DOHA: The number of new investors in Qatar’s stock market has risen sharply by 60 percent in 2017 indicating towards strengthening equity culture in the country. A total of 2,022 accounts were opened for new investors last year compared to 1,257 accounts in 2016, according to Qatar Central Securities Depository Company (QCSD) data.

“It is exciting time ahead for investors,” he added.

The total number of investors with NIN (National Identification Number) was 955,517 last year, compared to 954,127 such investors in 2016.

Investment Holding Group (IHG) was listed on Qatar bourse in August last year. With this listing the total number of companies listed on Qatar Stock Exchange reached 45. IHG was the first family company to be converted into a public shareholding company through an Initial Public Offering.

The next company expected to be listed in the exchange in the market is Baladna, which is the largest dairy and food supplier in the country.

The company, in January this year, had announced that it plas to hold its Initial Public Offering during this year.

The dynamism of Qatar’s is set to get stronger further as Qatar Stock Exchange is in the process of listing several companies in the coming years. The bourse has prepared a list of 35 companies that are expected to be listed for the next five years, according to Rashid bin Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of the Qatar Stock Exchange.

Some five to eight small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are expected to be listed this year, on Qatar Stock Exchange’s junior index ‘QE Venture Market’, which is designed to attract smaller companies.

The number of investors who owned shares was 371,818 in 2017. According to QCSD data, the total value of traded shares in 2017 was QR66.25bn compared to QR68.99bn in previous year.
The total number of investors with IBAN (International Bank Account Number) has increased by 8 percent in 2017. There were total 47,523 investors with IBAN while there 44,150 investors with IBAN in 2016.