Qatar
Qatar launches m-payment scheme
Qatar Central Bank licenses two telecoms providers to offer mobile payment services; move makes it first in region to operate scheme
Gulf markets integrated enough for monetary union
IMF economists’ work indicates stage set for single-currency project
Thorpe on setting up a single regulatory authority in Qatar
Justin Keay speaks with the head of the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority about Qatar’s move to a single regulatory authority and the plans to roll western-style regulation across the whole country
Riyadh to host regional central bank
Saudi Arabia's capital has been named as the location for the Gulf's regional central bank, after an eight-month delay.
Qatar takes stake in Credit Suisse
The Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, has bought a stake in Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank.
Qatar Central Bank - Annual Report 2007
Qatar's state budget realised a surplus for the seventh-straight year in 2006, the central bank's latest Annual Report reveals.
GCC governors back regional CB plans
Central bank governors in the gulf have taken a significant step towards monetary union, backing the creation of a regional central bank.
Fund warns Gulf countries on inflation
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with currencies pegged to the greenback will face a tough battle against inflation, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.
Qatar confirms SWF partnership with Abu Dhabi
A senior official at Qatar's sovereign wealth fund has said that it will make a series of joint investments with one of Abu Dhabi's four state-run investment vehicles.
Sovereign wealth fund round-up
The creation of a much-mooted code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds edged closer this week after the European Commission submitted its ideas to the region's finance ministers for review in mid-March.
Qatar SWF to invest up to $15 billion in banks
The Qatar Investment Authority will spend between $10 billion and $15 billion buying up stakes in banks, the head of the sovereign wealth fund has revealed.
SWF round-up
The march of sovereign wealth funds on Western financial institutions continued this week with the announcement the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will buy a stake in Credit Suisse, a Swiss bank.
Gulf reserves set to top $2 trillion
If global oil prices remain high, foreign exchange reserves in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will exceed $2 trillion by the end of this year.
Near-record inflation forces Oman to limit lending
The Central Bank of Oman upped banks' reserve requirement ratio on Sunday in a bid to curb rampant inflation.
Qatar Central Bank - Annual Report 2005
The Qatari economy rocketed by an impressive 33.8% in 2005, boosted by the oil and gas sector, which expanded by 46.3%.
Qatar may not track Fed moves
In comments that throw the future of a currency union in the Gulf in further doubt, the governor of the Qatari central bank has suggested the central bank could deviate from its usual practice of shadowing the Fed's monetary policy decisions.
Qatar to keep riyal pegged to dollar
Abdullah al-Thani, the governor of the Qatar Central Bank, said that the riyal would remain pegged to the US dollar on Tuesday.
Interim board for new Qatari watchdog by December
Qatar's finance ministry will appoint an interim board to manage the proposed single financial sector regulator by December this year.
New regulator for Qatar
Qatar is to follow the international trend towards an integrated approach to the regulation of various financial products, services and institutions. Work is under way to create a fully-integrated regulatory and legal environment for financial services.
No policy shift for currency, says UAE governor
Investors expecting the dollar-pegged dirhan to appreciate received a strong message yesterday from the governor of the United Arab Emirates central bank, Sultan Nasser Al Suwedi, who said "We rule out any change for the forseeable future".
Syria to abandon dollar peg in July
The governor of Syria's central bank, Adib Mayelah, announced that the country will abandon the Syrian pound 's peg to the dollar in an effort to stem rising costs and inflation.
Qatar cb focusing on transparency
Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB), said Tuesday 8 May that the QCB will give high priority to strengthening good corporate governance, transparency and accountability in the financial sector.
Qatar considers single financial regulator
According to a recent article published by the Gulf Times, 'Doha mulls UK-style single regulator', Qatar is considering a single financial regulator along the lines of the UK as part of its efforts to form an umbrella organisation.
BNM's Zeti at the INCEIF Strategic Partnership
In welcoming remarks at the INCEIF Strategic Partnership 2006 given on 14 December Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz of the Bank Negara Malaysia said one of the strategic steps that INCEIF has initiated is the forging into strategic alliances with the five takaful…