Al-Kuwari: QNB Is Dedicated to Developing Human Potential

Press release

Published March 25th, 2018 - 06:21 GMT

Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Group CEO of QNB

Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Group CEO of QNB, underscored the bank’s dedication to developing human capital at a lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q).

QNB, which was the first Qatari-owned bank when it was founded in 1964, is now the top bank in the Middle East and Africa, according to financial metrics. As QNB continues to strengthen its business in Qatar and grow internationally, the bank has prioritized the development of knowledgeable and skilled finance professionals within Qatar.

“We are committed to developing human capital as well as financial capital in Qatar: 54 percent of QNB employees are Qatari, and 56 percent have been with the bank for more than 5 years,” said Al-Kuwari. “By hiring and training a diverse group of highly engaged employees, we are helping develop future generations of Qatar’s financial leaders, who will continue the important work that QNB has been doing since its founding.”

QNB offers scholarships to nearly 50 local university students, including students from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.

Michael Trick, dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, emphasized the many benefits of corporate and educational institutions working hand-in-hand: “Our approach at Carnegie Mellon is to give our students real-world problem sets, so they are learning both the theory and practical applications. Organizations like Qatar National Bank provide an excellent training ground for students to exercise their skills and apply their knowledge.”

Within Qatar, QNB’s efforts include financing projects, such as those that support FIFA World Cup 2022, initiating projects focused on long-term economic self-sufficiency, providing specific lending programs for small and medium enterprises, and offering local corporations supply chain and account management help.

Al Kuwari’s lecture was part of the CMU-Q Dean’s Lecture Series, a forum for leaders in business, government and technology to discuss topical issues. Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers degree programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems.

Background Information

Qatar National Bank

Qatar National Bank (QNB), established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank, has an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50%) and the private sector (50%).

QNB has steadily grown to be among the largest banks in the region and is by far the leading financial institution in the country, with a market share approaching 40% of banking sector assets.

QNB offers a full range of Retail, Corporate, Investment, Treasury, Wealth Management, and Islamic Banking products and services for individuals, corporate institutions and government entities in Qatar as well as internationally.

QNB has the largest distribution network in Qatar, comprising 44 branches and offices (including 3 mobile branches), in addition to 12 Islamic branches and offices operated by QNB Al Islami, and more than 160 ATMs.

QNB was the first conventional bank in Qatar to offer Shari'a-compliant banking products and services through QNB Al Islami, established in 2005.

QNB’s international presence is rapidly expanding to include new locations around the world to supplement the long established branches in London and Paris. Currently QNB has presence in 23 countries including branches in Yemen, Oman Kuwait & Singapore as well as Representative Offices in Iran & Libya. An Islamic branch was recently inaugurated in Sudan, offering a full range of Islamic banking services and products.