Qatar
QATAR - Fast Facts:
STATE OF QATAR
Capital: Doha, ca. 2 Mio. inhabitants
Population: 2,4 Million
Timezone: UTC +3 hrs
Head of State: H.E. Emir Scheich Tamin bin Hamad Al-Thani (2013)
Currency: Qatari Riyal
GDP per capita: 93.800 US-$ (2014)
GDP composition per sector: agriculture: 0,1 % ; industry 77,8 %; services 22,1 %
Human Development Index Rank (2013): 31 (of 187)
Oil Reserves: 25.1 billion bls
Qatar pursues an independent and self-confident foreign policy. It was possible to solve any tensions in 2014 with neighboring states in time for the Qatari takeover of the GCC Chair in 2015. The disputed issue was Qatar´s support for forms of Islam which are contentious, particularly in Egypt. In June 2017 Saudi-Arabia and the UAE broke of diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar over accusations of interfering in the internal affairs of other states. Bahrain, Egyt and other allied states followed suit. Currently a resolution of this conflict in the near future seems unlikely.
​
However, Qatar is considered a “boom country” with not yet fully used economic potential. Hence the competition for this market is fierce. In 2013 the current Scheik Tamin bin Khalifa al Tani took over the office from his father Scheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Tani and continued his course of moderate modernization. The Al-Thani family has ruled Qatar since the 1850ies, constantly balancing over a long period between Britisch and Ottoman bids for control. Quatar became a British protectorate in 1916 and declared its independence in 1971.
Since the 1970ies Quatar has witnessed a booming growth of population from 110.000 to 2.4 million today (with over 2 million expats). The current GDP per capita is among the highest in the world. 60& of the GDP is generated through oil- and gas related industries. Qatar possesses the world´s third largest natural gas reserves and is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Current growth is driven by the non- oil sector: The Doha based satellite TV station Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is the leading station in the Arab world. The Qatar Investment authority (QIA) was founded in 2005 and owns large real estate portfolios worldwide and huge overseas investments. The selection of Qatar as host of the 2022 World cup has been controversial and accusations of corruption have been made relating to how Qatar won the right to host the event.
​
Sources: World Bank, UNDP, IMF, German Foreign Office (AA). This text constitutes a basic information and is regularly updated. Correctness and completeness of the data cannot be guaranteed. Read the full disclaimer.