The construction industry is one of the largest employers in Qatar, with the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics reporting that sector employment stood at 547,504 in 2013, spread across 2483 registered construction businesses. Of these, 93.6%, or 512,430, were employed at 928 companies with more than 50 employees, while 35,074 were employed at one of 1555 companies with fewer than…
With Qatari residents benefitting from one of the world’s highest levels of GDP per capita, and enjoying the resultant disposable income, demand for new retail space has reached historic highs. The retail segment is set to welcome more than 1m sq metres of net leasable area (NLA) before 2020, adding much-needed space to a fast-growing market, with long-term sustainability expected on the…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the vast majority of business in Qatar, as is the case in the broader MENA region. Enterprise Qatar, the state-backed SME support vehicle that was established in 2011 and has since been absorbed by Qatar Development Bank, reported that SMEs constitute some 97% of the private sector. Qatar Development Bank further notes that between 8000 and…
Developing telecommunications has been a priority for Qatar. Ooredoo, formerly Qatar Telecom (Qtel), led investment for several decades until the government sought to eliminate Qtel’s monopoly. Competition was introduced through legislations which increased private sector participation, leading to Vodafone’s entry. The World Economic Forum’s “Global Information Technology Report”…
Qatar’s economic diversification plans combined with robust population growth require the construction of additional infrastructure, including an extensive hotel network that will support the country’s burgeoning travel market. The country’s tourism authority anticipates a rapid increase in the number of visitors in the build up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is also actively supporting…
The value of cultural institutions is often ignored, particularly in rapidly growing economies, because of the intangible benefits they bring. Qatar, however, has proudly declared its ambitions of becoming the most important cultural hub in the Gulf and has accordingly allocated significant resources to collect, preserve and display its cultural heritage. The royal family’s patronage of Islamic…
Qatar University (QU) and Qatar Foundation (QF) are leading the development of Qatar’s higher education programmes. While the bulk of the students enrolled at the university and at the various colleges located at QF’s Education City are pursuing undergraduate degrees, there is growing demand for graduate and post-graduate education in Qatar. QU alone offers more than 20 Master’s, three…
Like Qatar’s media sector, the advertising market is evolving quickly. While newspapers continue to take the lion’s share of advertising spend, new media are on the rise, and competition is growing between agencies. In the first three quarters of 2014, total ad spending in Qatar amounted to $461m, down 1% from $466m in the same period in 2013, according to the Pan Arab Research Centre.…
The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) was established in 2005 with the ambitious aim to attract financial institutions and multinationals to establish businesses in international banking, financial services, insurance, corporate head office functions and related services. Consistent with Qatar’s drive to diversify its economy, the QFC has now opened its doors to include a range of professional…
The current tax rules in Qatar are governed by Law No. 21 of 2009, which came into force with effect from January 1, 2010. The executive regulations, effective from July 1, 2011, contain the detailed rules related to the administration of the tax regime. The Public Revenues and Taxes Department (PRTD) also issues circulars from time to time to provide guidance on the interpretation of provisions…
