The Qatar Stock Exchange said it would consult with market participants and issuers next month on improving liquidity in the market, and review the way in which its indexes are calculated.

A committee including brokers, representatives of listed firms and an observer from the Qatar Financial Markets Authority will publish any changes to Qatar's index methodology in November, and the changes would take effect next January, the exchange said in a brief statement late on Monday. It did not elaborate.

Qatar was upgraded to emerging market status by international index compiler MSCI in May and by S&P Dow Jones Indices this week. But its weighting in the MSCI indexes was limited by restricted trading liquidity in its stocks, partly because of caps on foreign ownership of individual firms.

MSCI is now due to decide during a scheduled review in November whether to lift Qatar's weighting. Qatari authorities have taken a series of steps to boost liquidity this year, including a law issued in August that encourages companies to raise their foreign ownership caps. – Reuters