The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), one of the world's leading and fastest growing onshore business and financial centres, has partnered with the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) and FTSE Russell, a world-leading provider of benchmarking, analytics and data solutions, to host a roundtable entitled "Outlook for 2019 and the GCC's growing influence in global benchmarks".

The roundtable discussion focused on the key issues that are expected to confront investors in 2019, the relevance of the Qatari market in global indices, and increasing investor interest. The event was attended by Philip Lawlor, Global Head of Markets Research, FTSE Russell; Kate MacPherson, Manager, Middle East & Africa, FTSE Russell; Mohsin Mujtaba, Director, Product and Market Development, Qatar Stock Exchange; and Henk Jan Hoogendoorn, Managing Director, Financial Sector Office, QFC Authority.

Henk Jan Hoogendoorn, Managing Director, Financial Sector Office, QFC Authority
"We are honoured to partner with the Qatar Stock Exchange and FTSE Russell to host this key event that focuses on Qatar's importance in the global indices and increasing investor appetite. This growing investor interest is clearly evident in the 27% increase in foreign direct investment inflows to Qatar between 2016 and 2017 which has been highlighted in the 2018 World Invest Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development."

Hoogendoorn added: "The event provided a platform for valuable discussions and the exchange of market insight and views on a number of critical issues. We look forward to hosting additional engaging and thought provoking roundtables in the future to further facilitate discussions on key areas."

Mohsin Mujtaba, Director, Product and Market Development, Qatar Stock Exchange
"Qatar Stock Exchange is excited to see growing interest from FTSE Russell in the Qatari market. Qatar's benchmark index has outperformed all global markets which indicates the robustness of the sound economic environment in Qatar and consequently solid investor confidence. QSE is also the largest ETF platform in the region by far with the listing of two successful equity ETFs earlier this year. We expect the trend to continue as more asset managers and index providers begin to explore ETFs as growth area for their clients in the Middle East."

Kate MacPherson, Manager, Middle East & Africa, FTSE Russell
"FTSE Russell are delighted to be hosting this event today in partnership with the Qatar Financial Centre and the Qatar Exchange. FTSE Russell has engaged with the Qatari market for a number of years now, as they transitioned into our Global Indices as an Emerging Market. We are committed to supporting the market and its ongoing development. The opportunity to meet with senior leaders from the business and financial communities here today in Qatar will allow us to share ideas and continue to evolve our products and services to meet the changing needs of clients."

The QFC is an onshore jurisdiction, allowing companies to operate in and from Qatar within the QFC legal and tax environment. The QFC endeavours to promote Qatar as an attractive business destination. Companies that wish to establish a business in the QFC are guided throughout by a dedicated QFC relationship manager who assists in the process of obtaining a licence and offers support in matters related to operating a business in Qatar. QFC firms enjoy competitive benefits, such as working within a legal environment based on English common law, the right to trade in any currency, up to 100% foreign ownership, 100% repatriation of profits, 10% corporate tax on locally sourced profits, and an extensive double tax treaty agreement network with 60+ countries.

In addition, the independent Employment Standards Office of the QFC embodies a unique Administrative Employment Dispute Resolution Centre accredited by the International Labour Organization (ILO), providing conciliation and adjudication services free of charge to help

resolve workplace conflicts. The ESO is fully aligned with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and aspires to promote international best practices in the field of human capital.