The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) announced that 813 new firms joined its business platform in the first three months of 2026, representing a 57% increase year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 over the same quarter in 2025.
In a statement, the QFC said this performance of the centre, which has developed into one of the world’s premier financial and commercial centres, reflects continued confidence in the strength of the business environment in Qatar.
In March, Fitch Ratings reconfirmed Qatar’s sovereign credit rating of ‘AA’ with a stable outlook for Qatar, which shows that the country is financially strong with high national income, a large overseas investment portfolio, and a favourable long-term growth outlook to absorb external shocks and navigate global trade disruptions.
QFC CEO Mansoor Rashid Al-Khater stated, “QFC’s first quarter performance, including March, reflects the underlying strength of our platform and trust in Qatar’s economic resilience. We remain focused on our strategic priorities: attracting wealth, developing the local financial services sector, supporting diversification, and maintaining uninterrupted delivery of our full range of services to a consistently high standard.”
QFC has continued to provide opportunities across sectors, and QFC’s dedication to supporting Qatar’s long-term national development goals has contributed to Doha’s rising rank in the Global Financial Centres Index 39, which has risen 14 spots to third in the MENA region and increased four points in overall competitiveness.
The QFC is designed to function within the country and offers a unique business platform for firms that want to set up and conduct their business in Qatar or the region as a whole. The QFC provides its own legal, regulatory, tax and business environment, allowing 100% ownership, 100% profit repatriation, and a 10% corporate tax rate on locally sourced profits.