Kingdee Inaugurates Regional HQ at Qatar’s Free Zones; Marks Entry Into Middle East Market

Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) and Kingdee International Software Group Company have officially announced the inauguration of Kingdee’s regional headquarters at Ras Bufontas Free Zone in Qatar.

The two parties also signed a strategic cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration in developing digital solutions and supporting Qatar’s innovation ecosystem.

This milestone marks the Chinese technology leader’s strategic entry into the Middle East market, further positioning Qatar as a strategic hub for investment in emerging technologies and innovation.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Abdulla Hamad Al-Binali, Acting Chief Operating Officer at QFZ; Jason Zhang, President of Kingdee Group; and senior representatives from key public- and private-sector stakeholders.

Founded in 1993, Kingdee is a global leader in enterprise management cloud SaaS solutions. With over 7.4mn customers globally and operations in some 172 countries, Kingdee brings a wealth of domain expertise and deep technological capabilities.

The launch of its regional headquarters in Qatar is in line with the company’s strategy to strengthen its international footprint.

In December 2023, Kingdee signed an agreement with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), under which QIA committed to invest approximately QR728mn ($200mn) in the company, establishing a strategic partnership that supports Kingdee’s expansion in the region.

As part of this partnership, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed by Kingdee and QFZ during the ceremony to expand opportunities for developing advanced digital solutions in Qatar and the wider region.

The agreement also, outlines plans to conduct a feasibility study for establishing an innovation ecosystem and a center of excellence in Qatar, encourage Kingdee’s partners and suppliers to establish a presence in the free zones, and collaborate with research and academic institutions to support national capacity building and engage Qatari talent.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Bin Faisal al-Thani, CEO of QFZ, stated: “We are pleased to welcome Kingdee to our free zones. Kingdee’s decision to establish its regional base here is a strong validation of Qatar’s ability to attract pioneering international companies at the forefront of modern technology. With access to cutting-edge infrastructure, unparalleled connectivity, and the investment opportunities that Qatar’s free zones provide to expand across regional markets, Kingdee is well-positioned for growth and success.

“Their presence will further strengthen our technology sector and contribute to Qatar’s thriving innovation ecosystem.”

Jason Zhang, President, Kingdee Group, said: “Qatar is an economic hub in the Middle East and a crucial node of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’.

The open policies of QFZ, the global perspective of QIA, and the strategic efforts of Invest Qatar have created tremendous opportunities for us to ‘base in Qatar, radiate across the Gulf region, and go global.’”

Zhang added: “We will embrace an open and inclusive mindset that integrates global digital technologies with management wisdom to empower local enterprises as well as those going global with world-class products and services to achieve extraordinary results.”

The establishment of Kingdee Qatar will strongly support the strategic goals of Qatar’s National Digital Agenda 2030 by delivering “AI-driven + cloud-native” digital transformation solutions, enabling local enterprises to accelerate their progress from “digitalization” to “intelligentization”.

Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) continues to attract global companies in the fields of technology and cloud computing, strengthening its position as an advanced, future-ready investment destination.

This enables companies to expand locally, regionally, and globally from Qatar, benefiting from a flexible business environment and state of the art infrastructure. This is part of supporting the realization of Qatar National Vision 2030 and strengthening the pillars of the Third National Development Strategy.