VOL. XLV

No 29

22-July-2002

QATAR

Qatar Banks See 2001 Profit Increase As Energy Project Lending Climbs

Qatars banks saw profits climb 38.4% to a record high of$222mn last year as they were able to reap the benefits of increased loan andrefinancing activity from the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, accordingto MEES sources. The banking sectoras a whole is looking much healthier compared to 2000, when profits slumped by25.6%, but is not without its problems, and Al-AhliBank, for example, is...