CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange Stresses on Importance of Benefiting from SMEs

Doha, November 22 (QNA) - CEO of Qatar Stock Exchange Rashid Bin Ali Al Mansoori stressed Wednesday on the importance of benefiting from SMEs in financial market, noting that the exchange realizes the success SMEs had all over the world. He was speaking at the 2017 Doha Investment Forum. In it he said that "our own QE Venture Market has learnt the lessons and is designed with initial and ongoing compliance requirements that lower the normal barriers to SME listing." He maintained that whilst the Rules have been available for some time, it has always been the case that the Exchange along with market professionals would have to invest significant time and resources in targeting and preparing a small number of outstanding SMEs who will represent the pioneers of our market when it is launched. For his part, Qatar Development Bank's Acting Executive Director of Investments Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan said that the bank he works for aims to support a successful transition towards the country's overall economic diversification. He added that the SME Listing Advisory Services, a joint initiative between QSE and QDB to open doors and assist potential SMEs to list their businesses in the Qatar Exchange Venture Market (QEVM), is one such support designed to drive forward SMEs growth and success. Meanwhile President and CEO at the CFA Institute Paul Smith said that Qatar has made great strides in building an efficient and transparent financial sector. He added that goals such as enhancing investor protection through standards and codes of conduct and building talent through professional developments are ambitious and aligned with the mission of CFA Institute. According to the World Bank, SMEs provide at least 45 percent of the jobs and 33 percent of the GDP in emerging economies alone, but whilst important contributors SMEs continue to face significant financing constraints. The forum was a platform to discuss the most recent thinking with regard to how stock exchanges contribute to a country's growth and the role which small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can enable entrepreneurial companies to be the driving force of global economies. Over 100 investment management professionals were given the opportunity to discuss global trends and each organization's contributions to the topic. (QNA)