We are proud to welcome 30 new firms to the QFC platform in December 2020.
Community Newsletter
The latest market trends, news updates and our latest event. All what you missed from the previous month and more.
CEO Foreword
Maintaining our record growth for the 8th consecutive year evidences the excellence of our business model and the uniqueness of our platform, which is well equipped to withstand turbulences, support its firms, and attract new companies into the thriving Qatari market. In fact, the remarkable growth of the QFC platform reflects the flourishing economy of Qatar, which is leading the recovery path in the region. According to the December Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™), Qatar's non-energy private sector economy ended 2020 with another above-par rate of growth and the private sector business conditions continue to improve. Additionally, the latest economic projections of renowned international organisations, including the World Bank, show that Qatar’s economy is expected to grow 3% in 2021.
As our economy continues to open up and with the restoration of the GCC ties, we are expecting more lucrative business and investment opportunities to be created across different sectors. We believe that the GCC reconciliation means a stronger, more powerful Gulf Cooperation Council, as we are all working towards a better future for the entire region.
Entering the year ahead with an optimistic outlook, we look forward to continuing providing foreign firms with the best platform for expansion into Qatar and beyond. I wish you all a successful 2021 and look forward to sharing more updates with you next month.

Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida
Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Financial Centre
GCC Reconciliation Shapes New Promising Era
His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, The Amir of Qatar
“Sensing the historical responsibility at this defining moment in the march of the Gulf Cooperation Council and in fulfilment of the hopes of our peoples, I participated alongside our brothers in the Al-Ula summit to heal the rift, and we all hope for a better future for the region. I thank the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the generous welcome and I thank the brotherly State of Kuwait for their appreciated efforts.”
Commenting on the declaration signing, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia affirmed:
“The declaration strengthens the bonds of friendship and brotherhood among our countries and peoples in order to serve their aspirations”.
The Al-Ula Declaration paved the way for many significant developments in the region, including restoring ties between Qatar and its neighbouring countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. They all agreed to restore trade ties and transportation, including flights and to reopen the borders.
Speaking to CNBC, the Qatar Financial Centre chief Executive Officer, Yousuf Al-Jaida
“The reconciliation means a stronger, more powerful Gulf Cooperation Council. The impact is going to be positive on trade, which means countries are going to be working closely with each other.”

QFC CEO on CNBC: QFC to Attract $25 Billion of Foreign Investments by 2022
In an exclusive interview with CNBC, the Qatar Financial Centre chief Executive Officer, Yousuf Al-Jaida, discussed the latest developments in the GCC region, Qatar’s positive economic outlook, and the business impact of restoring ties with neighbouring Gulf countries.
QFC Records Remarkable Growth Amidst a Global Economic Slowdown
Qatar's Private Sector Conditions Continue to Improve in December
The latest market trends, news updates and our latest event. All what you missed from the previous month and more.
COVID-19 Status in Qatar
Given the rapidly evolving situation, kindly follow the official communications channels and make sure that you are not misled by fake news or information circulated by non-credible sources or unofficial platforms.
- Government Communications Office (@GCOQatar)
- Ministry of Public Health (@MOPHQatar)
- Ministry of Interior (@MOIQatar)
- Ministry of Industry and Commerce (@MOCIQatar)
- Ministry of Defence (@MOD_Qatar)
- Qatar Media Corporation English website (www.covid19qatar.info)
Market Trends
Welcome to the QFC Community
QFC Digital Thought-Leadership Series: #AccessQatar
In line with QFC’s webcast series entitled: ‘#AccessQatar: QFC Webcast Series’, QFC continues to cover the latest trends and developments across a number of industries and topics including Qatar’s economy, financial services, FinTech, foreign direct investment, digital, and sports.

IPA – Roscongress: Qatar-Russia Economic Partnership: Avenues of Growth for Russian Companies in Qatar’s Investment Ecosystem
Held in the run-up to Qatar’s participation in the 24th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) as the guest country, a business-focused webinar was organised with the support of Moscow Policy Group and in collaboration with Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA), Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), and the Qatar-Russia Coordination Centre (QRCC).
News Highlights
Business News Highlights
QNB passes asset milestone of 1 trillion riyals
Sustainability Development Goals
In the framework of the Task Force on COVID-19 and the Impact on Migration/Mobility that IOM co-convenes, with ILO, ESCWA and WHO, a meeting was held on the Impact of COVID-19 on Migrants and Refugees in the Arab Region. The meeting focused on several issues, including health, access to services, and income security, and presented key policy recommendations to address those issues.
IOM Kuwait collaborates with Academia for the Film Festival. As part of the Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF), IOM organised a virtual screening of ‘Women’s Country’ which was followed by a discussion on "Films for social change: how can the arts change social perceptions?" led by panelists from the Kuwait University, the American University of Kuwait and Manshoor, a local production house.
Acknowledging the particularly crucial role that civil society organisations (CSOs) and other non-government stakeholders, such as academia and media are playing in support of vulnerable migrant communities, the UN Network on Migration in Kuwait facilitated a national dialogue to identify and potentially collaborate on main thematic challenges for 2021, especially in light of the ongoing health and consequential economic crisis.
Effective January 2021, the Middle East Response (MER) grant implemented by IOM, in partnership with The Global Fund, will add 10 million Euros specifically for Jordan through a debt swap agreement between the Governments of Jordan, Germany and The Global Fund.
The debt cancelled by the Government of Germany has been reassigned to support the Jordan Health Fund for Refugees as well as HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis activities in Jordan through the MER. The MER initiative provides essential HIV, tuberculosis and malaria services to key and vulnerable populations including refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), migrants, women, children and other conflict-affected populations in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine and Yemen.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, IOM engaged a “special voluntary return” flight to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire supporting the voluntary return of 82 beneficiaries, as well as special repatriation flights to Cameroon, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe so that these 49 beneficiaries could return home after months of being stranded in Algeria.
IOM has registered over 4,000 VHR applicants since October in Aden. Following the nationality verification conducted by Ethiopian officials for 1,160 Ethiopians, the GoE is working on the issuance of travel documents to be sent to Yemen. Once these documents are received, IOM will proceed with necessary arrangements and process the VHR movements. Further discussions are ongoing with GoE and IOM Ethiopia on post-arrival arrangements, including reception and quarantine facilities. Meanwhile, IOM continues the provision of cash for work, food vouchers and emergency assistance to migrants awaiting return.