According to Qatar Central Bank’s 2025 Annual Report the central bank maintained confidence in the currency peg by cutting interest rates a total of 75 basis points with those reductions fully passing through to overnight interbank rates. The report outlined how proactive oversight forward-looking risk assessment expanded stress testing and intensified monitoring of geopolitical risks helped sustain resilience in the banking sector where capital and liquidity buffers stayed above required levels. A separate QCB financial stability review published in early August 2026 reported 5.1 percent growth in banking assets and 2.9 percent expansion in real GDP for the year.
The annual report placed official reserves at QAR 202.2 billion by December 2025 with the gold component increasing to 28.9 percent from 7.9 percent three years earlier and reserve coverage ratio reaching 995.4 percent. It attributed the changes to strategic management of the portfolio amid global economic shifts. Regulatory work during the period included the release of several circulars 15 onsite reviews covering eight banks and 84 special inspections the document detailed.
Qatar Central Bank leads 153 projects under the Third Financial Sector Strategy out of 283 total initiatives and has finalised 111 of those under its direct responsibility according to the report. The strategy covers multiple streams intended to advance the monetary financial and institutional environment. The QA-RTGS system processed 497,000 transactions valued at QAR 10.26 trillion in 2025 and incorporated a new service for foreign currency transfers in US dollars.
The FinTech segment saw 14 entities licensed 10 regulations issued more than 90 applications to the regulatory sandbox and six firms accepted into the programme the annual report showed. Capital market reforms advanced through the second phase of the Primary Dealers framework whose first auction occurred on August 24 2025 producing QAR 23.3 billion of new issuance with the total outstanding reaching QAR 121.4 billion. Training activities comprised 104 programmes that attracted 4,664 participants from across the financial industry.
QCB data indicated that the banking sector maintained strong performance with total assets having risen during the year. The report emphasised continued focus on inclusiveness through digital innovation and expanded access to financial services for a wider portion of the population. Further details in the document cover integration of international standards into local oversight practices.
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