Awards for Excellence 2009: Qatar

Best Bank: Qatar National Bank

Qatar’s leaders are taking pre-emptive action to ensure that none of its banks gets into difficulty. Last year the Qatar Investment Authority bought 5% stakes in all local banks and is expected to take another 5% later this year, except in Qatar National Bank, which is already 50% state owned.

The government is also buying property investments worth up to $4.1 billion from the banks, as well as equity portfolios worth another $6 billion in a bid to prop them up.