The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre in the region, sponsored a virtual event produced by Bloomberg Media, entitled, ‘New Digital Frontiers: Leveraging Opportunities for Global Expansion,’ which discussed how US companies, at the forefront of digitalisation, can best take advantage of the array of business opportunities in Qatar and provide the conditions needed for their success.   

The virtual event, which featured leading experts in the fields of technology, digitalisation and business, also explored how increased acceleration of digitalisation, in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), is creating an extraordinary need to innovate products and services. Speakers further explored how US companies can leverage their expertise and influence to seize the opportunities arising out of the non-traditional players such as Qatar, Singapore and Luxembourg as they gain traction in the global marketplace as new types of digital and financial hubs.

Delivering the opening remarks at the event, Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC, said: “With the accelerated digital transformation happening across a range of sectors, businesses have many opportunities to choose from, and what will set them apart is how smartly they choose their next expansion destination by exploring new frontiers. As an emerging financial hub, Qatar offers a range of new business expansion and innovation opportunities to companies from around the world, especially those from across the United States, presenting an ideal gateway for them to set up locally and expand to the wider markets of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.” 

Al-Jaida continued: “The US is one of the global leaders in the digital, FinTech, sports and media sectors, and the Qatar Financial Centre is an ideal entryway to such US firms to access Qatar’s innovation ecosystem. Given Qatar’s fast-paced economy, there is a great potential for US companies to set up operations here, especially since Qatar is on track for more growth leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, and beyond.” 

The virtual event saw the participation of Sheikha Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director of Business Development, QFC, alongside prominent speakers, including Danil Kerimi, Chief Business Officer, Kindwell Inc.; Katherine Maher, CEO, Wikimedia Foundation; Amy Neale, Senior Vice President, Head of Start Path & Fintech, Mastercard; Vinay Patankar, CEO and Co-Founder, Process Street; and Robbie Schingler, Co-Founder, Planet. 

Speaking as part of the panel discussion, ‘Smoothing the Path: The Needs of US Digital Companies When Going Global,’ Sheikha Alanoud Bint Hamad Al-Thani, Managing Director of Business Development, QFC, commented: “Qatar has developed a long history as a hub between different worlds, and we continue to embrace that today as an international hub for doing business. As such, the Qatar Financial Centre is an effective springboard for businesses setting up in Qatar to foray into emerging markets with enormous potential for digital growth including but not limited to Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Setting up at the Qatar Financial Centre is your first and most effective start to international firms’ expansion journey from the US to the wider region.”