QNB raises QR750 mn in record Qatari Riyal Shogun bond issuance in Japan

QNB Group, a prominent financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, successfully completed its second Qatari Riyal-denominated Shogun bond issuance, raising a record QR750 million from Japanese investors. This three-year transaction is the largest QAR-denominated Shogun bond issuance to date. The issuance follows QNB's inaugural QR500 million Shogun offering in February 2025, which marked the first-ever Qatari riyal-denominated bond issued in this market.

The latest transaction, 50 percent larger than the debut, brings the total raised across the two issuances to QR1.25 billion, marking a significant step in developing QNB's access to Japanese investors. Returning to the market aligns with QNB's strategy to diversify its funding sources and establish enduring relationships across international capital markets.

This broader access to investors across geographies enhances funding flexibility, enabling the Group to pursue its business objectives through changing market conditions. Noor Mohd Al Naimi, Senior Executive Vice President, Group Treasury and Financial Institutions at QNB Group, highlighted the importance of this issuance, stating that it builds on the foundation established by the inaugural Shogun issuance and further diversifies QNB's funding base, providing the necessary flexibility to support the business across market cycles.

The issuance was arranged by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), continuing the relationship initiated during the inaugural transaction, which was arranged by SMBC Group. This issuance underscores QNB's ongoing development of a diversified international funding base, demonstrating the Group's ability to access funding across currencies, markets, and formats in recent years.