Doha Group

Qatar-FIFA ties reviewed:

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani yesterday visited FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the home of FIFA in Zurich.

During the meeting, HH the Emir and Blatter discussed bilateral relations between Qatar and FIFA, ways and means to enhance co-operation, as well as Qatar’s continued progress in improving the welfare of migrant workers. They also reviewed preparations and efforts by Qatar in various fields to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

“It was an honor to host HH the Emir. Qatar is working hard to take advantage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a vehicle for social development that will contribute to the promotion of football in the region,” said Blatter.

The meeting was also attended by HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Personal Representative of HH the Emir, and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke.

Gulf Times

Milestone as A380 joins QA fleet:

Qatar Airways’ (QA) first A380 aircraft arrived yesterday at Hamad International Airport. It will begin its inaugural flight QR001 next month between Doha and London’s Heathrow airport.

A receiving ceremony for the world’s largest twin-deck passenger aircraft, also dubbed as superjumbo, was held in the evening in the presence and patronage of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Shiekh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Also present were the Minister of Finance and Chairman of QA H E Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Group CEO, QA, Akbar Al Baker, sheikhs, dignitaries, guests and scores of journalists from local and international media organisations.

“The arrival of the new super-jumbo marks a moment of great pride for Qatar and the national airline,” Al Baker told a press conference yesterday.

“QA has grown from strength to strength and is recognised all around the world for its excellence and high standards. This is thanks to the vision of the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Father Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” Al Baker added.

“Qatar Airways began operations in 1997 with just four aircraft operating to 14 international routes. In 2003, we placed our order for the Airbus A380 super-jumbo, and at that time we were operating to only 50 destinations with 28 aircraft. Today, as the A380 joins our rapidly growing fleet, we are operating 137 aircraft to 144 destinations in six continents.”

He said that the A380 will form the backbone of the airline’s fleet and support its strategy of facilitating predominantly long-haul traffic with high-density, wide-body aircraft.

Departing Hamburg, Germany, direct from the Airbus factory last morning, the plane touched down at 5pm to a spectacular ceremony at HIA, the airline’s new home, with more than 500 guests in attendance.

The aircraft’s seat pitch of 90 inches is the longest in the industry and it features bespoke interiors and a premium lounge on the upper deck.

Asked about the price of the super-jumbo, Al Baker, said: “We cannot disclose the actual price, but the list price is $380m. When we increase our orders for additional A380s we will demand further discounts.”

He added that QA had exacting specifications for interiors of the plane to match its luxury standards.

The Peninsula

Appointment of new Group Chief Executive Officer at al khaliji:

Al Khalij Commercial Bank (al khaliji) Q.S.C. announced the official appointment of Mr. Fahad Abdulla Al Khalifa as Group Chief Executive Officer.

In making the announcement on behalf of the Board, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, Chairman and Managing Director, acknowledged Mr. Al Khalifa for his achievements and experience.

"Mr. Al Khalifa's skills and career history match the aspirations of al khaliji bank. Having wide banking experience, he has demonstrated commitment to the banking sector in Qatar, gaining the trust and appreciation of the board. We are confident Mr. Al Khalifa's appointment, as al khaliji Group's CEO, will contribute to the bank’s capabilities and leadership while strengthening its position in Qatar and the region. On behalf of the al khaliji Board of Directors and al khaliji employees we would like to warmly welcome Fahad to his new position”.

Al Khalifa is a senior banker with over 20 years of experience; he has held prominent positions in Qatari banks, including Qatar Central Bank and Qatar National Bank (QNB), which translates into knowledge and perspective with regards to the local and regional market. Al Khalifa is a graduate from the Seattle University in the United States with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance.

Al khaliji awarded “Best Operational Bank Qatar 2014”:

Al Khalij Commercial Bank (al khaliji) QSC has been awarded the “Best Operational Bank Qatar 2014” by the Global Financial Market Review (GFMR), one of the worlds’ leading global banking and finance online publications providing up to date information within the finance sector.

al khaliji ICT team has worked in collaboration with various development companies and stakeholders across the bank to replace al khaliji core banking system with T24 in just 15 months. Accordingly, through a unified system platform, the bank was able to efficiently improve its personal and commercial banking and treasury operations, trade finance, customer relationship management and business intelligence functions.

Hesham EzzEldin, Acting Group CEO at al khaliji, commented, “We are very proud to have won this prestigious award from Global Financial Market Review, and we are especially pleased to be nominated as the Best Operational Bank in Qatar. al khaliji has recently endorsed a new operational system that unifies our core banking platform and eliminate complexity. Our new T24 core banking system was implemented by ‘Temenos’. Recognition from a leading publication such as GFMR further solidifies al khaliji's position as one of Qatar’s leading and fastest-growing banks”.

In addition to the successful implementation of T24, al khaliji has also deployed ‘Insight’ for business intelligence products and ‘Treasury Trader’, which enables a seamless and transparent flow of information synchronizing front, middle and back office investment banking operations.

GFMR is a dedicated online news portal that focuses on financial markets’ industries and news. Its yearly Awards honors organizations and companies that stand out in particular areas of expertise in banking and finance and that have achieved notable success in their respective fields. The awards selection is based on general criteria, including Transparency, Corporate Governance, Sustainability, Volume of transactions, Innovation, Customer Service. Some of the specific criteria used included Market Capitalization, Earnings per Share, Price/Earnings Ratio, Total Revenues, Net income, Operating Profits, and other elements.

al khaliji is the only Bank in Qatar among the international banking and financial institutions that received the GFMR awards in recognition of the exceptional manner in which these institutions have performed over the last year.

Qatar Exchange index remains flat:

Qatar Exchange index remained unchanged yesterday closing fractionally higher at 13,682.57 points compared to the previous day’s 13,682.04.

The trading value reached QR867.70m with a volume of 21,709,187 shares changing hands from 7,606 transactions. From the 43 listed companies 20 advanced yesterday, 17 went down and six remained unchanged.

Among the gainers yesterday, Mazaya Qatar share saw a significant change, up 7.14 percent to close at QR24.90 from Tuesday’s QR23.24. The real estate company’s share saw a volume of 8,747,209 share move from 1,618 transactions.

In terms of percentage change Qatar Cinema too gained a lot, up 9.74 percent to close at QR50.70 from QR46.20.

Among losers, telecom operator Vodafone Qatar dropped 2.08 percent to QR21.20 from QR21.65. Widam Food Company dropped QR1.10 when it closed at QR61.80 while Al Meera dropped QR2.80, closing at QR 188.90.

The Peninsula