Aside from the real estate exposure, the other key risk in Qatar is its long-standing reliance on external funding. The sector’s non-resident funding accounted for a still-high 42% of the banking sector’s funding at the end of October 2024, and the sector’s net external funding was a substantial 50% of GDP at the end of 2023.

There has been some change as GDP has grown, meaning total funding relative to GDP is decreasing. However, about half of the sector’s funding comes from external sources, which is not expected to reduce significantly.

“Yes, hydrocarbon revenues have been supporting domestic liquidity, but Qatari banks are really quite reliant on external funding. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, you’re looking at 15%-20% coming from external funding, and Qatar has been traditionally more than twice that,” says Sakhri.

Looking forward, the broader positive impact from the LNG increase will provide improved operating conditions for Qatari lenders, which will impact on banks’ bottom lines – offsetting the lower credit demand that will result from the completion of a number of key infrastructure projects.

What’s more, notes Sakhri, lower rates mean the cost of funding will reduce, which is favourable for Qatari banks because they have some of the highest cost of funds in the GCC, and the impact on net interest margin will be less marked. 

Put that together, and Qatari bank chiefs have reason to view the year as one in which the glass is half-full rather than half-empty.

MEED's February 2025 special report on Qatar includes:

> GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY: Qatar economy rebounds alongside diplomatic activity 
> POWER & WATER: Facility E award jumpstarts Qatar’s utility projects
> DOWNSTREAM: Qatar chemical projects take a step forward

 

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13260830/main.gif
James Gavin

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Contractor wins $105m Medina university hospital deal

    22 September 2026

     

    Riyadh-based construction firm Al-Mansouria General Contracting Company has been awarded a SR396m ($105.6m) contract to complete the remaining construction works on the Taiba University Hospital project in Medina.

    The contract scope includes structural completion, remaining civil works, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, specialised clinical fit-outs and medical gas infrastructure to bring the long-stalled facility into operation.

    Located on King Khalid Road along Medina’s Third Ring Road, the teaching hospital will have a capacity of 563 beds.

    The contract duration is three years, with delivery targeted for late 2029.

    The latest award follows a prolonged procurement cycle that began more than a decade ago as part of a public budget drive to expand Saudi Arabia’s higher education infrastructure.

    The project’s first phase was initially signed in December 2011 with local firm Al-Muhaidib Contracting under a SR500m ($133.3m) contract.

    Groundbreaking for the eight-storey complex took place in July 2013. The project covers a gross floor area of more than 200,000 square metres.

    Progress stalled shortly thereafter due to reported structural delays and the reallocation of public capital budgets across the kingdom’s social infrastructure pipeline.

    READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19870032/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Oman tenders Thumrait Industrial City infrastructure

    22 September 2026

     

    Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) has tendered an estimated RO15m ($39m) contract to develop infrastructure for Thumrait Industrial City.

    The tender was issued on 14 September, with bids due by 12 November.

    The scope covers site-wide utilities and services, including an internal road network, stormwater channels and culverts. It also includes installing sewerage and water networks, along with landscaping works.

    In addition, Madayn intends to build plug-and-play industrial units and a facilities building.

    The first phase of the development will cover about 120,000 square metres (sq m).

    Thumrait Industrial City is located in Oman’s Dhofar Governorate and spans an area of more than four million sq m.

    The project location is close to concession blocks, quarry sites and the Najd agricultural areas. It is positioned to attract industrial investments in sectors such as mining and minerals processing (including gypsum and cement), food production, and a range of light and general manufacturing activities.

    In March, Madayn said it is preparing to invest more than RO245m ($637m) to upgrade and expand infrastructure across its industrial cities between 2026 and 2030, as part of efforts to attract new investment and advance economic diversification.

    According to media reports, Madayn chief executive Dawood Bin Salim Al-Hadabi said the programme is part of an expanded, phased plan aligned with Oman Vision 2040 and the authority’s long-term Madayn 2040 strategy.

    The objective is to deepen Oman’s industrial base and spread growth across the sultanate’s governorates.

    Madayn said the pipeline comprises about 90 strategic projects to improve industrial-city infrastructure, extend serviced land and increase the overall ease of doing business for investors.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19866218/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • Kuwait halves drilling contractor pool

    22 September 2026

     

    State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has reduced the number of approved contractors for onshore drilling and shallow-well maintenance from 51 to 24.

    Firms that are no longer qualified include major contractors such as Italy’s Saipem, Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne and Houston-based Patterson-UTI Energy.

    The latest list still includes a wide range of Kuwaiti, regional and international companies, according to the latest update on its electronic system, published on 21 September 2026.

    The full list of contractors that are now qualified to participate in tenders is:

    • Burgan Company for Well Drilling, Trading & Maintenance (Kuwait)
    • Kuwait Drilling Company (Kuwait)
    • Sun Drilling Kuwait (Kuwait)
    • TDL Kuwait for Oil Rigs & Natural Gas Extraction Activities, Services and Facilities (Kuwait)
    • United Precision Drilling (Kuwait)
    • Abraj Energy Services (Oman)
    • Adnoc Drilling Company (UAE)
    • Arabian Drilling Company (Saudi Arabia)
    • Anton Oilfield Services (China)
    • China Oilfield Services (China)
    • Egyptian Drilling Company (Egypt)
    • CNPC Bohai Drilling Engineering Company (China)
    • Great Wall Drilling Company (China)
    • John Energy (India)
    • Kerui Oilfield Service (China)
    • KCA Deutag Drilling (Germany)
    • Mohammed Al-Barwani Petroleum Services (Oman)
    • Nabors Drilling International (US)
    • National Drilling & Services Company (Oman)
    • Sea & Land Drilling Contractors (Oman)
    • Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (China)
    • Karamay Jianye Energy (China)
    • Modern Drilling Company (Egypt)
    • Grey Wolf Drilling International (US)

    An earlier list, which was published on 11 February, included 51 qualified companies.

    The reduction in qualified drilling contractors follows KOC’s notice on 27 April this year, informing existing qualified contractors that they would need to reapply.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19863744/main3435.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Abu Dhabi expects 45% emissions cut as electricity demand rises

    21 September 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) expects carbon emissions from power and water production to fall by more than 45% by 2035 as the UAE expands renewable energy and reverse osmosis (RO) desalination.

    The state offtaker's latest long-term system planning forecasts emissions will decline from about 42 million tonnes in 2019 to approximately 23 million tonnes in 2035.

    The reduction is expected despite annual electricity demand that is forecast to rise by about 70% in 2026-33.

    Ewec said the expansion of renewable energy and the shift towards RO desalination will be the principal drivers of the reduction.

    The company plans to increase Abu Dhabi's solar capacity to 14GW by 2030 and more than 35GW by 2035. This will be supported by up to 15GW of battery storage capacity.

    According to regional project tracker MEED Projects, Ewec has over $16bn-worth of power and water projects in the execution stage as part of its long-term procurement programme to increase renewable energy and low-carbon water production capacity.

    This includes a 5.2GW Abu Dhabi solar and battery energy storage system (bess) round-the-clock renewable energy project, as well as three 1.5GW solar photovoltaic independent power projects (IPP): Al-Ajban, Al-Khazna and Al-Zarraf.

    It also comprises the 1GW Al-Dhafra open-cycle gas turbine power plant, the 2.5GW Taweelah C combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant and a separate 400MW bess IPP.

    As previously reported, it is expected that the developer's agreement for the 3.3GW Al-Nouf 1 CCGT IPP will be signed by the end of the year, while contractors are preparing to submit bids for a separate 2.6GW power plant project in Ajman.

    The expansion of solar and battery storage is expected to reduce the system's reliance on gas-fired generation. However, gas-fired generation will continue to provide flexibility to support the system and balance intermittent renewable power output, according to Ewec. 

    The offtaker also expects RO desalination to account for more than 95% of total water production by 2035, with the procurement programme supporting the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy's Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for electricity production and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy.

    READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19849749/main.jpg
    Mark Dowdall
  • Seven bid for Bahrain highway upgrade

    21 September 2026

    Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

    Seven contractors have submitted bids for the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade project.

    According to results published by the Bahrain Tender Board, the firms that have submitted bids include:

    • Nass Contracting Company
    • Haji Hassan Group
    • Almoayyed Contracting Group
    • Mohammed Abdulmohsen Al-Kharafi & Sons
    • Eastern Asphalt & Concrete Production
    • Cebarco Bahrain
    • Kingdom Asphalt

    The contract scope includes expansion works on 2 kilometres of the highway. It consists of a four-lane dual carriageway with service roads on both sides.

    The scope of works also includes excavation and backfill work, construction of stormwater drainage networks, a pumping station, installation of ducts for future utilities, upgraded street lighting, traffic signs and directional signage.

    The project aims to improve traffic capacity, reduce congestion and enhance safety along the transport corridor linking Manama with industrial zones.

    In April, MEED reported that Bahrain had approved a financing agreement framework to fund the construction of the next phase of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Highway upgrade.

    In March last year, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Bahraini government signed a KD10m ($32.4m) loan agreement to fund the second phase of the project, which is expected to cost about $404m.

    This was followed in September 2025 by the appointment of US-based Parsons Corporation on a $1.5m contract to provide pre-contract engineering consultancy services for the project.

    According to data from regional project tracker MEED Projects, construction of the first phase was completed in 2020.

    A joint venture of local firm Nass Contracting and Kuwait’s KCC Engineering & Contracting undertook the main construction works.

    READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

    Nuclear power ambitions gather pace; Kuwait keeps dealmaking alive despite war; Region invests in raising gas processing capacity.

    Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
    To see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click here
    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/19847073/main.png
    Yasir Iqbal