The Euromoney Qatar Conference Begins on Tuesday

H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister, State of Qatar to Open Conference with Official Address

Doha, Qatar, December 5, 2016:  Senior bankers, financiers and economic experts from across the region and around the world are arriving in Qatar for the Euromoney Qatar Conference, which runs from 6-7 December 2016. 

The high profile event, which is one of the most important financial meetings to take place in Qatar, is set to bring together senior government ministers and leaders from across the financial sector to discuss the challenges of building a new financial ecosystem. 

H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister, State of Qatar, will give an opening keynote address at the event. 

His comments will be followed by keynote addresses by H.E. Mr. Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Minister of Finance, State of Qatar and Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, Group CEO, Qatar National Bank.  

Reflecting the international character of the event, other major speakers on the first day include renowned economist George Magnus and Hafez Ghanem, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa, The World Bank. 

Economies in the region have slowed in 2016, with the IMF estimating GDP growth will decline for the six GCC countries from an average 3.3 percent in 2015 to 1.8 percent in 2016. However, the rise in oil prices following last week’s OPEC agreement to cut output and a raft of recent fiscal initiatives to cut subsidies and diversify economies give grounds for optimism about 2017.

The wider global picture is more mixed, given the instability and uncertainty caused by the Brexit referendum vote in Europe and the results of the US elections - giving attendees at The Euromoney Qatar Conference much to discuss. 
 
Richard Banks, Consulting Editor at Euromoney Conferences said: “This has been a year of economic surprises and challenges, both in the region and globally, and we’re very pleased to have such a diverse and expert range of speakers at this year’s Euromoney Qatar Conference to help our delegates understand the key trends. As always, Qatar provides an ideal host for such a discussion, given the leadership of Qatar’s clear and long-term vision and the nation’s success in diversifying its economy and driving innovation.” 

This year, the Euromoney Qatar Conference will organise a special pre-conference workshop on geopolitics to analyse and address the major issues of the day, including the outlook for greater GCC integration. 

In addition, the event will host panels on regional and international portfolio investment strategy, “Digital Qatar”, and SMEs and Innovation, asking whether Qatar has the right incentives in place to grow the private sector.