Minister of Economy and Commerce Meets Vice Chairman of Nasdaq

New York, September 27 (QNA) - HE Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani met Thursday with Vice Chairman of Nasdaq OMX Group Meyer "Sandy" Frucher, on the sideline of the State of Qatar's participation in the 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. They discussed enhancing cooperation between Qatar Exchange and the Nasdaq, with the goal of developing the local financial market. They also discussed the challenges that could face global financial markets in the next five years. They also discussed ways to expand Qatar Exchange's markets. HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce stressed the State of Qatar's commitment to developing the financial market, and to benefitting from the experiences of international financial exchanges such as the Nasdaq. His Excellency expressed hope that the two sides can enhance cooperation by benefiting from Nasdaq's expertise in the field of collecting and exchanging information, as well as in the field of dual listing of ETFs, which is one of the most compatible with the teachings of Islam. His Excellency called on enhancing the partnership between Qatar Exchange and the Nasdaq in the field of developing financial instruments and marketing. His Excellency noted in that regard Qatar Exchange's commitment to transparency and good governance for all its listed companies, in addition to developing the infrastructure of the Qatari financial markets. HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce also met with CEO of AOT Group Mike Mansfield and discussed the scope of enhancing cooperation in many fields. They also shed light on the investment investments that the Qatari economy provides, in addition to the initiatives launched by the State of Qatar to support the private sector and attract foreign investment. The State of Qatar and the U.S. enjoy strong ties in economic and commerce field, which reflected positively on the trade volume last year when it reached QR21 billion. The U.S. is Qatar's main source of imports, with 16.3 percent coming from there. The number of American companies operating in Qatar was in excess of 650, with 117 wholly-owned by American citizens. (QNA)