Virtual currency, fintech on focus at 'training day' for QIIBs board members

QIIB recently held a training day for the bank’s board members in line with the Directors Annual Training Plan in order to meet the requirements of the corporate governance regulations issued by the Qatar Central Bank as well as governance regulations pertaining to joint stock companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE).The training for the board of directors was also organised within the framework of collaborating between the bank and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) as a specialised Qatari research university that provides high quality knowledge in several areas, thereby making a qualitative contribution towards the development of education and development in Qatar.The event was administered by Aphrodite Samir Hammad, executive director, HBKU’s Executive Education Center.The training focused on the main theme of virtual currencies and fintech, where Dr Mashael al-Sabah, senior scientist at the Qatar Computing Research Institute; Dr Yazan Boshmaf, scientist in Cyber Security at Qatar Computing Research Institute, HBKU, discussed various topics related to the theme, shedding light on the dimensions of cryptocurrencies, their functions, risks associated with these currencies, as well as other related topics.Moreover, there was an in-depth interactive discussion between the board members and lecturers highlighting the prominence of the topic and the various approaches to address it, dimensions associated with it, challenges faced by financial markets in light of the emergence of digital currencies and the controversy that surrounds them, in addition to their potential impact on the global financial sector and investments.Furthermore, the subject of fintech was thoroughly debated and emphasised in the training activities, since keeping pace with the new innovations and technologies associated with fintech has become one the main challenges in today's world.The most vital legislation and factors governing fintech in Qatar and the significant potential opportunities of investing in fintech software were also pointed out during the QIIB training day, which demonstrated the great interest of various entities, both government and private sector, and entrepreneurs in this field.To conclude, members of the board of directors thanked the panelists for their efforts, comprehensive research and knowledge during the lectures and discussions.