06/05/2015 00:35 AST
Qatar will showcase its 15 leading listed companies in London as part of efforts to highlight the umpteen investment opportunities in the domestic stock market before the international investment community.
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE), in collaboration with QNB Financial Services and HSBC, will start today a two-day road show designed to complement the companies’ ongoing investor relations activities through providing an opportunity for the senior management of listed firms to meet key decision makers from the world’s largest international fund managers.
The participating Qatari companies - QNB, Doha Bank, Commercial Bank, Masraf Al Rayan, Ooredoo, Industries Qatar, Mesaieed Petrochemical Company, Gulf International Services, Vodafone Qatar, United Development Company, Al Khaliji, Qatar Islamic Bank, Qatar Insurance, Nakilat and Milaha - represent blue-chip investment opportunities in the Qatari market, a bourse spokesman said.
The inclusion of Qatar in the MSCI and S&P Emerging Market indices provided a unique opportunity for Qatar to showcase its market-leading listed companies at a time when the profile of Qatar was set to be raised further, the spokesman said in an apparent reference to an expected upgrade from FTSE later this year.
Despite the recent drop in oil prices, the strength of the Qatar ‘story’ means portfolio investors continue to view Qatar as an exciting investment opportunity, a fact that has been reflected in the enthusiastic response to the forum, he added.
“This forum, which is held with the participation of leading Qatari listed companies, confirms the QSE’s keenness to work alongside the global investment community, especially following the MSCI and S&P decisions to upgrade the Qatari market to emerging market status,” according to QSE chief executive Rashid bin Ali al-Mansoori.
This upgrade, he said, reflects the recognition of prominent international investment institutions that the QSE is on the right path in terms of the development of the market infrastructure and the implementation of a number of important projects and initiatives.
“We also note that the upgrade of Qatar reflects meeting the quantitative requirements for inclusion especially the degree of openness of the market to the international investment community and an established and well-tested operational framework,” he said.
Abdul Aziz al-Emadi, QSE listing director, said the event as a valuable opportunity to reinforce Qatar’s strong investment story to global investment institutions and an opportunity for a detailed two-way dialogue between investors and companies in a focused one-on-one environment.
Gulf Times
Please wait...
