FROM LEFT: Ahmad Anani, Partner and Head of Qatar Office, Addleshaw Goddard; Haithem Al Katerji, CEO, Al Rayan Investment; Venkatesh Krishnaswamy, Senior Advisory Partner, KPMG; and Dr Kamal Abdallah, Managing Partner, Vita F & B Capital; during the panel
DOHA: The Listing Department of Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) organized a workshop at the St. Regis Doha Hotel entitled “Equity Capital Markets in Qatar - Challenges and Opportunities” which looked at listing challenges and opportunities as well as dual listings, liquidity issues, regulatory requirements and IPOs environment in the State of Qatar. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Addleshaw Goddard (GCC) LLP.
Equity capital markets experts participating in the workshop discussed challenges facing new issuers, ways to manoeuvre them, and opportunities presented by current market conditions and ways to capitalise on them. They also discussed the IPO process in Qatar, the valuation issues and the introduction of book building; managing liquidity of shares; governance issues and new global trends; mergers & acquisitions and corporate debts.
Rashid bin Ali Al Mansoori, CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange, stressed the importance of listing as a way to achieve sustainability and called on private companies to become public shareholding companies by listing on QSE market with the aim of facing current and future development challenges. He added: “One of our priorities at QSE is to contribute to the development of a diversified, competitive and sustainable national economy.”
Al Mansoori pointed out that the QSE represents a fertile environment for investments as it is one of the most important platforms for economic diversification and privatization in Qatar as well as a platform for capital allocation and capital formation ensuring liquidity provision to existing and potential companies listed on the main and SME’s market.
Abdulaziz Al Emadi, Director of Listing on the Qatar Stock Exchange, highlighted the benefits of being a listed company in light of the remarkable development achieved by QSE during the past few years since its inception. He pointed out that the process of listing private companies in the stock market would help to increase organizational since IPO can reduce the risks of relying on the founding shareholders and expand the investors base supporting the company’s growth and investments. Al Emadi stressed the readiness of the Qatar Stock Exchange to provide all possible assistance for companies to overcome the obstacles hindering them from being publicly listed on QSE.
The workshop was opened by Ahmad Anani, Head of Addleshaw Goddard’s Qatar office, delivered the opening address. He noted the importance of cooperation with the Qatar Stock Exchange in raising the issues concerning companies and investors.
