Dukhan Bank Review (2026): The Bank That Publishes Its Numbers, Assessed Whole

Dukhan Bank is the Qatari Islamic bank that tells you the most before you walk in: expected profit rates on its savings accounts, a historic payout table, financing caps by nationality, card fees by tier and a full set of investor documents. It is the country's fifth largest bank and third largest Islamic bank by its own account, state pension funds and Qatar Holding own two thirds of it, and it reported a record QAR 1.41 billion net profit for 2025. The weaknesses are a small branch network and quote-only pricing on financing. For a saver who will hold QAR 100,000 or more, or anyone who values disclosure, it is a sound main bank. For a borrower, get the quote and compare.

From Barwa Bank to Dukhan: the corporate history as published

The bank's investor presentations set out the timeline. Barwa Bank was founded on 28 January 2008 and obtained its licence to begin operations shortly after. It acquired The First Investor, then First Finance Company and First Leasing Company, and took over International Bank of Qatar's Al Yusr Islamic banking window when Qatar Central Bank ended Islamic windows at conventional banks. The merger of Barwa Bank and International Bank of Qatar became effective on 21 April 2019, and the combined bank rebranded as Dukhan Bank on 7 October 2020. In 2021 it issued a USD 500 million Additional Tier 1 sukuk listed in London. On 22 January 2023 it converted from a private to a public shareholding company, the Qatar Financial Markets Authority approved its listing on 1 February 2023, and trading on the Qatar Stock Exchange under the ticker DUBK began on 21 February 2023. The listing was a direct listing of existing shares, so no new capital was raised and the shareholder base did not change on the day.

Ownership, per the December 2025 investor presentation, is 66.62% founders and major shareholders, comprising the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority (the state pension fund), the Military Pension Fund and Qatar Holding, with Qatar Holding alone at 6.84%, and 33.38% other shareholders. Three of the directors are described as state pension fund representatives and one as the Qatar Holding representative. For a depositor the ownership matters for one reason: both rating agencies cite a very high probability of government support in their ratings, and that support assumption rests on exactly this shareholder register.

Size, profit and ratings

The 2025 results press release and audited statements report total assets of QAR 123.8 billion at 31 December 2025, up 5% on the year, financing assets of QAR 90.0 billion, customer deposits of QAR 87.8 billion and total equity of QAR 15.35 billion. Net profit before the new Pillar 2 tax was QAR 1.41 billion, 5% higher than 2024; after that tax it was QAR 1.26 billion. Earnings per share were QAR 0.257 and total dividends for 2025 were QAR 0.16 per share, which is 16% of nominal value. The non-performing financing ratio improved to 4.2% from 4.6%, with stage 3 coverage at 75.7%, and the capital adequacy ratio was 18.2%. For the first half of 2026 the bank reported net profit of QAR 812.8 million. Fitch rates the bank A with a stable outlook (report dated 18 June 2025, upgraded from A- in March 2024) and Moody's rates long-term deposits A2 with a stable outlook (action dated 12 November 2025).

Those figures place Dukhan behind QIB and Masraf Al Rayan among Qatar's Islamic banks and ahead of QIIB. The growth is steady rather than fast, the asset quality metrics are moving in the right direction, and the capital buffers are well above the regulatory floor. Nothing in the published accounts should concern a depositor; our explainer on deposit protection in Qatar covers what the state backstop does and does not promise, and ratings are the market's shorthand for the same question.

• Total assets QAR 123.8 billion at 31 December 2025, up 5% on the year
• Financing assets QAR 90.0 billion and customer deposits QAR 87.8 billion
• Net profit QAR 1.41 billion before Pillar 2 tax, QAR 1.26 billion after it; QAR 812.8 million for the first half of 2026
• Dividend QAR 0.16 per share for 2025; earnings per share QAR 0.257
• Non-performing financing 4.2%, stage 3 coverage 75.7%, capital adequacy 18.2%
• Fitch A stable (18 June 2025); Moody's deposits A2 stable (12 November 2025)

Shariah governance

The Shariah and Fatwa Advisory Board has three members: Sheikh Dr Waleed Mohammed Hadi as chairman, Sheikh Dr Esam Khalaf Al-Enezi as member and Sheikh Dr Osama Qais Al-Dereai as executive member. The bank's page describes the board as examining all contracts and transactions, issuing binding decisions, and being supported by a Shariah audit team that reports periodically on the bank's compliance. Shariah and zakat reports are published in Arabic. That is a conventional structure for a Qatari Islamic bank, and the publication of zakat reports is a useful touch for customers who want to know how the bank treats zakat on its own funds.

Deposit accounts: the published rates

This is where Dukhan earns its reputation. The product pages, read on 16 September 2026, state expected profit rates rather than inviting you to call. The Exceptional Savings Account pays an expected 3.25% per annum, quarterly, on a minimum opening deposit of QAR 200,000, with one withdrawal of up to 25% of balance permitted per quarter. The Faseel High Profit Savings Account pays an expected 2.5% per annum, calculated on the minimum monthly balance and paid monthly, on balances of QAR 100,000 to QAR 2 million; below the minimum the rate drops to the ordinary savings rate, and above QAR 2 million the excess earns nothing unless you move to the Faseel High Net Worth variant. Faseel holders can also finance up to 90% of their deposit at a preferential rate without a salary certificate. The Jeelkum account pays an expected 2.5% on average balances of QAR 100,000 and above, 1% between QAR 50,000 and QAR 100,000, and 0.75% below QAR 50,000, with a QAR 5,000 opening minimum. The ordinary savings account pays monthly on balances of QAR 25,000 and above. Fixed deposits start at QAR 50,000 with tenors from one month to five years and monthly profit payment.

Dukhan also publishes a historic deposit profit rates page showing what it actually paid by tenor and currency, which is the only place in Qatar you can check a bank's delivered record against its expectations. Our detailed Dukhan accounts and deposits review walks through that table. The Thara'a prize account carries 4 annual grand prizes of QAR 1,000,000, 2 monthly prizes of QAR 20,000 and 60 monthly prizes of QAR 5,000, with grand prize eligibility requiring a balance held for three consecutive months with up to three withdrawals; our prize savings comparison sets it against QIB Misk, AlRayan Al Tijori and QIIB Joud.

Financing: published caps, quote-only prices

The vehicle finance page publishes the caps by nationality: up to QAR 2 million over up to 6 years for Qataris and up to QAR 400,000 over up to 4 years for expatriates, with salary transfer required, the vehicle no older than 7 years at maturity, and free takaful on the financed amount. The personal finance page describes a murabaha product with up to 6 years' tenor, free takaful on the financed amount, approval targeted within 24 hours, and a document list that includes salary transfer undertaking and post-dated cheques; no cap or rate is published. The GRSIA retiree financing page states that Qatari retirees can access up to five times their monthly pension to a maximum of QAR 300,000 over up to five years, with deductions capped at 25% of the pension and taken automatically from it. Home finance is offered through an ijarah structure covered in our guide to Dukhan's ijara home finance. Rates on every product are quote-only.

The pattern is consistent: Dukhan publishes the rules that decide eligibility and the terms that bound the deal, then prices by quote. That is better than most of its peers but it means a borrower must still get two or three quotes. Our Dukhan vehicle finance review explains how to read the quote when it arrives.

Cards, app and branches

The credit card page publishes a tier table that maps card type to credit limit band and a monthly fee: MC Platinum for limits of QAR 5,000 to QAR 25,000 at a monthly fee of 300, Visa Platinum for QAR 25,001 to QAR 35,000 at 500, rising through World and Signature tiers to Visa Infinite Retail ++ for limits of QAR 200,001 to QAR 500,000 at 2,500. The cards are described as 100% Shariah compliant, with cash withdrawal up to the full limit, a 3% minimum payment option, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and loyalty points convertible to Qatar Airways Privilege Club. The monthly fee model is the covered-card structure in which the bank's return is a fixed fee rather than interest on balances; our guide to halal credit cards in Qatar explains how to judge whether that fee is good value against your actual usage.

The Dukhan Mobile app, still listed in the app stores under its old Barwa name, offers biometric login, card digitisation for Apple Pay and Qatar Mobile Payment, card limit controls, cardless cash withdrawal, instant opening of accounts such as Exceptional for existing customers, charity payments and prayer times. The December 2025 investor presentation counts 8 branches, 9 including head office, and 70 ATMs, which is the smallest physical footprint among the four Islamic banks. If you need a counter regularly, that is a real limitation; if you bank by app, it is irrelevant.

Subsidiaries a retail customer will meet

Two wholly owned subsidiaries matter. First Finance Company, founded in November 1999 as the first finance company in Qatar regulated by Qatar Central Bank, was acquired in full by the bank in 2010 and serves Qatari nationals, expatriates and SMEs with Shariah-compliant financing from its C Ring Road office. If Dukhan declines a financing request, First Finance is a second door inside the same group. The First Investor (TFI) is the group's QCB-licensed investment arm focused on asset management and financial advisory, with over USD 750 million in assets under management per its site, and it is the manager behind the only Islamic ETF listed in Qatar. Our profile of The First Investor covers its funds and the ETF; for a Dukhan customer, TFI is the route from a savings account into a managed Shariah portfolio without leaving the group.

Dukhan against QIB, AlRayan and QIIB

Our four-bank comparison scores the full set. Dukhan wins on disclosure and on high-balance savings, loses on footprint and on headline prize size, and sits in the middle on everything else.

Verdict by reader type

Savers with QAR 100,000 or more: Dukhan is the strongest choice in Qatar. Exceptional at 3.25% expected on QAR 200,000 and Faseel at 2.5% on QAR 100,000 are published, the payout history is published, and the app lets existing customers open Exceptional instantly.

Salaried expatriates borrowing for a car or personal need: the published caps tell you quickly whether you qualify, but price is quote-only, so hold Dukhan's quote against QIIB's published card and a QIB quote before signing. Qatari retirees: the GRSIA financing at up to five times pension is a published, bounded product worth knowing about. Anyone who needs branches: 8 branches is thin; keep a second account at a bank with counters near you.

Open our Dukhan Bank provider page for the current product list, our bank accounts hub to compare accounts across all four banks, and our provider directory for the full Qatar market. Facts checked against dukhanbank.com, tfi.com.qa, ffcqatar.com on 16 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dukhan Bank the same as Barwa Bank?

Yes. Barwa Bank, founded on 28 January 2008, merged with International Bank of Qatar with effect from 21 April 2019 and the combined bank was renamed Dukhan Bank on 7 October 2020. The mobile app is still listed in the app stores under the Barwa name. The bank listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange on 21 February 2023 under the ticker DUBK.

Who owns Dukhan Bank?

According to the bank's December 2025 investor presentation, founders and major shareholders hold 66.62%, comprising the General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority, the Military Pension Fund and Qatar Holding, with Qatar Holding at 6.84%. Other shareholders hold 33.38%. Both Fitch and Moody's cite a very high probability of government support in their ratings because of this ownership.

What profit rates does Dukhan Bank pay on savings?

The product pages publish expected rates: 3.25% per annum on the Exceptional Savings Account (QAR 200,000 minimum, paid quarterly), 2.5% on the Faseel High Profit Savings Account (QAR 100,000 minimum, paid monthly) and 2.5% on Jeelkum balances of QAR 100,000 and above, with lower bands below. Fixed deposit rates are quote-only. Expected rates are not guarantees; the bank also publishes a historic payout table.

What is the minimum salary to open an account at Dukhan Bank?

The account pages we read do not publish a minimum salary for the ordinary savings account; they publish minimum balances instead, such as QAR 25,000 for monthly profit on savings, QAR 5,000 to open Jeelkum and QAR 50,000 for a fixed deposit. Financing products require salary transfer, and credit card tiers are set by credit limit band. Ask the branch for the current salary floor for a salary transfer account.

Is Dukhan Bank safe?

By published measures, yes. Total assets were QAR 123.8 billion at the end of 2025, the capital adequacy ratio was 18.2%, non-performing financing fell to 4.2%, and net profit was a record QAR 1.41 billion before tax. Fitch rates it A with a stable outlook and Moody's rates deposits A2 stable, both citing likely government support given state pension fund ownership.

How much can an expat borrow from Dukhan Bank for a car?

The vehicle finance page states a maximum of QAR 400,000 over up to 4 years for expatriates, against QAR 2 million over up to 6 years for Qataris. Salary transfer to Dukhan is required, the car must be no older than 7 years at maturity, and takaful on the financed amount is included free. The profit rate is not published and comes with the quote.