Qatar Central Bank’s data showed an increase in the volume of commercial banks assets (and liabilities) at the end of March by about 22.4 billion riyals from last February, and an increase of 136.1 billion riyals, and 9.4% over March 2019, to reach the level of 1588.6 billion riyals.
Total cash and balances with the Qatar Central Bank jumped by the end of March 2020 to 77.4 billion riyals, which was about 7.2 billion more than March 2019, which amounted to 70 billion riyals. With regard to foreign assets, the credit granted by banks outside Qatar has decreased in the past two years, as it decreased from 80.9 billion riyals in March 2019 to 74.3 billion riyals in February and then to 73.3 billion riyals in March 2020.
On the other hand, banks’ balances abroad increased in March by about 2.9 billion riyals from last February to 78.2 billion riyals, but they were in the range of 103 billion riyals a year ago in March 2019. As for investments abroad, they have remained stable during the past two years, with limited changes, reaching 57.8 billion riyals in March 2020.
As for local assets, they rose to the level of 64.6 billion riyals in February 2020, before dropping slightly to 57.4 billion riyals in March 2020.
Source (Al-Raya Newspaper-Qatar, Edited)
