Qatar Stock Exchange Reviews 2025 and Sets Its Course for 2026

What changed in your business over the past year and what was your biggest achievement? 

The past year represented a significant period of transition and progress for Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE). One of the most important developments was the completion of a new five-year strategy that sets the direction for the Exchange’s future and clearly aligns its ambitions with the Third National Development Strategy and the Third Financial Sector Strategy. This alignment reflects our commitment to ensuring that capital-market development plays a central role in supporting Qatar’s broader transformation toward a more diversified and knowledge-based economy. This strategic work translated into impactful outcomes across the year.  

The year witnessed Qatar’s first fully marketed secondary offering, in partnership with Ooredoo, which expanded its free float and contributed to improved liquidity and shareholder participation. We also supported the establishment of a USD 200 million investment fund backed by Qatar Investment Authority and Fiera Capital, designed to enhance liquidity and broaden investor participation.  

Over the past year, one of our most meaningful shifts has been the expansion and maturation of Qatar Stock Exchange beyond a purely equity-centric market into a more diversified, multi-asset platform. A key achievement in this regard was the successful listing of Qatar’s first corporate bond, a QAR 500 million issuance by Ahlibank, which marked an important milestone in developing the domestic fixed-income market and providing investors with new tools for portfolio diversification. This was followed by the listing of the first Islamic Sukuk in the Exchange’s history, issued by Qatar International Islamic Bank, reinforcing our commitment to supporting Shariah-compliant finance and broadening access to long-term funding instruments aligned with investor demand. 

These developments reflect a deeper structural change in our business model - one that positions QSE as a comprehensive capital-markets platform capable of supporting different financing needs across economic cycles. By enabling both conventional and Islamic debt instruments alongside equities, we are strengthening the role of capital markets in funding growth, enhancing market resilience and attracting a wider spectrum of local, regional, and international investors. 

On the equity side, the listing of Mosanada Facility Management Services on the main market represented another important milestone, increasing the number of listed companies to 55 and further diversifying sector representation. Looking ahead, we see this momentum continuing into 2026, with a robust pipeline of planned listings, encompassing both new companies and additional bond and Sukuk issuances. This forward pipeline underscores our confidence in the market’s trajectory and reflects the growing willingness of issuers to view Qatar Stock Exchange as a primary venue for long-term capital formation. 

Collectively, these achievements demonstrate meaningful progress toward a more modern, diversified and competitive marketplace -  one equipped to meet the evolving needs of both issuers and investors. 

What is your most important project this year (regulatory or otherwise)? 

Our primary focus in 2026 is the execution of our new strategic plan and the delivery of the foundational initiatives that will shape the market for years to come. This includes advancing a comprehensive liquidity-enhancement agenda, refining market-making frameworks, strengthening securities-lending functionality and deepening the tools available to both institutional and retail investors. Product diversification also remains a core priority as we continue to expand the range of tradable instruments across equities, fixed income and Shariah-compliant products. 

A key component of this execution phase is our work with regulators and market stakeholders to streamline the IPO and listing process. The objective is to enhance efficiency and clarity across the listing journey while preserving robust governance and regulatory standards. By simplifying procedures, improving coordination, and reducing time-to-market for prospective issuers, we aim to make Qatar Stock Exchange an even more attractive and accessible venue for capital formation, supporting both private-sector growth and broader economic diversification. 

In parallel, we are advancing initiatives to strengthen governance, ESG integration, disclosure quality, and investor-relations practices among listed companies. Working closely with regulators, academic institutions, and global partners, we are supporting issuers in elevating transparency, sustainability reporting, and engagement with investors. This year therefore represents not an incremental step, but the beginning of a multi-year transformation focused on efficiency, competitiveness, and the long-term resilience of Qatar’s capital market. 

What are you most excited for in 2026? 

What I find most energising about the year ahead is the strong alignment between Qatar’s macroeconomic trajectory and the direction of its capital-market development. Despite a challenging global environment characterised by tightening liquidity and persistent volatility, Qatari listed companies delivered stable and resilient performance. This resilience has reinforced confidence among international investors and strengthened Qatar’s position as a stable and attractive investment destination. 

The role of QSE in this context is clear; we must ensure that the capital market can effectively mobilise capital, support corporate growth and provide investors with access to Qatar’s ongoing economic transformation. The convergence of economic strength, structural reform and forward-looking policy gives us a unique opportunity to accelerate market modernisation and long-term value creation. 

What are your biggest opportunities? 

The opportunities ahead for Qatar Stock Exchange span several interconnected areas. Product diversification remains a key driver of growth, with the continued development of ETFs and Sukuk markets, alongside a deeper and more diversified fixed-income ecosystem. These initiatives expand the range of investment tools available to investors, enhance portfolio diversification and risk management, and contribute to stronger liquidity and market depth. 

Another important opportunity lies in strengthening global investor connectivity. Through sustained engagement programmes and roadshows in leading financial centers such as London and New York, we have increased international awareness of the Qatari market. As market infrastructure continues to advance, transparency standards improve, and economic fundamentals remain robust, these relationships are expected to translate into higher participation from institutional and long-term international investors. 

Equally critical is the opportunity to empower retail investors through education and financial literacy, which we consider a cornerstone of sustainable capital-market development. Improving market access, enhancing transparency, and raising awareness of investment opportunities are central to our approach. QSE has therefore placed investor education at the core of its market-development efforts, with initiatives that include school and university outreach programmes, structured learning courses for young investors, internship schemes, and trading simulation programmes tailored for university students. These efforts are further strengthened through memoranda of understanding with leading academic institutions, ensuring that capital-market knowledge is embedded early and developed in a practical, applied manner. 

Finally, sustainability and digital transformation represent enduring growth opportunities. QSE’s active involvement in the UN SSE initiative underscores our commitment to advancing ESG practices, while ongoing modernisation programmes are creating a market environment capable of supporting innovation, including digital finance solutions. Together, these efforts position Qatar’s capital market to engage effectively with global trends while contributing to economic diversification, private-sector development, and the long-term objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. 

What do you see as the key themes and trends for your exchange and market infrastructure in 2026? 

Several themes will define our priorities in the coming year. Liquidity expansion and deeper market participation will remain essential, as will the diversification of products that meet the needs of both sophisticated institutional investors and an increasingly active retail segment. Digital transformation will play an even stronger role, with new infrastructure and analytics driving efficiency, transparency and innovation. 

Sustainability will continue to gain prominence as global asset managers integrate ESG into investment decisions. We expect to see stronger demand for sustainability-linked products and more advanced disclosure practices among issuers. 

By strengthening direct and regular engagement with investors, brokers, and market participants, while placing particular emphasis on youth and future investors, we aim to broaden market participation and advance financial literacy and investment awareness across society. Our approach is inclusive, reaching citizens and residents alike, and engaging students at schools, colleges, and universities to ensure early and balanced exposure to capital-market knowledge. This focus aligns closely with the priorities of the World Federation of Exchanges and the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative, particularly in addressing investment illiteracy, promoting responsible participation, and fostering a well-informed investor base that supports market stability and long-term growth. 

Foreign-investor participation is likely to increase further as Qatar’s economic fundamentals, governance frameworks and market modernisation efforts continue to mature. We also expect capital markets to play a growing role in supporting SMEs, privatisation initiatives and sectoral diversification—areas that are deeply aligned with national development objectives. 

---

Abdullah Mohammed Al Ansari serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), assuming the role on 16 March 2025. He brings more than16 years of experience in investments, asset management, and capital-market development, with a career rooted in advancing Qatar’s financial-sector capabilities and supporting broader economic diversification efforts. 

Prior to joining QSE, Al Ansari spent more than a decade at the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which he joined in 2011. He most recently held the position of Director of Qatar Funds from 2022 to 2025, where he was responsible for initiating, developing, and managing investment initiatives designed to strengthen the local economy and enhance stock-market liquidity. During his tenure, he led teams focused on market products, public assets, and private assets, contributing to strategic programmes that supported national investment priorities.