QNB Group: International Expansion Reflects Growing Presence in Global Markets

QNB Group continues to capitalise on attractive growth opportunities in regional markets to reinforce its banking leadership across the region.

This is evidenced by the opening of new international branches as part of a strategic move to broaden the bank’s global footprint. QNB currently ranks fourth in the Middle East and 78th globally among the world’s top 1000 banks for 2025, according to The Banker magazine.

The group’s international branches and subsidiaries have played a pivotal role in consolidating QNB’s strong global presence. 

This success is supported by a dedicated team of over 31,000 experienced professionals operating across 28 countries on three continents. The Group remains committed to supporting international efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development.

Ali Abdullah Darwish, Senior Executive Vice-President – International Business at QNB Group, said: “The expansion of our international network reflects our dedication to providing cross-border banking solutions while reinforcing our role as a trusted financial partner.

 Alongside our presence in key global financial markets, we are actively implementing initiatives across our international branches that reflect our commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the communities we serve, elements that have a direct impact on our operations.”

With a presence across Asia, Africa, and Europe, QNB operates as a full-service financial institution in its key markets of Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, in addition to frontier and emerging markets such as South Asia. The bank continues to expand its presence in several developed economies, including the UK, France, Switzerland, and Singapore.

This year, QNB Group’s international branches have delivered strong achievements and financial performance. QNB Indonesia, for instance, stood out with robust financial results driven by a disciplined strategy and prudent financial management. 

Despite global and domestic economic challenges, QNB Indonesia has continued to grow its loan portfolio, enhance cost efficiency, and increase fee-based income.

These efforts culminated in recognition for Fatima Abdullah al-Suwaidi, Group chief risk officer and acting president director of QNB Indonesia, who was named among the 500 Most Influential Women in Indonesia’s Financial Sector by Infobank magazine for 2025. 

The award highlights her pivotal role in reinforcing the Group’s regional leadership.

QNB has entered a new phase of international expansion, recently inaugurating several new branches, the latest being at the GIFT City International Financial Services Centre in Gujarat, India. 

This move makes QNB the first bank in the region to take such a significant step, capitalising on the rapid growth of India’s banking sector.

The expansion aims to strengthen QNB’s geographic footprint in India, particularly through strategically located branches that enable the bank to meet the banking needs of northern Indian markets.

The unification of the QNB brand in both Egypt and Turkey, now operating under the QNB name since the end of last year, has played a key role in strengthening the Group's global brand presence and providing customers with a seamless and unified banking experience.

QNB’s international branches enjoy high credit ratings compared to regional peers. Notably, QNB Indonesia received a National Long-Term Rating of “AAA (idn)” with a stable outlook from Fitch Ratings, reflecting its strong performance and commitment to a sustainable development strategy.

The group’s solid financial performance and robust operational foundation have propelled its brand to be one of the fastest-growing in the region. QNB has retained its title as the most valuable banking brand in the Middle East and Africa, with its brand value growing to $9.36bn, according to Brand Finance, a leading global brand valuation consultancy.

QNB aims to become one of the leading banks across the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia through continuous expansion and a strong focus on delivering innovative, reliable financial services.

QNB has recently launched a comprehensive branding campaign under the slogan ‘Blue is everywhere: Always with you wherever life takes you’. 

The campaign seeks to reinvent the bank’s communications identity and foster a deeper, more meaningful relationship with customers, one that transcends traditional banking transactions.

Egyptian star Ahmed Helmy, QNB’s brand ambassador, plays a vital role in reinforcing the group’s core values of innovation and excellence. 

His involvement aligns with the group’s vision to enrich the lives of its customers by serving as a trusted financial partner that supports their aspirations and ambitions.

QNB has developed a suite of global banking services tailored to meet the financial needs of its clients across its international branches, offering the highest standards of security and innovation.

 These services include real estate and cross-border banking solutions, specifically designed for QNB First members interested in investing in overseas properties.

Clients benefit from access to some of the best cross-border mortgage options for acquiring real estate in the UK, France, Turkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, or Tunisia, allowing them to expand their investment portfolios effectively.

The bank has also introduced unique products and services, such as digital account opening, virtual card activation via the QNB mobile app, and the multi-currency travel card.

QNB has demonstrated its technological capabilities through the launch of cutting-edge digital banking products and services. One standout innovation is QNB Bebasata, a digital banking platform developed by QNB Egypt.

Additionally, QNB Egypt introduced the TradeNet digital service, which allows for the electronic execution and management of trade finance transactions.

 In line with its commitment to meeting clients’ financial needs and helping them earn competitive returns, QNB Egypt launched a new savings account, ‘Everyday Cash’.

Meanwhile, QNB Turkiye continues to lead in retail banking innovation. Its digital-only platform, Enpara.com, has become the first fully digital bank offering exclusive services entirely through online channels. 

Enpara.com continues to expand rapidly, driven in large part by strong customer satisfaction scores across the region.

QNB Oman signed a strategic financing agreement worth $43mn with Mowasalat (Karwa) Motors, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the Sultanate’s school transportation sector in line with the latest global standards.

QNB Tunisia entered an exclusive agreement with Ooredoo Tunisia to finance the development of the country’s 5G network.

 This partnership underscores the bank’s commitment to supporting innovation and digital inclusion while contributing to infrastructure development across multiple sectors and unlocking new opportunities.

QNB Egypt, in partnership with the Central Bank of Egypt and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), launched the ‘SME National Champion Programme’, a nationwide initiative supporting the growth of SMEs.

QNB Egypt renewed a credit facility worth 195mn Egyptian pounds for El-Tadamun Microfinance Foundation, a leading institution focused on funding micro-enterprises for women across Egypt, reinforcing the bank’s commitment to economic empowerment for women.

 In support of start-ups and the SME ecosystem, QNB Egypt signed an agreement with Nile University to launch the ‘Accelerating Local Industry 4.0’ programme.

QNB Turkiye has signed a partnership with Segura Insurance Company to deliver a comprehensive range of non-life insurance products, such as fire, liability, transport, engineering, home, auto, and health insurance to QNB Turkiye’s corporate and commercial clients.

In Kuwait, QNB Kuwait is pursuing an ambitious growth strategy through 2029, aiming to expand its market share by offering innovative financing solutions that contribute to the national economy.

Earlier this year, QNB Indonesia launched a new suite of investment products in collaboration with three leading market players specialising in asset management, investment solutions, and USD-denominated mutual funds.

QNB’s international branches are committed to implementing a wide range of impactful community programmes and initiatives spanning health, education, culture, sports, women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, environmental protection, and more. 

These efforts reflect the group’s strong commitment to sustainability through a framework grounded in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles.

QNB Group’s international branches and subsidiaries are firmly committed to advancing their sustainability agenda, guided by a proactive approach to integrating climate considerations into strategic decision-making.

 In line with this vision, the group has launched a variety of green banking products and sustainability initiatives that adhere to eco-friendly standards across its operational activities.

These initiatives highlight QNB’s dedication to placing sustainability at the heart of its operations, as it strives to balance economic growth with social responsibility. This commitment is evident through efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, finance environmentally friendly projects, and promote best practices in ESG standards.

In recognition of its banking excellence, QNB Group’s international branches received several prestigious global awards throughout the year. QNB Egypt led the way, securing 11 international awards from renowned financial institutions, affirming its strong commitment to banking innovation, financial inclusion, and sustainable economic development across various sectors.

Among the most notable honours were ‘Best Digital Bank for Retail Customers in the Middle East’, ‘Best Mobile Banking Application, awarded by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’, and ‘Excellence in Product Marketing for the Mena Region in Digital Innovation’.

QNB Oman was honoured at the 10th New Age Banking Summit, where it was named Best International Bank in Oman, in recognition of the quality of its services and the distinctiveness of its banking products. QNB Indonesia also earned several accolades at the Asia HR Excellence Awards 2025, receiving ‘Best Company to Work for in Asia’, ‘Best Care & Wellness Workplace’, and ‘Best Company for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Asia’.