23 January 2023, Doha – Qatar: Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre in the region, hosted the second edition of the Qatar Financial Market Forum, with participation from Bloomberg Intelligence, which delivers in-depth analysis and data sets on industries and companies, government, credit, litigation and economic factors. This year’s event, themed “Trends Shaping Emerging Markets and Sustainable Infrastructure & Mobility”, brought together a diverse group of leaders and key stakeholders from private companies, government entities and financial institutions to discuss the latest advancements and challenges within emerging markets across the sustainable infrastructure and mobility sectors.

The event commenced with an opening remark by Ms. Maha Sultan Al-Sowaidi, Assistant Governor, Financial Stability Sector, QCB followed by a keynote address from QFC CEO Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, emphasising the importance of platforms promoting knowledge exchange in pursuing economic growth. Analysts from Bloomberg Intelligence and QFC then led a series of engaging presentations and in-depth panel discussions, shedding light on key areas such as green technologies and renewable energy to smart urban planning and resilient mobility solutions.

In her opening remarks Ms. Al-Sowaidi said:” In recent decades, the merging of new and advanced technologies has brought us a host of opportunities and challenges, significantly influencing our prosperity, economic resilience, lifestyle, and work dynamics. The financial sector is well-positioned to leverage the opportunities and address the risks posed by this technological evolution. Adopting a forward-looking approach, we strive to ensure that the financial sector possesses the necessary resilience, capital, and liquidity to maximise opportunities and mitigate risks effectively.”

Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC, commented on the significance of the event, saying: "We were thrilled to collaborate with Bloomberg Intelligence once again for the second edition of the Qatar Financial Market Forum. This platform is dedicated to fostering high-level knowledge exchange and meaningful discussions that allow us to gain insights into evolving economic and industry trends, identify opportunities, and address challenges that can impact and shape our future. This year's theme is particularly noteworthy given the critical importance of understanding the dynamics in emerging markets and sustainable infrastructure and mobility in developing effective strategy and fostering economic growth. As we eagerly anticipate positive outcomes from this forum, expect that the QFC remains committed to providing platforms for insightful dialogues."

The presentations covered a wide array of topics, including inclusive, impactful, and sustainable infrastructure, the electric vehicle industry in the GCC, the future of energy transition, the top trends shaping emerging markets in 2024, the Middle East in a global context, outlook for GCC banks and Qatar’s capital markets.

Building upon the comprehensive presentations, the panel discussions delved into the dynamics of emerging markets and the sustainable development strategies in Qatar, emphasising the county’s ambitious targets outlined in the 3rd National Development Strategy.

Speaking at the event, Edmond Christou, Senior Industry Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence, said: "The Gulf region surpasses Europe and leads among emerging markets with a construction pipeline valued at over $1.7 trillion for the next five years, exclusive of energy-related infrastructure. This substantial investment aims to diversify the region’s oil-dependent economy, offering Qatari banks and other Gulf lenders and investors with the unique opportunity to capture strong growth trajectory and mobilise green liquidity”.

The forum’s collective insights underscored the global relevance of the discussions and emphasised their specific implications for Qatar. They also highlighted the importance of ongoing collaborations and dialogues in addressing complex challenges facing emerging markets and sustainable development.