Talk:QNB Group/Temp

Qatar National Bank (QNB) (بنك قطر الوطني) is a Qatari commercial bank headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It is the largest bank in the Persian Gulf region by market value. It was founded in 1963 and currently has subsidiaries and associates in 27 countries spanning 3 continents. The bank's ownership is evenly divided between the Qatar Investment Authority and the private sector.

History
QNB was founded on 6 June 1964 as the country's first domestically-owned commercial bank. It had 35 employees in its first year and was initially headquartered in a government-owned building in Qatar's capital city, Doha. The two currencies in circulation at the time were the Indian rupee and British pound. As Qatar's population continued increasing throughout the century, QNB started establishing branches in other parts of the country.

In 1974, the first branches outside of Doha were opened in Al Khor and Mesaieed. The bank installed its first ATMs in 1988 in its Doha branches, and, in the proceeding year, introduced VISA cards for its clients. By 2015, it had established 76 branches in Qatar.

Subsidiaries and associates
The bank has subsidiaries and associates in 27 countries. QNB acquired a majority stake in Indonesia's Bank Kesawan in January 2011 and rebranded it as QNB Kesawan. In January 2013, it purchased an additional 49.9% stake in the Tunisian-Qatari Bank from the Tunisian government, bringing its total stake 99.9%. It renamed the bank to 'Qatar National Bank Tunisia' in April 2013. In March 2013, it purchased 100% of National Société Générale Bank's shares in Egypt, rebranding it as QNB Al Ahli.

QNB accumulated a 39.9% stake in UAE-based Commercial Bank International in August 2012. In September 2014, it purchased a 23.5% stake in Ecobank, a large banking conglomerate headquartered in Togo, for $513 million, thereby making QNB the company's top shareholder.