QIB claims Qatar private banking crown

Qatar Islamic Bank has been named Qatar’s best private bank at the Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2026, handing the lender a prominent endorsement in a market where domestic banks and international wealth managers are competing more aggressively for high-net-worth clients seeking personalised advice, Shari’a-compliant products and stronger digital access. Euromoney’s national winners list for Qatar names QIB as the country’s best private bank for 2026, while the lender said the award reflects the strength of its wealth management offering for affluent clients.

The award matters because it signals a shift in the competitive landscape. Last year, Qatar National Bank held Euromoney’s top private banking title in Qatar, underlining how contested the segment has become. This year’s result suggests QIB has sharpened its position with a model built around Islamic banking capabilities, dedicated relationship managers and a broader wealth product suite aimed at clients who want both tailored advisory services and digital convenience. Euromoney said QIB’s edge rested on its international presence, broad product range and full slate of Islamic banking options, adding that these factors had deepened client loyalty.

QIB’s own financial profile has helped support that push. The bank reported net profit of QAR4.835 billion for 2025, up 5% from a year earlier, while total assets rose 10.1% to QAR221.1 billion. Customer deposits climbed 14.2% to QAR142.7 billion and the financing-to-deposit ratio stood at 90%, below the Qatar Central Bank ceiling of 100%, indicating a comfortable liquidity position. QIB also said its cost-to-income ratio fell to 16.3%, which it described as the lowest in the Qatari banking sector, while its non-performing financing ratio improved to 1.65%. Those figures give the bank a stronger platform from which to serve wealthy clients who tend to favour balance-sheet strength, continuity and product depth when allocating assets.

Private banking in Qatar sits within a wider expansion of Islamic finance. According to the Qatar Islamic Finance Report 2025, Islamic banking assets in the country reached about QAR586 billion by the end of 2024 and represented 29% of total banking assets. The same report said QIB and Al Rayan Bank together accounted for more than 68% of domestic Islamic banking assets, with QIB alone holding 36.5% of the segment at the end of 2024. That scale is significant in a market where wealthy families often seek institutions with strong domestic networks, regulatory familiarity and the ability to structure investments in line with Islamic principles.

Euromoney’s citation also pointed to measurable client engagement. It said QIB’s net promoter score stood at 65 in 2025 and that 91% of clients were satisfied or very satisfied. It also noted that dedicated relationship managers act as a single point of contact for each client, with the average manager bringing more than a decade of experience. QIB, in its own announcement, said its private banking arm offers access to sukuk, equities, structured investment products, mutual funds, foreign exchange solutions and real estate investments, with all relationship managers professionally certified in international investments and securities.

Digital capability appears to be another factor behind the recognition. QIB has described itself as Qatar’s leading digital bank and has tied its private banking proposition more closely to mobile and video-enabled services. The bank said private clients can monitor portfolios, carry out transactions and communicate securely with relationship managers, including through dedicated private banking video services on its mobile app. That approach mirrors a broader trend across Gulf wealth management, where banks are trying to blend traditional relationship-driven advisory work with app-based access and faster execution. Market research and sector studies point to rising demand in Qatar for holistic wealth planning, wider product choice and digitally enabled service, especially among a growing base of affluent and ultra-high-net-worth customers.

QIB’s senior management has also tied the award to advisory quality rather than branding alone. Dorai Anand, the bank’s general manager for the personal banking group, said the recognition reflected the strength of its private banking capabilities and its effort to deliver a personalised experience backed by advisory expertise and digital tools. His role and title are confirmed on the bank’s leadership page, helping validate the attribution carried in the award announcement.