QCB rates explained: lending, deposit and repo rate (QMR)
Updated
What is the interest rate in Qatar today?
Qatar Central Bank's policy rates from 17 September 2026: the lending rate (QCBLR) is 4.60%, the deposit rate (QCBDR) 4.10% and the repo rate 4.35% — QCB's own website calls the first two its QMR lending and deposit rates. No bank lends to you at these rates, but the lending rate caps every loan against salary: at most the lending rate + 1.5% = 6.10% a year on the reducing balance (our sum of QCB's two numbers).
| Rate | Now | In force from |
|---|---|---|
| Lending rate (QCBLR, 'QMR lending') | 4.60% | 17 September 2026 |
| Repo rate | 4.35% | 17 September 2026 |
| Deposit rate (QCBDR, 'QMR deposit') | 4.10% | 17 September 2026 |
| Highest rate on a loan against salary | 6.10% | lending rate + 1.5% (our sum) |
Official rule: QCB lending rate (QCBLR): 4.60% from 17 September 2026. (source, checked 2026-10-19)
Not a valid document. Estimate for information only — not financial advice, not an offer of credit and not a bank document. Errors are possible. Only your bank's or finance company's official offer letter, contract and statements are binding.
Qatar Central Bank sets three policy rates: the deposit rate, the lending rate and the repo rate. None of them is the rate on your loan — but in Qatar the lending rate matters directly, because the cap on loans against salary is tied to it.
From 17 September 2026: QCB deposit rate (QCBDR) 4.10%, lending rate (QCBLR) 4.60%, repo rate 4.35%. The highest rate on a loan against salary is the lending rate + 1.5% = 6.10% (our computation).
What each rate is
- Deposit rate (QCBDR), 4.10%: what QCB pays banks on the money they deposit with it.
- Lending rate (QCBLR), 4.60%: what QCB charges banks that borrow from it — the "QCB rate" in QCB's loan rules.
- Repo rate, 4.35%: the rate for QCB's repurchase operations with banks.
These are policy rates between QCB and banks, not loan rates: no bank lends to you at them. They move when QCB decides.
Why the lending rate matters for your loan
- The cap: the rate on a loan against salary may be at most the QCB lending rate + 1.5% a year, on the reducing balance. With the lending rate at 4.60% that is 6.10% — our computation from QCB's rule and the current lending rate; QCB does not publish it as a number.
- When QCB cuts: the bank must lower your rate when the QCB rate falls, and it may not raise its margin.
- Adverts: must show the yearly rate on the daily (reducing) balance, not above the cap, and say that it can change.
QIBOR
QIBOR is the rate at which banks in Qatar lend riyals to each other; a variable-rate home finance contract may follow it. There is no free official page with QIBOR fixings, so this site shows no QIBOR number — your contract names the reference rate it uses.
See what a rate means for your instalment: personal loan calculator · home finance calculator.
Rates as announced by QCB through the state news agency QNA on 16 September 2026. QCB's limits for loans against salary come from its Instructions to Banks (consolidated edition of September 2013); QCB's list of later circulars could not be opened, so a later change is possible — your bank's offer letter is what counts.
Questions people ask
What is the QCB lending rate?
The rate QCB charges banks that borrow from it: 4.60% from 17 September 2026. It is a policy rate, not a loan rate.
What are the QCB deposit and repo rates?
In Qatar, the deposit rate (QCBDR) is 4.10% and the repo rate 4.35%, both from 17 September 2026.
How does the QCB rate affect my personal loan?
The rate on a loan against salary may be at most the QCB lending rate + 1.5%, which is 6.10% today by our computation. When the QCB rate falls the bank must lower your rate and may not raise its margin.
Where can I see QIBOR?
There is no free official page with QIBOR fixings, in Qatar. A variable-rate contract names the reference rate it uses.
What is QCB in banking?
QCB is the Qatar Central Bank. It supervises the banks in Qatar and sets the policy rates: the lending rate (4.60%), the deposit rate (4.10%) and the repo rate (4.35%), all from 17 September 2026. Its Instructions to Banks also cap loans against salary — the rate at most the lending rate + 1.5%.
What is the QMR rate in Qatar?
QMR is the name QCB's own website uses for its overnight deposit and lending rates — the same rates its announcements call QCBDR (4.10%) and QCBLR (4.60%), both from 17 September 2026.