iShares MSCI Qatar ETFQAT

The iShares MSCI Qatar ETF (QAT) is a BlackRock wrapper designed to track the MSCI Qatar IMI Index, a free-float-adjusted measure of the Qatar equity market’s investable universe. The wrapper is registered in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, where the issuer notes that most protections under the UK regulatory system do not apply to the operation of the product, and compensation will not be available under the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the event of default. The fund trades on multiple exchanges, with live activity visible on Nasdaq’s market-data feed for QAT.

What you actually own is exposure to 22 Qatari companies weighted toward financials, industrials and banks-think Qatar National Bank, Industries Qatar and Qatar Islamic Bank-with the top ten holdings accounting for roughly 80 % of net assets, according to the latest MSCI index factsheet. The fund’s expense ratio is 0.62 % per annum, deducted quarterly, which is the cost of the BlackRock-branded truck you’re renting to drive down Doha’s Corniche, minus the petrol.

BlackRock’s UK product pages clarify that iShares products are large-scale exchange-traded funds offered across jurisdictions, and that the issuer’s UK regulatory protections are limited; the same pages repeatedly show the same aerial interchange photograph, presumably to remind investors that even vast infrastructure can feel like a toll road. The SEC EDGAR listing for QAT confirms the fund’s legal structure and domicile, while the FINRA Fund Analyzer allows investors to compare QAT’s costs against peers-useful if you enjoy comparing toll booths.

Chart context for QAT is available on Nasdaq’s market-data route, where volume and price history can be viewed alongside the fund’s daily holdings snapshot. The wrapper’s tracking method relies entirely on the MSCI Qatar IMI Index’s quarterly rebalancing and reconstitution, meaning the basket refreshes in lockstep with index rules rather than any BlackRock marketing calendar. That keeps the fund technically ‘passive,’ even if the exit ramp is anything but.

Recent public filings do not reveal material changes in holdings or methodology since the last reconstitution window. Investors seeking deeper disclosure must consult the fund’s N-PORT or N-CEN filings on SEC EDGAR, which BlackRock updates on a delayed but regulatory cadence. What remains unproven is the degree to which the wrapper’s marketing slogan-capturing Qatar’s growth via an ‘easy and convenient’ ETF-actually aligns with the lived experience of limited daily liquidity in a small-cap-heavy market. Evidence that would deepen this file includes a live AUM update from BlackRock, a Nasdaq volume heat-map showing intraday depth, or a granular MSCI index methodology note clarifying weighting caps and buffer rules during reconstitution.