Qatar National Bank (Q.P.S.C.) (QNB Group) was established in 1964 as the countryÍs first Qatari-owned commercial bank, with an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50%) and (50%) held by members of the public. QNB Group has steadily grown to be the biggest bank in Qatar and the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa region. For the nine months ended 30 September 2017, the GroupÍs Net Profit reached QAR 10.3 billion, up by 6% from September 2016. Total assets increased to QAR 792 billion, up by 11%, the highest ever achieved by the group. This was driven by a growth rate of 14% in loans and advances to reach QAR 579 billion. In June 2016, QNB Group completed the acquisition of 99.88% stake in TurkeyÍs Finansbank A._.(now known as QNB Finansbank), the 5th largest privately owned universal bank in Turkey by total assets, customer deposits and loans. QNB owns a 20.1% stake in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (Ecobank), the leading pan-African bank. In 2013, the Group successfully completed the acquisition of a controlling stake of the second largest private bank in Egypt, QNB ALAHLI (QNBAA), amounting to 97.12%. The Group has also extended its regional reach by acquiring stakes in various financial institutions including a 35% stake in the Jordan-based, the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance (HBTF), 40% in Commercial Bank International (CBI) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 99.96% of QNB Tunisia, 51% in the Iraqi-based Al-Mansour Investment Bank, 49% of the Libyan based Bank of Commerce & Development and 20% stake in Al Jazeera Finance Company in Doha. QNB Group also retains 51% stake in QNB-Syria, an 82.59% stake in QNB Indonesia. Since 2013, QNB has been ranked as one of the worldÍs strongest banks by Bloomberg Markets and has consistently been rated as one of the safest banks in the emerging markets, according to the Global Finance Magazine.