The QFMA was established under the Law No. 33 of 2005 regarding the establishment of Qatar Financial Markets Authority and transfer Doha Securities Market (DSM) (QSE currently) to Qatari Shareholding Company to regulate and supervise the financial markets in Qatar by taking all the supervisory and regulatory powers needed to exercise its functions under this law.

The QFMA officially undertook its responsibility on September of 2007, where the market, the listed companies and financial services companies were informed that the official functions of supervision and regulation were transferred from the market to the Authority after such functions were with the market for the last 10 years.

To keep up with developments in the financial markets, Law No. (8) of 2012 was issued regarding Qatar Financial Markets Authority and entered into effect on October 18th of 2012 to replace the repealed law No. (33) of 2005. ​