Doha [Qatar], February 17: In a new milestone underscoring the rapid development of Qatar's debt capital market and QNB Group's continued leadership in local currency funding, Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Monday announced the successful listing of QNB Group's bonds, representing the largest Qatari riyal-denominated bond issuance in the history of the local market.
The bonds were offered exclusively to international investors and were fully subscribed by a diversified investor base, reflecting strong confidence in QNB Group's financial strength, credit profile, and regional leadership, as well as in the resilience and stability of Qatar's financial system. The issuance totals QR1 billion, with a one-year tenor and an annual coupon rate of 4percent.
The transaction forms part of QNB Group's broader funding diversification strategy, reinforcing its prudent liquidity management and ability to access international capital in local currency.
This listing marks a significant milestone in the ongoing development of QSE's debt instruments market, demonstrating the local market's capacity to accommodate large-scale issuances in local currency within a robust regulatory framework and advanced trading, clearing, and settlement infrastructure, thereby enhancing market efficiency and transparency.
Commenting on the occasion, Qatar Stock Exchange Chief Executive Officer Abdulla Mohammed Al Ansari said, "The listing of the largest Qatari riyal-denominated bond issuance in market history represents a key milestone in the development of Qatar's capital market. It underscores QSE's pivotal role in deepening the debt market and expanding the range of investment products available to investors. This achievement also reflects growing confidence in the local market and its ability to attract international investment into instruments denominated in the national currency, enhancing market liquidity and supporting the diversification of funding sources."
He added that the listing reflects the high level of coordination and integration across Qatar's national financial ecosystem, including Qatar Stock Exchange, Qatar Central Bank, the Qatar Financial Markets Authority, and EDAA (Qatar Central Securities Depository), in alignment with the objectives of the Third Financial Sector Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.
QNB Group Chief Executive Officer Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa said, "This landmark issuance reflects QNB Group's disciplined funding strategy and our continued commitment to deepening Qatar's capital markets. The strong demand from international investors underscores confidence in QNB's credit fundamentals and in Qatar's economic outlook. We remain focused on maintaining a well-diversified funding base that supports sustainable growth while contributing to the development of the local currency debt market."
Source: Qatar Tribune