Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani, governor of the Qatar Central Bank, talks to Kit Gillet about enduring the economic blockade and the country’s growing Islamic finance industry.

Blockaded by several influential Arab countries since June 2017, Qatari banks have had to cope with ratings downgrades and an outflow of deposits. However, as Kit Gillet reports, they are still posting impressive profits and seem unfazed by such geopolitical unrest.

A year since four of its neighbours severed economic ties with Qatar, the country has unexpectedly found that the new economic circumstances have resulted in an accelerated programme of reforms. Kit Gillet reports.

Joseph Abraham joined Qatar’s Commercial Bank as group CEO in 2016, after eight years as CEO of ANZ Indonesia, arriving at a time of low oil prices and regional tension. He tells Kit Gillet about efforts to refocus the bank, as well as finding opportunities in adversity.

Low oil prices have dented Qatar's economic success story of late but its banks are thriving. Some are looking to domestic consolidation for the next phase of  growth, others to foreign acquisitions, while a deal that will create the region’s biggest Islamic bank is in the pipeline. Kit Gillet reports. 

Qatar’s economy is already feeling the benefits from being crowned host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Can the country’s non-hydrocarbon growth assist in maintaining the upward trajectory? Kit Gillet reports.

Qatar Central Bank governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani believes good management has afforded the country's banking sector some protection in a challenging economic environment. Kit Gillet reports.

As the Qatari economy begins to slow on the back of decreasing oil prices, liquidity in the country's banking system is feeling the squeeze. Ratings agencies have responded with downgrades, yet recent results are healthy as banks pursue new sources of growth. 

Qatar is expected to post its first budget deficit in 15 years in 2016, exemplifying the difficulties faced by the oil-dependent economy. But, far from buckling under the pressure, the country is stepping up to the challenge of diversifying its economy and reining in public spending, as Kit Gillet reports.

Low oil prices could have hit Qatar's economy hard, but early action from the government appears to have shielded it from the worst of the impact. The country's central bank governor, Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani, tells Kit Gillet about how these changes and future plans will protect and strengthen the country's banking sector.