Doha, July 17 (QNA) - The Peninsula newspaper noted on Saturday, that Qatar has emerged as preferred destination for companies across the world due to the high economic growth and supportive policies for private sector.

The newspaper stated in its editorial titled 'Attracting Global Companies', that the recent data show that several companies are choosing Qatar to grow their business despite the challenging environment created by COVID-19 outbreak.

Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre in the region, exhibited steady growth during the first half of 2021 despite the ongoing COVID-19 disruption, with the number of registered firms on the platform witnessing 32 percent increase since H1 (first half) 2020, the newspaper said, adding that a total of 136 firms from several countries launched their businesses in Qatar by registering on the QFC platform during the first half of this year.

It pointed out that QFC witnessed a significant increase of 63.7 percent in the number of new firms licensed on the QFC platform in 2020, compared to 2019. It also registered 334 firms in 2020, compared to almost 200 firms registered over the same period in 2019.

The newspaper added that the year 2020 saw QFCs implementation of support measures in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, which offered relief to its registered firms, in addition to new policies that create opportunities for firms looking to tap into the Qatars flourishing market.

The Peninsula concluded by stating that QFC continues to receive increasing interest from global businesses expanding to Qatar and the wider region. More than 1,100 firms have so far been registered on the platform, surpassing QFCs target of registering 1,000 active firms by 2022, a major step in diversifying key economic sectors, including digital, financial services, sports, and media. (QNA)