Doha, February 16 (QNA) - Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) today announced the successful listing of QNB Group's bonds, representing the largest Qatari riyal–denominated bond issuance in the history of the local market.

A new milestone underscoring the rapid development of Qatar's debt capital market and QNB Group's continued leadership in local currency funding.

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 QAR 1 billion, with a one-year tenor and an annual coupon rate of 4 percent.

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, Chief Executive Officer of QSE 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."

He added that "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."

Al Ansari said 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.

For his part, QNB Group Chief Executive Officer, Abdulla Mubarak Al Khalifa, commented: "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."

The listing of QNB's bonds follows a series of notable developments in QSE's debt market in recent years, including the listing of the first corporate bonds, the first Islamic sukuk, the first sustainable bonds, and the first green sukuk, culminating in the listing of the largest Qatari riyal–denominated bond issuance in the market's history.

These developments highlight QSE's commitment to deepening the market and enhancing product diversification to meet the needs of both local and international investors.

The listing represents a qualitative addition to Qatar's capital market, contributing to the deepening of the domestic debt market and enhancing liquidity in local currency instruments. It also supports the development of a benchmark yield curve, improving pricing efficiency for future issuances.

For investors, the listing offers a short-term investment instrument with clear returns within a regulated and transparent framework, supporting portfolio diversification and efficient liquidity management.

At the broader ecosystem level, the transaction demonstrates the market's ability to accommodate large-scale issuances and attract a diversified base of international investors, reinforcing QSE's role as an integrated platform for capital formation in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the objectives of financial sector development.

At the financial ecosystem level, the listing enables issuers to access a sophisticated domestic market capable of attracting international capital into local currency instruments, enhancing funding flexibility and long-term sustainability. For investors, the issuance provides a transparent and tradable short-term instrument within a regulated market environment, supporting effective liquidity management and portfolio diversification.

In its press statement, Qatar Stock Exchange reaffirmed its commitment to continuing its collaboration with regulators and issuers to further develop the debt market and enhance the attractiveness of the local market, supporting Qatar's position as a leading regional hub for capital markets. (QNA)