The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has witnessed an impressive 230% increase in new company registrations to 505 in the first six months of 2024, bringing the total number of firms on its platform to more than 2,200.

The tech sector accounted for the largest share of registered firms, contributing nearly 38%, largely due to QFC’s strong presence at the Web Summit 2024 in Doha last February, where the QFC offered special incentives for entities registering during the event.

This strategy was part of QFC’s efforts to increase the inflow of foreign investments, diversify the economy, and position the country as a leading tech hub in the region.

The financial services sector constituted 10% of the total number of new firms that joined the QFC platform in the first half (H1) of 2024 with the majority of them from the UK, France, Jordan, India, and the US and represent a diverse range of industries, including advisory services, fintech, IT (information technology) and innovation.

The H1-2024 also saw the QFC entering into various partnerships and collaboration agreements, forging 12 memorandums of understanding with prominent local and international organisations.

Among them are Masraf Al Rayan, Meeza, Hashgraph Association, the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), the Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) of Hong Kong, and the Canadian Arab Business Council (CABC). To streamline the business setup process in Qatar, QFC signed a pact with Media City Qatar and a workflow agreement with Qatar Science and Technology Park.

As a prominent thought leader in the financial sector, QFC maintained its active participation at high-level local and global events, such as the Qatar Economic Forum, Web Summit Qatar 2024; annual conference of the Arab Federation of Capital Markets; World Blockchain Summit Dubai; and the Islamic Fintech Forum in Dubai.

To enhance its engagement with local and global business communities, the QFC organised several events, most notably the Qatar Financial Markets Forum 2024, held in partnership with Bloomberg, focusing on “Trends Impacting Emerging Markets Landscape and Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility Sectors” and highlighting developments and opportunities in these fields.

The QFC also hosted an insightful event on wealth management, addressing challenges and spotlighting opportunities in the industry, with a particular emphasis on family businesses in Qatar.