Interview: Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit
Which UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can help accelerate Qatar’s socio-economic growth?
SALEH BIN MOHAMMED AL NABIT: Integrating the UN SDGs into Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy 2024-30 represents a strategic investment in tackling challenges, while promoting sustainable economic growth, social equity and environmental protections. SDGs 7 and 9 align with Qatar’s focus on sustainable energy and innovation, enhancing its infrastructure and energy security, while SDGs 3 and 4 can help develop a robust workforce, improve public health and education, and attract global talent. SDG 11 supports Qatar’s goal of making the country more attractive for investment and living.
These SDGs are part of a broader strategy for creating a resilient and diversified economy geared towards long-term stability and shared wealth. By focusing on comprehensive growth, we enhance our resilience and ensure that our prosperity is shared across society.
To what extent is further collaboration needed with the private sector to enhance data collection?
AL NABIT: Collaboration with the private sector is critical for enhancing data collection. This partnership is essential in developing sophisticated data analytics to provide insight into market trends and consumer behaviour, thereby helping inform government and private sector strategies. Improving data collection through such collaboration is likely to bolster Qatar’s investment climate, as foreign investors seek markets where they can make informed decisions based on reliable data. The availability of such data reassures investors of a market’s transparency and growth potential, which is crucial to attracting foreign direct investment.
How can methods of data collection, analysis and dissemination be further enhanced?
AL NABIT: Technology is playing a transformative role in the realm of data collection, analysis and dissemination. By leveraging advancements in big data analytics, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, we can significantly enhance the accuracy and timeliness of information. Investing in such technologies enables us to quickly process large volumes of data, identify patterns and trends, and forecast future scenarios with greater confidence, leading to evidence-based decision-making. Ensuring that our data is up to date and accurate helps craft policies that are responsive to the current economic and social environment.
What is being done to facilitate the correct use of data and statistics in policy-making?
AL NABIT: To foster collaboration with critical economic stakeholders in utilising data and statistics in policy-making, we actively engage with various sectors to ensure their needs and insights are incorporated. This involves setting up forums for dialogue, workshops for capacity building and channels for sharing best practices to ensure that our data and statistical analyses are relevant, functional and correctly applied. The active participation of these stakeholders in the data life cycle promotes evidence-based policy-making, which is essential for developing and implementing successful strategies in the public and private sectors.
In what ways has the 2022 FIFA World Cup shaped Qatar’s long-term economic development?
AL NABIT: The tournament profoundly impacted Qatar’s economy, showcasing our capability to host major global events. The investment in infrastructure and tourism boosted the economy in the short term and laid the foundation for long-term growth. We expect this experience to continue to shape Qatar’s economic development, as the event has significantly raised the country’s international profile. The positive legacy of the FIFA World Cup includes improved infrastructure, growth in Qatar’s tourism and hospitality sectors, and a transformed labour market, which will attract more investment and contribute to economic diversification.
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