The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), one of the world’s leading and fastest growing onshore business and financial centres, hosted a panel discussion entitled ‘Qatar-UK Fintech roundtable’ in partnership with Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Refinitiv, in London.

Strong participation of senior executives was secured from key Fintech organisations and high-level decision makers such as QFC, QDB and QCB, among others, discussing how the two countries can work together to fully leverage Fintech to its maximum potential in Qatar. During the discussion, Henk J. Hoogendoorn, Managing Director of Financial Sector Office, QFC, noted that the growth of Qatar's Fintech market presents abundant opportunities for key partnerships between the UK and Qatar to fully develop these areas.

The QFC recently unveiled its multi-pronged strategy, focusing on new clusters such as media, digital, sports and financial services as part of furthering its contribution to Qatar's economic diversification efforts. Furthermore, the QFC is home to several fintech firms, including Goals101 Data Solutions, India's leading fintech and Big Data Technology platform.

Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan, Executive Director of Investments, Qatar Development Bank, shared details on Qatar's Fintech Strategy in a presentation which further highlighted the measures taken by QDB to promote the development and adoption of Fintech.

Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa, Qatar Development Bank CEO

"The Qatar-UK Fintech roundtable is part of our efforts to contribute to building a vibrant fintech and digital banking ecosystem in Qatar, marking another step in a new era of growth for Qatari companies which will enormously help in achieving Qatar National Vision 2030. Always staying at the forefront, QDB is taking tremendous efforts to offer the much needed push to Qatar's financial landscape, aptly backed by technology."

Henk J. Hoogendoorn, Managing Director of Financial Sector Office, QFC 

"The Qatar-UK roundtable provided a valuable forum to explore the role that established players in the financial services industry must assume in the future growth of Fintech. Both Qatar and the UK are of course vital markets for this fast-growing industry and it therefore makes sense that the two countries cooperate and provide the necessary leadership to leverage Fintech to achieve its full potential."