Qatar Financial Markets Authority announced it will run a one-day annual conference on 15 May 2025 in Doha, alongside the International Organization of Securities Commissions’ (IOSCO) 50th Annual Meeting, focusing on accelerated digital transformation in capital markets, Islamic finance and sustainable investment, SME access to markets, and market conduct and investor protection. Opening remarks are scheduled from the Governor of Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of QFMA Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saoud Al-Thani and IOSCO Secretary General Rodrigo Buenaventura, with keynote addresses from IOSCO Board Chair Jean-Paul Servais and Masamichi Kono (MUFG Bank senior advisor and former IOSCO President). The agenda includes three working sessions covering Islamic finance’s role in capital market growth and its alignment with sustainability goals, strategies to empower SMEs and bridge markets (including discussion of the SME credit gap and attracting foreign investors), and investor protection topics including market conduct standards, financial literacy and challenges linked to innovations, AI and virtual assets. The conference is scheduled to follow the IOSCO Annual Meeting hosted by QFMA from 12 to 14 May, with QFMA reporting that preparations for the international meeting have been completed after a recent IOSCO preparatory visit to Doha.