The International Bank of Qatar (Arabic: بنك قطر الدولي), often branded ibq, was a private sector bank operating in Qatar founded in 1956. The bank offered a range of products and services across retail, private and corporate banking divisions.
ibq had a growing network of branches and ATMs covering most major locations across the country.[1] It merged with Barwa Bank in 2019.
History
Starting as the Ottoman Bank on 1 November 1956, ibq underwent several ownerships in its history.[2]
In August 2004, the bank was renamed International Bank of Qatar (ibq), when National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) acquired a 20% stake in the bank and assumed management responsibilities. In July 2007, NBK increased its share of the bank to 30% and sold them back to Qatari investors in 2014.[citation needed]
In July 2015, ibq has received investment grade credit ratings of “A2” and “A+” assigned by Moody’s and Fitch Ratings, respectively.[citation needed]