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Analysis

Build it and they will come: Tourism development plans are creating opportunities for retail, hotel and infrastructure contractors
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Tourism has been a centrepiece of Qatar’s economic diversification plans for the past few years. The sector has come far, but it still accounted for no more than 1% the country’s GDP in 2013, in part because of its small size compared to larger sectors like energy and real estate. Still, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), the state agency responsible for guiding the sector’s development, is working…

Analysis

Home sweet home: A growing population is driving demand for more affordable housing
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With comprehensive infrastructure improvements and dozens of tourism developments in progress, it is not hard to understand why Doha’s skyline seems to have as many cranes as it does skyscrapers. The country is set to spend more than $200bn on construction over the next 10 years, according to a 2013 report from consulting firm Deloitte. The population, meanwhile, has undergone markedly faster growth…

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Preparing for game day: The sector is seeing an uptick in sports-related activity
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In December 2013 a team of Qatari representatives arrived to Brazil’s north-east to observe the country’s preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. “Regardless of the difference in size between the two countries, there are lot of elements that you can learn from, a lot of security elements, a lot of things that you do not think about,” Nasser Al Khater, communications director for the Supreme…

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Promoting best practice: Addressing the building code and enhancing sustainability
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With the construction sector undergoing both a major boom and heightened global scrutiny in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has been looking hard at its current building code in an effort to boost both safety and sustainability. This process has also been going on in an atmosphere of convergence within the GCC countries. Indeed, in December 2013 the six-member organisation announced that…

Analysis

Work in progress: Connecting the country and improving logistics
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Economic growth has created an unprecedented demand for construction equipment and raw material to build infrastructure, industrial bases, residences, retail outlets and all the other elements that are driving Qatar’s economy. This in turn requires a robust transport and logistics network to import and export goods and material. However, the process of bringing these goods and materials into the…

Analysis

Cultural significance: Fostering an artistic space from the ground up
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Qatar’s National Vision 2030 (QNV) – the state’s ambitious development programme – begins not with a discussion of transportation networks or oil and gas plant construction, but with a statement that exemplifies the Qatari authorities’ clear focus on promoting local culture. Indeed, while investors from around the globe are involved in projects in the state that range from metro stations…

Analysis

Farming pharmaceuticals: The government leads an effort to push generics over branded drugs
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One beneficiary of the roll-out of Qatar’s new national health service will be the pharmaceutical industry. As part of the new health care system, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) is leading an effort to promote generic drugs in partnership with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and other providers. Known as the Healthcare Products project, it should boost…

Analysis

Heavy lifting: Hotel investments are ramping up capacity ahead of 2022
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Recent years have brought a flood of activity for hotel and resort developers in Qatar. Ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the government plans to invest $20bn in tourism infrastructure, the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) said at Dubai’s Arabian Hotel Investment conference in May 2013. Hosting the influx of visitors expected for one of the world’s highest-attended sporting events is no small feat.…

Analysis

Pageload payload: Qatar joins its regional neighbours with the launch of a 4G LTE mobile broadband network
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Since its first commercial launch in 2001, the spread of third-generation, or 3G, mobile networks has redefined how people use the web, providing broadbandvelocity access to consumers on the go. Global uptake mushroomed in response: subscriptions rose from 268m in 2007 to 2.1bn in 2013, an annual increase of 40%, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). The latest iteration, fourth…

Analysis

Follow the genome: An increasing focus on medical and health sciences
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One area of research in which Qatar is forging ahead these days is that of medical and health sciences. Behind the mass of new studies and projects now ongoing in the state lies Qatar Foundation (QF), although a number of other institutions are also deeply involved in this multi-application research. Health Priorities The Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS) is the framework for these activities,…