QNB board proposes dividend as 2025 earnings rise

• Net profit up to $4.7bn
• Operating income $12bn
• 37.5% dividend recommended

Qatar National Bank (QNB)’s net profit rose in 2025, supported by higher operating income, as its board proposed a dividend payout for the second half of last year.

Net profit reached QR17 billion ($4.7 billion) over the 12-month period, up from QR16.7 billion ($4.5 billion) in the year-earlier period, the lender said in a statement. 

QNB is the Middle East and Africa’s largest lender by assets.

Net interest income reached QR35.8 billion ($9.8 billion), compared with nearly QR32.8 billion ($8.9 billion) last year. Operating income increased to QR44.1 billion ($12 billion) from QR40.7 billion ($11.1 billion) the previous year.

The cost-to-income ratio stood at 23.3 percent, which the lender considered “one of the best ratios among large financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa region”. 

Loans and advances rose 12 percent year to year to QR1 trillion ($274 billion). Customer deposits increased by 8 percent year on year to reach QAR955 billion ($261.7 billion) by December.

The ratio of non-performing loans to gross loans reached 2.6 percent as of December 31, 2025, which QNB claimed was “the lowest among financial institutions in the MEA region”.

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The lender’s board recommended a cash dividend of 37.5 percent of the capital or QR0.375 ($0.10) per share, for the second half of 2025. The total dividend distribution for the year reached QR0.725 ($0.20) per share.

QNB repurchased 123 million shares at a total cost of QR2.1 billion ($575.4 million) by the end of December.  

QNB shares closed 1 percent higher at QR20 ($5.48). The stock has risen more than 7 percent year to date.