04 November 2024, Doha – Qatar: The Corporate Registers Forum (CRF) Annual Conference 2024, hosted by Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre, commenced today at Le Royal Méridien Doha. This marks the first time Qatar is hosting this prestigious event, attracting prominent representatives from over 50 member jurisdictions, CRF partner organisations, business leaders, industry professionals, and subject matter experts from across the globe.

The opening session featured speeches from Louise Smyth, CRF President and CEO of UK Companies House; Yousuf Al-Jaida CEO of Qatar Financial Centre; and Nasser Al Taweel Deputy CEO and Chief Legal Officer at Qatar Financial Centre.

Themed “Innovative Registries – Business Enablers of the Future,” the first day of the conference explored key topics such as use of distribution ledger technology, leveraging registry data, role of legal entity identifier, future of registries, and regulation of company service providers.

The day concluded with a formal dinner and cultural programmes, offering participants an authentic experience of Qatar’s culture and hospitality.

Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC, commented on the success of the event's first day, stating, “Hosting the 20th Corporate Registers Forum in Qatar is a testament to the collaborative spirit and shared vision we uphold. This partnership-driven initiative not only strengthens our global connections but also highlights Qatar as a proponent of business excellence. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our partners whose unwavering support has been instrumental in bringing this event to life.”

On holding the CRF 2024 in Qatar, Louise Smyth, President, CRF, said, ““This week the global corporate registry community converges on Doha for our showpiece annual conference, a four-day meeting of the world’s most prominent experts in the field to discuss everything from the future of registries, enforcement challenges, anti-money laundering and beneficial ownership, as well as global cooperation.  We are honoured to be welcomed by our amazing hosts at the Qatar Financial Centre who have worked meticulously over the past 15 months to prepare an annual gathering that I’m sure will go down in the history books”.

From his side, Martin Fidler Jones the CRF General Secretary, said: “The CRF annual conference is the flagship event in the global registry community. The team at Qatar Financial Centre have surpassed all expectations to prepare what promises to be an unforgettable event that will see over 40 international experts from all around the globe deliver 18 conference sessions over four thematic days on the hottest topics in corporate registry practice.”

Nasser Al Taweel Deputy CEO and Chief Legal Officer, QFC, expressed the significance of the event to the QFC objectives, stating: "We are proud to host the Corporate Registers Forum Annual Conference 2024 in Qatar for the first time and welcome registry professionals and experts from around the world. Hosting this event stresses QFC’s dedication to nurturing a dynamic and transparent business environment which is a fundamental driver of economic development and diversification.”

The CRF 2024 will continue over the next three days, covering critical topics relevant to business registries, including Corporate Re-domiciliation, the Importance of Monitoring, Enforcement and Effective Penalty Regimes, and the Tokenisation of Shares. Regional breakaway sessions for Europe, Asia and the Middle East & Africa, along with updates from partner organisations and presentations of business registry insights, are also on the agenda.

One of the key discussions at the event will be on 'Beneficial Ownership,' introduced for the first time at a CRF conference. A full day, scheduled for Wednesday, will be dedicated to this crucial topic, covering 'Empowering Beneficial Ownership Globally,' 'AML Legal Frameworks Worldwide,' 'Global Beneficial Ownership Insights,' and 'FATF Recommendations’.

Finally, the members-only CRF Annual General Meeting 2024 will take place on Thursday, immediately after the conference concludes.