Qatar’s dynamic capital market is set to attract more investment helped by new incentives set to be rolled out soon. These steps will not increase funds to the country but will also send the message to the global investors that Qatar is attractive investment destination.
Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) is planning to launch series of investors’ friendly measures. Rashid Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of QSE recently told QNA that QSE is planning to launch more ETFs as it is one of the most popular products among investors both domestically and abroad. The Exchange is working to create an incubator to achieve sustainability and growth of family businesses.
According to Al Mansoori, the exchange is working to activate the single window mechanism for listing, develop the licensing mechanism for intermediaries in cooperation with the Qatar Financial Markets Authority, and also try to develop the services so that there is one venue that the investor reaches and gets his job done quickly.
The QSE is also planning to launch a trading platform for small and medium enterprises.
Taking investors’ friendly measure is not a new news, Qatar has taken many such steps in the past.
On March 4, the Exchange announced details of exchange traded funds (ETFs) which was Qatar’s first listed ETF on the QSE and the largest in the Gulf. At the end of the same month, the QSE witnessed the listing of Al Rayan Qatar ETF. It is one of the largest Islamic funds traded in the Middle East and emerging countries and the second largest Islamic fund in the world.
Qatar is the world’s largest emerging market listed in the global indices in the region, and the second largest exchange market in the Middle East in terms of its capital.
To boost attractiveness of investment in the stock market, the QSE has also urged listed companies to raise foreign ownership limits in their shares to 49 percent instead of 25 percent. Many listed companies have already responded positively by increasing non-Qatari ownership limit. The decisions by the listed companies to raise foreign ownership limits have had a positive impact on the performance of the market. Qatar has a strong and diversified investment climate supported by a set of financial and regulatory laws that makes country as the one of the best countries for global investors.
These decisions support the openness of the Qatari economy and make it more competitive and fastest growing in the region.
