Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Tuesday held the first session of a series of meeting under the theme of exchanging views with the aim of bringing together leading decision makers and industry professionals from within Qatar to engage, discuss and debate on compelling and interesting topics that matter to the Qatari capital market.

The first session, entitled "The investment climate in the State of Qatar," was held with the presence of a group of investors, financial experts, and decision makers from the financial industry, QSE said in a press release.

In the opening remarks delivered during the inaugural event of this series, QSE CEO Rashid bin Ali Al Mansoori expressed his satisfaction for launching this initiative. "It is my honor and privilege to welcome you in our event. As you might imagine, I am proud of this country's accomplishments and its pivotal role in the global economy. I hope you will take this opportunity to look around and understand why I am so enthusiastic about Qatar and the opportunity for investment that this region offers." "Qatar is a pro-business, strong and open economy that endeavors to become the business hub of the region in the coming years. There is much talk about reforms in the regional and global capital markets. Therefore, this series is very important in terms of exchanging views" and discussing issues related to Qatari capital market.

He elaborated on describing QSE's role in consolidating the investment climate in Qatar. "QSE's success is linked to this positive performance, which has been motivated by the strong policies of Qatar's leadership. The exchange supports local companies and promotes investment in Qatar's future, and we are constantly adapting to help achieve the goals of the National Vision." "QSE plays a significant role in the national economy, serving as a platform for listing and offering the shares of privatized companies and for the involvement of the citizens in the economic life. It is also a platform, through its venture market, for many Qatari SMEs seeking corporate growth and expansion," Al Mansoori clarified.

"We are ever mindful of the important role we play in the economy of Qatar, providing information on our leading companies and giving investors the opportunity to benefit from their continued growth. In addition, Qatar Stock Exchange facilitates companies and government to raise capital and offer investors efficient platform for asset allocation (capital formation and capital allocation)," Al Mansoori concluded.

In turn, Doha Bank CEO Dr. R. Seetharaman highlighted the importance of discussing regulatory issues as regulators must hear and understand the concerns and challenges facing the financial sector and the asset management industry in Qatar. He called for regulatory integration and harmonization in a bid to create competitive investment climate in Qatar.

Seetharaman also described Qatar as a country that is fortuned with financial stability compared to other emerging economies. He added that "no individual country, or society, is immune from the vicissitudes of the global economy that render great perils. No country grows in isolation. All depend on trade and support. All depend on customers for their products." "The fast dynamics of economic globalization and the rapid changes of financial markets impose a lot of challenges on the local financial market due to the vulnerability of any financial market to be affected by the global variables. Hence it is vital to have constructive discussions and adopt flexible and transparent methodology to deal with such challenges," Seetharaman concluded.