World Business

Doha, Qatar: Oil prices spiked to nearly $120 per barrel before falling back slightly on Monday as Iran continued its attacks on several Arab countries, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummelling financial markets. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, surged to $119.50 per barrel but was later trading at $112.98. West Texas Intermediate, the light, sweet crude oil produced in the US, spiked to $119.48 per barrel but fell back to $110.17. About 15 million barrels of crude oil – approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil – are typically shipped every day through the Strait of Hormuz, according to independent research firm Rystad Energy, stated Al Jazeera. The threat of Iranian missile and drone attacks has all but stopped tankers from travelling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran, carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran. Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE have cut their oil production as storage tanks fill due to the reduced ability to export crude.

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: Active trading and strong investor participation marked the last week at the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) as the market remained open and operating normally. In a post on its X platform QSE revealed that the market remained open and operating normally, providing investors continuous access to trade and manage their portfolios. Nearly 56,038 trades were executed on March 2 (Monday) which is the highest single-day trade count in 2026. It witnessed around 885.8 million shares that is the highest weekly trading volume in this year despite only four trading sessions during the week. Last week the QSE index closed down 3.22 percent to settle at 10,699 points. The insurance sector saw the largest gains, rising 1.1 percent. It witnessed decrease in the first trading session following the banks holiday but the market quickly recovered and began to rise again, reflecting investor confidence in the strength of the Qatari economy. QSE closed higher on Wednesday and Thursday despite ongoing regional tensions which shows significant resilience. This performance reflects the market’s ability to absorb geopolitical shocks and focus on the country’s strong economic fundamentals. Qatar Stock Exchange closed marginally lower at the of end yesterday’s trading session. The benchmark index fell by 11.71 points, or 0.11 percent, to finish at 10,687.57 points. During the session, a total of 185.9 million shares were traded, with a value of about QR456.3 million, across 27,048 transactions in all sectors. The shares in 28 companies recorded gains, while 28 declined by the close of trading. Read Also PM calls on Iran to immediately stop attacks in the region Qatar intercepts missile attack: MoD Qatar issues guidance on how to respond to early warning system alerts The market capitalisation of listed companies stood at approximately QR635.376bn at the end of the session, compared with about QR636.622bn in the previous trading session. Meanwhile at the beginning of trading yesterday the index rose 0.32 percent adding 34.65 points to reach 10,733 points, supported by five key sectors. In an earlier post on X, QSE highlighted that it remains fully operational, providing investors with continuous access to a well-regulated and orderly market environment. It recognises the importance of maintaining continuous market access during period of regional and global development. Open markets support stability and reinforce confidence by allowing investors to respond to developments within a structured and transparent environment. QSE operates within a robust regulatory and risk management framework to ensure orderly market functioning under varying conditions. The stock exchanges are designed to remain operational during volatility to ensure transparency, real-time price discovery, and uninterrupted access for investors to manage their portfolios under established regulatory oversight.

Qatar Business

Doha, Qatar: The main index of the Qatar Stock Exchange closed marginally lower at the end of Sunday's trading session. The benchmark index fell by 11.71 points, or 0.11%, to finish at 10,687.57 points, according to official figures released in Doha. During the session, a total of 185.8 million shares were traded, with a value of about QR 455.9 million ($125m), across 26,979 transactions spanning all sectors. Shares in 26 companies recorded gains, while 27 others declined by the close of trading. The market capitalization of listed companies stood at approximately QR 635.2 billion at the end of the session, compared with about QR 636.4 billion in the previous trading session.