The data centres now sit inside a company called Syntys. The mobile masts in Qatar have moved into a new firm named Al Abraj. The undersea cables and international fibre routes are being bundled into Ooredoo Fibre Networks.

And a long-gestating venture with Kuwait’s Zain and the Dubai-based TASC Towers would pool roughly 30,000 telecommunication tower assets across Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Tunisia, Iraq and Jordan into a jointly owned independent tower company.

Each move follows the same logic. Investors will pay handsomely for a business that owns physical kit and collects steady rent for decades, the way they pay for a motorway or a power station. They will pay far less for a firm that simply sells phone contracts.

Ooredoo’s half-year results read less like a telecom earnings statement and more like a progress report on a demolition schedule.

A solid half, and a strategy laid bare

The numbers themselves were respectable. Revenue grew 4.6% year-on-year to QAR 12.5 billion as demand for connectivity and data services held up across its markets, EBITDA rose 7.4% to QAR 5.5 billion, and free cash flow climbed 7.7% to QAR 3.9 billion.

The group’s customer base reached 147.5 million, including Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison. Net profit attributable to shareholders slipped 5.1% to QAR 1.8 billion because of a one-off legal provision in Algeria.

Group chief executive Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo called the first half ‘another period of solid execution for Ooredoo’ on the earnings call, pointing to higher revenue, EBITDA and normalised profit across the footprint.

Aziz added, “International connectivity and subsea infrastructure are already among the most strategic digital assets in the world, and demand is accelerating with AI, cloud, and hyperscale growth… We have set a clear ambition to grow our international infrastructure and subsea cable business from 3% to 12% of Group revenues over time.”

But the more revealing material came later. A key milestone was the launch of Al Abraj, a standalone company established to independently manage Ooredoo’s passive tower infrastructure in Qatar following regulatory approval, part of a portfolio optimisation strategy aimed at improving capital efficiency.

The group also expanded its digital infrastructure arm through Syntys, which acquired Q Data QFZ LLC in Qatar, adding 12.5MW of hyperscale data centre capacity. Management told analysts that the first close of the Al Abraj tower transaction should be completed by the next investor call, with the equalisation payment formula agreed with Zain Group unchanged.

In other words, the strategy is on schedule. The question is what the strategy leaves behind.

The pieces on the table

Start with the masts. Al Abraj launched in June as a standalone company that will independently operate and manage Ooredoo Qatar’s passive tower infrastructure, after approvals from the Communications Regulatory Authority, marking the first operational carve-out under Ooredoo’s TowerCo initiative. Khalid Barzak, a 16-year telecom veteran, was appointed General Director.

Qatar is only the opening act. The bigger prize is the joint venture with Zain and TASC, a USD 2.2 billion independent tower company estimated to turn over USD 500 million a year and generate EBITDA after leases of more than USD 200 million once fully operational, with Ooredoo and Zain each controlling 49.3%.

When the deal was signed, the three chief executives issued a joint statement describing it as ‘placing the MENA region on the world telecom tower map’.

Then the data centres. Syntys, established in 2025 as a spin-off from Ooredoo, operates facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, Tunisia, Oman and Iraq. It has been growing at pace. The Q Data acquisition took its operational IT capacity in Qatar to 26MW and total installed capacity to 30MW, on the way to a long-term goal of 120MW by 2030. Management now believes it can get there early.

With 17.9MW of capacity either under construction or fully contracted, the group expects to reach the 120MW target about two years ahead of schedule, by 2028, if current demand holds.

The customer mix tells its own story. In the first quarter of 2026, Syntys recorded QAR 51 million in revenue and QAR 22 million in EBITDA, with hyperscalers accounting for 76% of revenue in Qatar, backed by a $1 billion investment programme.

Iron Mountain, the global data centre and information management group, acquired a minority equity stake in Syntys, an early sign that outside infrastructure capital wants in.

Finally the cables. In February, Ooredoo announced the formation of Ooredoo Fibre Networks, a unit led by Khalid Hassan Al-Hamadi, with the carve-out expected to complete by 2027.

Aziz said the company wants to grow its international infrastructure and subsea cable business from 3% to 12% of group revenues over time. The anchor asset is the FIG subsea cable system, under development with Alcatel Submarine Networks and spanning approximately 1,900 kilometres, alongside further submarine and terrestrial investments designed to create a new regional connectivity corridor between Europe and Asia.

Why the sum of the parts beats the whole

The financial logic is brutally simple, and analysts have been happy to spell it out. Elie Abouatme, EMEA head of telecom, media and entertainment at ServiceNow, told AGBI that integrated telecom operators typically trade at around four to six times earnings, while infrastructure platforms can command ten to fifteen times, because cable providers offer predictable, long-term, utility-like cash flows attractive to infrastructure investors. As he put it, “Historically, this model unlocks significant shareholder value.”

The same maths applies to towers and data centres. A mast does not care whose antenna hangs on it. A data hall does not care whose servers hum inside. Once separated from the parent, these assets can sign long contracts with multiple tenants, borrow cheaply against those contracts, and be valued like real estate rather than like a consumer business fighting price wars over prepaid SIM cards.

Telecoms analyst Vakai Muntambirwa (BMI / Fitch) said, “By separating their division, Ooredoo gives OFN the operational independence and strategic focus to become a dedicated infrastructure provider with a clearer focus to expand routes, add capacity, and maximise utilisation of subsea cable and fibre infrastructure.”

The AI boom sharpens all of this. Training and running large models demand exactly what Ooredoo is unbundling. Compute needs data centres. Data centres need connectivity. Connectivity needs cables and towers. Aziz made the connection explicit when OFN launched, describing international connectivity and subsea infrastructure as ‘among the most strategic digital assets in the world’, and noting that demand is accelerating with AI, cloud and hyperscale growth.

Nor is Ooredoo alone. Other Middle Eastern telcos have established regional tower operators in the hunt for efficiency and asset monetisation, from Saudi Arabia’s TAWAL to Oman Tower Company, and the wholesale connectivity market is bracing for the newcomer.

Brendan Swan, senior analyst at GlobalData, predicted, “The emergence of Ooredoo Fiber Networks will likely cause some disruption in the market, with incumbents looking to protect their turf and maintain their status in the region.”

In a LinkedIn post marking the Al Abraj launch, Aziz wrote that the carve-out was a milestone in the company’s plan to ‘evolve from a traditional telecom operator into a leading digital infrastructure provider’, and told followers that Qatar was only the first market under the multi-market TowerCo initiative. Watch this space, he added.

So, what is left of the phone company?

Here is the uncomfortable part of the story. Strip out the towers, the data centres and the cables, and what remains of Ooredoo is a retail brand, a spectrum licence, a billing system and a customer base of prepaid and postpaid subscribers in fiercely competitive markets.

The half-year results already show the texture of that business. Growth came from Algeria and Tunisia on the back of data demand, while core Gulf markets faced device-related revenue pressures, and Iraq wrestled with government salary payment disruptions.

And yes, the operator will pay rent on what it built. That is the entire design. The Zain venture will operate as an independent standalone entity providing passive infrastructure as a service throughout the region, which means Ooredoo becomes a tenant on masts it erected over decades. The sale-and-leaseback template is well established.

Zain Iraq previously agreed a 15-year deal to sell and lease back its portfolio of nearly 5,000 towers to TASC for USD 180 million.

Defenders of the model argue this is not weakness but discipline. Capital tied up in steel and concrete earns a telco nothing extra. Released, it can fund fintech, 5G spectrum and dividends, while the infrastructure companies raise their own money at better multiples.

Sceptics counter that a telco without assets is a marketing operation with a network attached, permanently exposed to rent escalations negotiated by landlords it once owned, and that the premium being paid for AI infrastructure today may not survive the cycle.

Ooredoo is 68% owned by Qatari state-related entities. So. this is also sovereign strategy, an attempt to make Doha a regional connectivity powerhouse rather than a national operator. The break-up will probably create value on paper, and quickly.

Whether the phone company at the centre of it thrives as a capital-light service brand, or slowly discovers it sold the family silver to buy back cutlery, is the question the next few years of rent invoices will answer.

The post The Great Ooredoo Break-Up and the Price of Owning the Pipes appeared first on International Finance.

As per the data issued by the Real Estate Registration Department at the Ministry of Justice, Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah municipalities were the most active in terms of financial value. Doha Municipality recorded the highest value of real estate transactions at QR640.140 million during the month, accounting for the largest share of the market in financial terms.

“Al Rayyan Municipality followed closely with property deals worth QR418.378 million, while Al Wakrah Municipality ranked third with transactions valued at QR236.184 million. Together, the three municipalities accounted for the overwhelming majority of the month’s total transaction value, highlighting their continued importance as Qatar’s principal real estate markets,” the Department noted.

In terms of sales activity, Doha and Al Rayyan led all municipalities by recording 25% of the total number of properties sold during June. This was followed by Al Wakrah (20%) and then Al Dhaayen (9%).

As per the department’s estimates, the figures indicate sustained demand for residential, commercial and investment properties across the Gulf nation’s fastest-growing urban centres.

The market index also measured activity based on the total area of land traded. Al Rayyan maintained a commanding lead, representing 34% of the overall transaction area during the month. Doha followed with 21%, while Al Wakrah accounted for 20% of the total area traded.

The department’s report also highlighted the concentration of high-value transactions during June. Of the ten most valuable properties sold during the month, five were located in Doha Municipality, three in Al Rayyan and one property in each of the municipalities of Al Dhaayen and Umm Slal.

“Average building prices also varied considerably across municipalities. In Doha the average price reached QR925 per square foot. Al Daayen followed at QR550 per square foot, reflecting increasing demand in the municipality. Al Wakrah recorded an average of QR424 per square foot, while Umm Slal stood at QR453,” the Department said.

“The average price for buildings reached QR442 per square foot in Al Rayyan, QR332 in Al Khor and Dhakira, QR256 in Al Shamal and 262 in Al Sheehaniya during the reporting period,” it added further.

Vacant land prices showed a similar pattern, with Doha leading at an average of QR499 per square foot. Al Rayyan recorded an average of QR367, followed by Al Daayen at QR351. Average land prices reached QR348 in Umm Slal, QR242 in Al Wakrah, QR260 in Al Khor and Dhakira, and QR161 in Al Shamal, reflecting variations in demand, location and development potential across municipalities.

Qatar’s real estate sector has remained a vibrant one, with construction activities rapidly spreading across both established and emerging municipalities. Doha continues to command the highest transaction values, driven by its concentration of commercial developments and premium residential properties.

The post Qatar’s real estate deals touch USD 464 million mark, Doha tops the chart appeared first on International Finance.

That assumption has been tested more severely in 2026 than at any point in recent memory, and the Gulf’s response is now visible in trucks, pipelines and ports rather than just in policy papers.

In the second week of July, Dubai-based DP World added 700 lorries to its regional fleet, a move that will support up to 35,000 additional trips a month across the GCC.

The company said the fleet would serve first, middle and last-mile logistics, covering both containerised and non-containerised cargo, and that it forms part of a wider effort to build bonded, customs-controlled road corridors linking east coast gateways directly to Jebel Ali Port.

DP World’s logistics chief for the GCC, Raveen Guliani, framed it as a response to what customers now demand. He claims they need certainty and reliability in a region where the sea route can no longer be taken for granted.

That single announcement is a small piece of a much larger shift. Since fighting between the United States and Iran erupted in February and repeatedly flared since, Gulf states and the companies operating within them have moved from treating Hormuz contingency planning as an occasional exercise to treating it as core infrastructure strategy.

The question now being asked in boardrooms from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi is not whether to reduce dependence on the strait, but how far that dependence can realistically be cut, and how quickly.

A war that keeps reopening the wound
The scale of the disruption explains the urgency. Iran’s closure of Hormuz to non-Iranian vessels forced Gulf producers to shut in as much as 12 million barrels per day of oil at the peak of the crisis. Iraqi output collapsed from around 4.3 million barrels a day to under 1.5 million in May.

Kuwait declared force majeure. Bahrain’s Sitra refinery was struck repeatedly. A ceasefire framework reached in June briefly restored some shipping, but it has proved fragile.

Strikes and counter-strikes resumed in July, tankers were hit inside the strait, and daily transits have fallen from around 135 ships before the war to fewer than 40 in recent weeks, according to shipping data cited in regional reporting.

Washington has since said it will reimpose a naval blockade of Iranian ports and floated the idea of tolls (20% transit fee) for “safe passage” of ships through the strait, a proposal Tehran has publicly haggled over rather than rejected outright.

As per the latest updates, the Donald Trump administration has dropped the idea, pursuing instead trade and investment agreements with Gulf states.

Every time the waterway closes or comes under threat, the economic cost lands immediately on Gulf exporters and on global energy and shipping prices. That repeated shock, rather than any single event, is what has pushed the region towards what might be called a “Hormuz Plus One” strategy.

The idea is to keep using the strait when it is open, but build enough parallel capacity on land and along the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman coasts that a closure no longer means an economic stop.

Saudi Arabia’s pipeline bet
Saudi Arabia’s answer predates the current war by more than four decades. The East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline, was built in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq war specifically to move crude from the Kingdom’s eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu without touching Hormuz.

It has proved its worth this year with Aramco pushing the line to its full capacity of seven million barrels a day within days of the first strikes, and Yanbu exports reaching around five million barrels a day since.

That capacity, however, only partly offsets what Hormuz can carry. Roughly 15 million barrels a day of crude used to move through the strait before the war, meaning even a maxed-out Petroline covers well under half of that flow.

This is why Riyadh is reportedly in preliminary talks to expand the pipeline’s capacity by a further one to two million barrels a day, according to sources cited by Reuters, potentially with a smaller secondary line dedicated to refined products.

The project would take years and cost billions, and would require changes to how Saudi crude is priced for international buyers.

Crucially, the Kingdom is also discussing whether the expanded system could carry crude on behalf of neighbours who have no pipeline options of their own, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar among them. Kuwait’s state oil company has confirmed talks are under way with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to find space for its barrels.

The UAE goes further, and faster
If Saudi Arabia’s approach is decades-old infrastructure being stretched, the UAE’s is a newer and broader build-out. Abu Dhabi’s existing Habshan-Fujairah pipeline already carries up to 1.8 million barrels a day of crude to the Gulf of Oman coast, bypassing Hormuz entirely. ADNOC is fast-tracking a second pipeline along the same route, reportedly around half complete, aimed at doubling that capacity by 2027.

What is more striking is that the UAE strategy has moved well beyond oil. With container traffic at Jebel Ali, Dubai’s flagship port and one of the world’s largest, having fallen by as much as 95% at the height of the Strait’s closure, DP World is now in talks to build an entirely new multipurpose port and container terminal at Fujairah, on the Gulf of Oman coast, according to reporting by the Financial Times. Cargo landed there would move onward to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other commercial centres by road, dovetailing directly with the kind of trucking capacity DP World has just expanded.

Parallel expansion is under way at Khor Fakkan, where Sharjah-based Gulftainer has committed roughly two billion dollars to grow capacity, and at Dibba, with UAE officials scoping out at least one further harbour along the same coastline.

The government’s own language leaves little ambiguity about intent. UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi has said the country is aiming for “Zero Hormuz Dependency,” regardless of whether the Strait remains open. New rail links, roads and pipelines are being built to connect these eastern ports and fields to the country’s population and industrial centres, an implicit acknowledgement that ports alone cannot absorb the shift without inland logistics to match.

Where the strategy runs into limits
Even so, “Hormuz Plus One” is not the same as “Hormuz Optional.” Analysts note that the conflict has focused regional minds on the risks of relying on a single chokepoint, but the physics of oil and gas infrastructure impose hard limits on how far that reliance can fall. Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar have no pipelines of their own and depend entirely on Saudi or Emirati goodwill and spare capacity.

Iraq’s northern pipeline to Turkey remains dogged by disputes and runs well below its potential.

Qatar’s economy rests overwhelmingly on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which cannot simply be piped overland in the way crude can; Doha is examining several alternatives, including routing through Saudi territory, but none offers anything close to a full substitute for seaborne LNG carriers transiting Hormuz.

Containerised trade faces its own version of this problem. Trucking and rail can absorb meaningful volumes, DP World’s overland corridors have already moved more than 350,000 twenty-foot equivalent units since the disruption began, but that is a fraction of the more than 15 million containers Jebel Ali alone handles in a normal year.

Road networks, customs posts and warehousing in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Dibba are already under visible strain from the diversion so far, with weekly container movements through Khor Fakkan rising roughly eightfold and daily truck traffic climbing from around 100 vehicles to close to 8,500.

A structural shift, not a full escape
What is emerging, then, is not an exit from Hormuz but a hedge against it. Saudi Arabia’s pipeline expansion and the UAE’s port and pipeline build-out will, over the next two to three years, meaningfully raise the volume of oil that can move without touching the strait, and DP World’s road and rail investments will do the same for containerised goods.

Together, these efforts could shave a serious portion off the economic damage of any future closure, particularly for crude oil, where physical bypass infrastructure already exists and is being expanded.

But total independence from Hormuz remains out of reach for the foreseeable future, especially for gas, for smaller Gulf states without their own pipelines, and for the sheer volume of containerised trade that still needs a deep-water port inside the strait to function efficiently.

The Gulf is not abandoning Hormuz. It is building a costly, overlapping insurance policy around it, one truck, pipeline and port terminal at a time, in the hope that the next time tensions flare near Bandar Abbas, the region’s economies will not have to hold their breath quite so completely.

The post Hormuz Plus One: Gulf Rewires trade around its riskiest chokepoint appeared first on International Finance.

Mwani Qatar, the integrated logistics services provider responsible for managing the Gulf nation’s seaports and shipping terminals, stated, “Qatar ports welcomed 121 vessels in June 2026, marking a 21% growth compared to last May. Additionally, the ports handled over 78,000 TEUs, up 13%, nearly 23,000 tons of general cargo, and over 67,000 tons of bulk cargo, a 40% increase from the previous month.”

“The three ports handled 78,002 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) containers, 23,092 tonnes of general cargo, 67,371 tonnes of bulk cargo, and 7,264 heads of livestock. Positioned strategically and supported by a rapidly expanding shipping network, the ports enable seamless and secure cargo flow and transshipment operations,” it added further.

The latest figures augur well for Qatar’s economy, which took a solid hit from the recently concluded Iran war, with the facilities producing LNG, the Gulf major’s key economic driver, receiving severe hits from Iranian missiles and drones. By boosting customer experience, Mwani Qatar is consolidating its role as the main growth engine of the nation’s integrated logistics sector.

“Advanced technology and modern operational capabilities have enabled Mwani Qatar to further strengthen marine safety and streamline port operations, with the organization delivering a comprehensive range of services designed to ensure the safe and efficient movement of vessels throughout Qatar’s maritime network,” the organization remarked.

Until the lead-up to the Iran war, Mwani Qatar had solidified its position as a fundamental pillar of economic diversification in Qatar and a vital link in the global supply chain. The year 2025 was characterized by the organization as the one where it showed steadfast commitment to operational efficiency, digital innovation, and sustainable growth, in alignment with the goals of the “Qatar National Vision 2030.”

“By achieving record handling rates and increasing Hamad Port’s share of regional trade, Mwani continues to fulfill the Ministry of Transport’s strategic plan to transform Qatar into a vital commercial and logistical hub in the region. By providing world-class competitive services, it supports the non-oil sector and contributes to turning the country’s national vision into a tangible reality,” the authority reiterated.

Recently, in a strong validation of Mwani’s industry-defining leadership, Hamad Port, Qatar’s main gateway to world trade, climbed three spots to rank eighth globally and second in the Gulf region in the 2025 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI), developed by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.

This achievement reflects the port’s high operational efficiency and its capacity to maintain superior performance and resilience despite geopolitical disruptions and shifts in global trade and supply chains. The upbeat ranking also validates Qatar’s position as the Gulf region’s principal maritime gateway, with the country’s ports quickly emerging as upcoming integrated trade and logistical hubs.

“The CPPI is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive assessments of container port performance worldwide. Developed using extensive operational data, the index evaluates ports primarily on vessel turnaround times, the time required for ships to complete loading and unloading operations. The metric serves as a key indicator of efficiency, reliability, and the overall quality of port services. Hamad Port’s improved standing demonstrates its capacity to sustain superior operational performance in an increasingly challenging global environment. The ranking also underscores the port’s emergence as a major regional logistics hub,” Mwani said.

While Qatar’s key trade hubs and integrated logistics ecosystem remain resilient against the fallouts of the Iran war, the country is looking to resume its usual levels of LNG production “within a few weeks,” said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani while interacting with the Financial Times (FT).

For the government, restoring output has emerged as a top priority following months of disruption caused by the volatile geopolitics. The blast at QatarEnergy’s Barzan gas processing facility, which happened due to a technical malfunction and ended up killing 13 people and injuring 66, has raised fresh questions over both the pace of the country’s energy sector recovery and safety.

Iranian missile and drone attacks knocked out 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity in March. Two of the country’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids facilities were severely damaged. QatarEnergy had already suspended LNG production at Ras Laffan on 28th February after the outbreak of hostilities between the US, Israel, and Iran, following a drone attack on the industrial complex.

The disruption tightened helium markets after LNG production was halted at Ras Laffan, a key source of crude helium supply. The Gulf major accounts for around 30% of the world’s helium production capacity, with more than 80% of its output recovered as a by-product of LNG processing at the Helium 1 and Helium 2 facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that accounts for around 20% of global LNG trade and serves as the export route for almost all of Qatar’s LNG shipments, hurt the country’s economy further.

While LNG tankers have begun transiting the strait again following an interim US-Iran peace agreement, reached on 15th June, shipping activity has remained below pre-conflict levels.

The post Qatar’s logistics activities remain strong as Gulf major eyes comeback at LNG front appeared first on International Finance.

“Hamad Port’s continued ascent comes despite a period marked by geopolitical tension, shipping disruption, and rising pressure on global transport networks — and underlines Qatar’s growing influence in international logistics and maritime trade,” CPPI noted.

“The achievement reflects years of sustained investment in infrastructure, digitalization, and operational excellence. It also points to the port’s ability to sustain productivity and reliability while many international ports continue to grapple with congestion, delays, and rising operating costs,” it added further.

Since its inauguration in September 2017, Hamad Port has become a cornerstone of Qatar’s economic and trade strategy, serving as the Gulf country’s principal maritime gateway and a key driver of supply-chain resilience.

“More than 95% of Qatar’s seaborne imports now pass through the facility, making it one of the Gulf region’s most strategically significant logistics assets. Hamad Port handles everything from food products and construction materials to industrial equipment and consumer goods, supporting both Qatar’s domestic activity and broader development goals,” reported the Gulf Times.

“The port’s success is closely tied to its advanced infrastructure and substantial capacity. Built to accommodate some of the world’s largest container vessels, it has an annual handling capacity of around 7.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), alongside the capability to process general cargo, livestock, vehicles, and bulk commodities. Its position along major shipping routes further strengthens its appeal as a regional transhipment and distribution hub linking Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East,” CPPI noted.

As per the CPPI, operational efficiency has been central to the improved ranking, with recent indicators pointing to faster vessel turnaround and quicker cargo processing, allowing vessels to spend less time at berth and return to service sooner.

“Faster loading and unloading cut costs for shipping lines and sharpen the competitiveness of supply chains linked to Qatar — an advantage that has grown in importance as operators seek to offset disruption across major trade corridors and maritime chokepoints,” World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence noted further.

Qatar has also been investing heavily on the technology front in terms of keeping Hamad Port cutting-edge. Advanced port-management systems, automated processes, and integrated customs and logistics platforms have streamlined cargo clearance and improved coordination among stakeholders, resulting in faster cargo movement, greater transparency, and better service for importers, exporters, and shipping lines.

“The ranking also reflects the port’s resilience amid evolving geopolitical and economic headwinds. Global maritime trade has faced considerable uncertainty in recent years, from regional conflict and supply-chain shocks to inflation and shifting trade patterns. Yet Hamad Port has maintained operational continuity and high service standards, reinforcing confidence among international shipping companies and global logistics operators,” CPPI noted.

The port has continued to advance Qatar’s economic diversification agenda by supporting the expansion of non-hydrocarbon sectors through measures like facilitating trade, attracting investment, and deepening connectivity with global markets. Hamad Port also acts as a catalyst for industrial growth, giving manufacturing and construction sectors, along with export-oriented industries, efficient access to global supply chains.

The post CPPI rankings: Qatar’s Hamad Port jumps into the world’s top eight appeared first on International Finance.

According to data released by Mwani Qatar, the country’s ports handled more than 73,173 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in May, representing a remarkable 44% month-on-month increase. The strong rise in container traffic also reflects growing import and export activity, increased transshipment operations, and the continued expansion of maritime trade through the Middle East nation’s strategic gateways.

Qatar’s three main ports—Hamad Port, Doha Port, and Al-Ruwais Port—stepped up in terms of supporting the maritime sector’s operational resilience. Through these critical hubs, Qatar has been connected with major international shipping routes and more than 100 global destinations.

While bulk cargo volumes exceeded 48,077 tonnes, highlighting increased demand for raw materials and industrial commodities required to support Qatar’s economic and infrastructure activities, general cargo handling reached 2,488 tonnes, reflecting the steady movement of diverse commercial goods through the nation’s maritime gateways.

“Qatar’s ports processed around 20,070 heads of livestock during the same period. Such a constant flow of livestock imports has been playing a vital role in strengthening the nation’s food security strategy and ensuring stable supplies to the local market, particularly amid growing consumer demand, especially during the recent Eid holidays,” Mwani noted.

Vessel traffic too demonstrated positive momentum, as a total of 100 ships called at Qatar’s ports in May, marking an 8% increase compared with April 2026, indicating a growing confidence among international shipping lines in Qatar’s port infrastructure, operational efficiency, and logistics capabilities.

“May’s results represent a significant improvement over the previous month’s performance, when Qatar’s ports handled 50,738 TEUs, 8,600 tonnes of bulk cargo, 9,379 heads of livestock, and 93 vessels. The month-on-month gains clearly show accelerating trade activity and stronger cargo flows across multiple sectors,” Mwani stated further.

Talking about Qatar’s maritime sector, it has been the steady beneficiary of sustained investments in arenas like advanced port infrastructure, digital logistics solutions, and expanded shipping connectivity. Hamad Port, for example, has strengthened its position as one of the region’s leading maritime hubs, handling approximately 1.44 million TEUs during 2025, apart from serving as a key transshipment center for regional and international trade.

In Q1 2026, Qatar’s ports handled more than 291,000 TEUs, over 237,000 tonnes of general cargo, and around 200,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. The latest data only confirms the sector’s preparedness for another year of sustained capacity expansion. Linking Asia, Europe, Africa, and the wider Gulf region, Qatar’s strategic geographical position has made it a candidate for becoming the next logistics and maritime gateway.

The post Qatar’s maritime trade expands in May, maintains its upward course appeared first on International Finance.

The conflict between US-Israel and Iran, which began on February 28, has sent oil prices skyrocketing as much as 65%, with some energy production fields in the Middle East shutting down their activities after the Strait of Hormuz, that sees the passage of the 20%–25% of the world’s total seaborne oil and over 20% of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, has been effectively closed, with Tehran using the marine chokepoint as a geopolitical leverage. Chevron’s upstream fourth-quarter 2025 earnings were USD 3.04 billion.

“Timing effects ⁠tied to hedging and accounting would weigh on first‑quarter results, cutting earnings and operating cash flow excluding working capital by USD 2.7 billion ⁠to USD 3.7 billion after tax, mainly downstream, though the impact is expected to reverse over time,” Exxon noted.

According to the LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) data, Benchmark Brent crude prices averaged USD 78.38 per barrel during the first quarter, up 24% from the previous three months.

As per Chevron’s latest estimates, net oil-equivalent production is expected to average 3.8 million to 3.9 million barrels per day, with volumes affected by downtime at Kazakhstan’s Tengizchevroil project and reduced output in parts of the Middle East.

Chevron’s rival, Exxon Mobil, too, is expecting a mixed bag from the Middle East crisis. While earnings in its upstream business could get a lift of about USD 1.4 billion compared with the Q4 2025, driven by higher oil prices, overall earnings could decline as a multi‑billion‑dollar hit ⁠related to financial hedging was expected, due to the Iran war.

Exxon estimates that disruptions to its UAE and Qatar assets will lower its global oil-equivalent production by 6% in the first quarter compared to Q4 2025, but higher commodity prices may provide a profit lift between USD 2.1 billion and USD 2.9 billion compared to the previous quarter. Iran’s missile attacks in Qatar impacted two LNG trains, which represented roughly 3% of Exxon’s 2025 upstream production.

The post Chevron, Exxon expect windfall due to higher crude prices appeared first on International Finance.

According to Qatar Central Bank’s data, the Sukuk’s maturity periods varied as follows: QR1.5 billion (an addition to an existing issuance) with a maturity date of January 16, 2029, and a yield of 4.5%, and QR1.5 billion (an addition to an existing issuance) with a maturity date of August 24, 2030, and a yield of 4.5%.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the bank clarified that total bids for the Sukuk reached approximately QR8 billion. The central financial institution also unveiled support measures for banks in response to Iranian attacks that severely weakened the Gulf’s third-largest economy.

The central bank will now offer unlimited local currency repurchase facilities against eligible securities held by local banks in order to ensure deep liquidity in the local market. This new facility offers maturities of up to three months, enabling Qatari banks to manage cash flow with greater certainty amid the ongoing volatility.

The industry’s senior executives, while interacting with The Banker, also said that Qatar Central Bank would reduce the reserve requirement on deposits from 4.5% to 3.5%, releasing further liquidity into the system. The central bank has been quizzing lenders about their liquidity in past weeks.

Qatar’s economy has been among the worst affected by the ongoing Middle East conflict. An attack from Iran on the Gulf country’s Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) production hub knocked out 17% of the nation’s energy export capacity, in addition to creating an estimated annual revenue loss worth USD 20 billion, which may span for the next three to five years.

However, Qatar Central Bank has been proactive in ensuring the banking and finance industry doesn’t feel the heat. It has already permitted banks to offer borrowers the option to defer loan principal and interest payments for a period of up to three months, in accordance with lenders’ existing internal policies and supervisory guidance.

Analysis from S&P Global Ratings projected Qatar and Bahrain as the most vulnerable in the Gulf region to external outflows of foreign and local funding. However, for Qatar, the government has a proven record of supporting both the Islamic banking and the wider finance sector.

“Liquidity continues to be strong, capital levels significantly exceed regulatory requirements, and provisioning provides strong coverage against credit risk. Banks continue to hold substantial liquidity in both domestic and foreign currency, and resources are sufficient to meet customer demand, support normal market activity, and meet any short-term funding pressures under stressed conditions,” QCB said while reacting to the S&P report.

The post QCB issues government Ijara Sukuk, maintains Qatar’s banking resilience appeared first on International Finance.

“We predict that Qatar’s North Field Expansion project will boost LNG production by roughly 32% by 2027 and contribute to stronger real GDP growth of an average of 5% in 2026-2028, up from 2.7% growth in 2024-2025,” the report stated.

“Government revenue and the non-hydrocarbon economy are expected to benefit from increased LNG production. But we anticipate lending growth to stay at about 4% to 5%,” S&P Global Ratings noted.

High-risk cyclical industries, such as real estate, real estate rental services, hotels, contractors, commercial agencies and investment firms have seen a comparatively concentrated increase in lending in recent years. These industries make up somewhat less than half of all domestic loans.

The real estate market in Qatar is making a modest comeback. According to data released by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority, the total number of properties and units sold in 2025 rose by almost 51% year over year. Strong demand in the residential housing market in strategic Doha neighbourhoods was the primary cause of this. Regulatory changes like the new “Qatar Residency by Investment” programme, which grants long-term residency to foreigners who make commercial or real estate investments, help to sustain the current recovery.

In the first three quarters of 2025, the hotel business gradually recovered, with tourist arrivals up 2% year over year, mostly from Gulf nations. According to the S&P Global Ratings report, “We expect the estimated systemwide average non-performing loan ratio to decline to about 3.4% in 2026-2027, down from an estimated 3.7% in 2024-2025, supported by the stable asset quality of the two largest banks, the Qatar National Bank (QNB) and Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB).”

The report concluded, “We anticipate that the number of new non-performing loans will be low while the real estate industry continues to function better. However, several mid-sized banks will have substantial Stage 2 loan risk due to historical real estate holdings.”

There is also an anticipation that a mix of recoveries and write-offs, as well as interest rate reductions and precautionary provisions booked during the previous several years, will help stabilise asset quality. According to our estimates, the systemwide coverage ratio was around 128% as of September 30, 2025, and it will continue to be higher than 100% in 2026-2027.

The post Qatar’s banking sector to remain robust in 2026: S&P Global Ratings appeared first on International Finance.

As per the NPC data, real GDP estimates for Q3 2025 reached QAR 186.1 billion at constant prices, compared with QAR 180.9 billion in the third quarter of 2024.

“Non-hydrocarbon activities accounted for 65.5% of real GDP, with value added reaching QAR 121.9 billion in the third quarter of 2025, compared to QAR 116.8 billion in the same period of 2024. This represents a year-on-year increase of 4.4%, in line with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) and Qatar National Vision 2030,” the report noted.

Within Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon economy, the fastest-growing activity on a year-on-year basis was construction (9.1%), followed by wholesale and retail trade and repair of vehicles (8.9%), and accommodation and food service activities (6.4%). The expansion reflected rising domestic demand, increased visitor activity, and the continued rollout of infrastructure and public-sector projects, with positive spillover effects across services and trade.

Secretary General of NPC, HE Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, dubbed these numbers as trends reflecting “the resilience of the Qatari economy and the continuity of the path of economic diversification, as it achieves real growth driven by the strong performance of non-hydrocarbon activities.”

“This performance underscores the success of economic and development policies in enhancing the contribution of productive and service sectors, in line with the targets of the Third National Development Strategy and strengthens the national economy’s ability to achieve sustainable and balanced growth over the medium and long term,” the official stated.

Overall, NPC’s data noted 15 out of 17 economic activities recording positive real growth in the third quarter of 2025, demonstrating the resilience of the Gulf country’s overall economic base.

Talking about Qatar’s non-oil sectors turbocharging its GDP growth, the logistics sector emerged as another powerful driver, supported by rising trade volumes, expanding transshipment activity, and sustained investment in port infrastructure. Hamad Port, at the same time, played a central role in the Gulf country’s development ambitions by elevating the country’s position within regional and global supply chains.

The facility has transitioned from a national gateway into a multi-functional logistics platform, enabling higher-value activities such as re-exports, regional redistribution, and integrated logistics services. According to the 2024 Container Port Performance Index, jointly published by the World Bank and S&P Global, Hamad Port was ranked among the highest-performing container ports worldwide, while also holding the top position in the Gulf region, reflecting strong operational efficiency and advanced infrastructure.

As per Mwani Qatar, the authority controlling the Gulf nation’s seaports and shipping terminals, transshipment volumes accounted for nearly 50% of total container throughput between January and November 2025, signalling a significant shift in the port’s cargo profile.

According to logistics analysts, this growth reflects Qatar’s geographic position along major east–west shipping routes, combined with targeted investment in automation, digital platforms, and streamlined customs procedures. These measures also helped shipping lines reduce turnaround times and optimise operating costs, strengthening Doha’s appeal as a regional calling point.

“Hamad Port has shifted from being primarily a national gateway to a regional logistics platform. Its efficiency, connectivity, and capacity allow Qatar to capture higher-value activities such as transshipment and integrated logistics services,” logistics analyst Uwais Rahman told Logistics Middle East.

The expansion of port-led logistics activity has further improved non-hydrocarbon exports, along with sectors like manufacturing, construction, and e-commerce, while reinforcing supply chain resilience against external disruptions.

The post Qatar’s Q3 2025 GDP grows 2.9% as logistics sector booms appeared first on International Finance.