Includes the first brokerage unit by a bank in Qatar
Doha, 18 May 2011 – Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group, the country’s largest integrated financial institution and one of the leading banks in the MENA region, today announced the launch of its subsidiary QNB Financial Services (QNB FS) following licensing by Qatar Financial Markets Authority and successful membership by Qatar Exchange.
QNBFS will offer a range of financial services to foreign institutional investors, mutual funds, domestic institutional investors, high-net worth individuals, retail and corporate clients including brokerage, research and advisory services with asset management and custody eventually completing the suite. QNB Group is the first bank to launch an independently regulated licensed brokerage unit in Qatar.
As part of a phased rollout of services QNB FS is currently launching its financial brokerage service which will be available to Qatari citizens, residents and non-resident individuals and institutions in Qatar as well as abroad. Clients will have the convenience of setting up their trading accounts, supported by a state-of-the-art electronic trading platform, eazytrade which currently provides clients access to stocks listed on the Qatar, UAE and Omani securities markets. The MENA markets and other major international markets are expected to be available to investors in the near future.
Clients will also have access to top-tier research and analysis provided by a dedicated team of financial analysts at QNB FS covering various sectors including Banking, Insurance, Energy & Petrochemicals, Telecom, Real Estate, Industrial and Services amongst others.
Additionally, clients will also have the ability to seek specialist advisory services to help manage risk effectively whilst making investment decisions. QNB FS service model is built around the client; emphasizing proactive support, education, investment ideas and strategies to enable an educated decision process
Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, QNB Group Chief Executive Officer stated: “Through QNB FS Brokerage, clients will have access to one of the best advisory and research teams in the MENA region, supported by a strong and reliable financial institution. In the course of its full establishment QNB Financial Services will provide an even broader range of products and services including fixed income, asset management, custody and structured products.”
Mr. Andre Went, CEO of Qatar Exchange said "Today's announcement marks a pivotal moment in the continued developed of the financial services sector in Qatar. The entry into the market by QNB as the first bank to begin offering brokerage services illustrates the positive progress that our market is making. I am delighted to welcome QNB Financial Services as a member of Qatar Exchange”.
With the launch of QNB FS the QNB Group is hoping to fulfill the needs of many high-net-worth investors who have been seeking both access to markets as well as on the ground specialist fundamental research and analysis linked to these markets.
QNB FS Brokerage has also launched an advanced online trading system eazytrade which comes coupled with a range of tools and solutions to help account holders evaluate and manage their investments.
A high-performance version of this trading space will also be available in the form of an electronic trading application, which will suit the more advanced needs of corporate clients including professional fund managers, portfolio managers, and very active investors who require extensive customizable features.
Both electronic trading platforms will transmit real-time stock prices to clients for each stock exchange where trading options are available.
QNB FS’s systems are integrated across markets and are supported by a dedicated brokerage technology team. A single online interface and a universally shared platform add value at every point of the trading cycle, from pre-trade research and analytics to trading, order entry, tracking transactions and reporting.
QNB FS is located at Qatar Sports Complex in West Bay.