Business & Money | Wednesday 18 March, 2015 12:04 am |

QNB Group has announced that it has successfully closed syndication of its USD3.0 billion three year senior unsecured term loan facility. The syndication was well supported by 20 International Banks and was over-subscribed.

The new loan Facility will be used for general corporate purposes. The interest rate is Libor plus 60bps per annum.

Barclays Bank PLC and HSBC (the “Coordinators”), together with The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., Deutsche Bank A.G., Mizuho Bank, Ltd., Standard Chartered Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation were mandated as Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners.

The Group also announced that it had already prepaid in full the earlier existing loan of USD1.8 billion loan prior to issuing the above mentioned new loan Facility.

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About QNB Group: Qatar National Bank (QNB Group), was 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 Group has steadily grown to be the biggest bank in Qatar and leading financial institution in the Middle East and North Africa Region with a market share around 45% of banking sector assets.
Bloomberg Markets, the leading provider of Business, Financial and Economic news ranked QNB as “One of the World’s Strongest Banks” again in 2014.
The Global Finance Magazine ranked QNB as “One of The Top 50 Safest Banks in the World” in 2013, and the following year, it was recognized as “The Best Bank in The Middle East” by Euromoney Magazine.
For 2014, the Group recorded net profit of QR10.5 billion (USD2.9 billion), up by 10.3% compared to last year. Total assets increased by 9.7% from December 2013 to reach QR486 billion (USD133.6 billion), the highest ever achieved by the Group.
QNB Group continues to witness robust international expansion. QNB has acquired a 20.0% stake (both ordinary and QNB convertible preference shares) in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (Ecobank), the leading pan-African bank. In 2013, the Group successfully completed the acquisition of a controlling stake of the second largest private bank in Egypt, QNB ALAHLI (QNBAA)), amounting to 97.12%. The Group has also extended its regional reach by acquiring stakes in various financial institutions including 35% stake in the Jordan-based, the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF), 40% in Commercial Bank International (CBI) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 99.96% of QNB Tunisia, 51% in the Iraqi-based Mansour Bank, 49% of the Libyan based Bank of Commerce & Development and 20% stake in Al Jazeera Finance Company in Doha. QNB Group also retains 51% stake in QNB-Syria and an 83% stake in QNB Indonesia (previously known as QNB Kesawan). In 2013, QNB Group also opened a representative office in China and established a fully owned subsidiary in India under the name of “QNB India Private Limited”.
The Group’s presence through its subsidiaries and associate companies extends to more than 26 countries across three continents providing a comprehensive range of advanced products and services. The total number of employees is more than 14,500 operating through more than 615 locations, with an ATM network of more than 1,310 machines.
The Group provides an array of investment banking services through its subsidiary, QNB Capital, to corporate, government and institutional clients within Qatar and globally. QNB Capital has one of the best corporate finance teams in the GCC region offering extensive transaction experience and in depth advisory – including mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets, and project financing advisory. The Group also offers brokerage services through its subsidiary, QNB Financial Services (QNB FS), the first independently regulated, licensed brokerage company launched by a bank in Qatar. QNB FS offers a multi-market, multi-currency trading platform with access to several markets.
QNB Group is among the highest rated regional banks from leading credit rating agencies including Standard & Poor’s (A+), Moody’s (Aa3), Fitch (A+), and Capital Intelligence (AA-). The Bank has also been the recipient of many awards from leading international specialised financial publications.
Based on the Group’s continuous strong financial performance and its expanding international presence, QNB is currently ranked as the most valuable bank brand in The Middle East and Africa, with a current world ranking of 79 in 2015 and a brand valuation of $2.6 billion according to Brand Finance Magazine.
QNB Group has an active community support program and sponsors various social, educational and sporting events.
For further information, please contact QNB’s Public Relations Department at (+974) 4497 5704, Fax (+974) 4425 2589, email: PR@qnb.com or visit QNB’s website www.qnb.com