Recent times have seen the announcement of some major mergers in Qatar’s oil and gas industry, as hydrocarbons players respond to changing global conditions. The new, leaner sector should benefit from shared back office functions and more efficient practices, with the changes broadly welcomed across the industry. Although 2018 will likely be marked by organisational realignments among the…
With domestic sources of oil in decline – and, until recently, a moratorium in place on further exploitation of the country’s vast offshore natural gas reserves – Qatar has been boosting its overseas investments, with state oil and gas giant Qatar Petroleum (QP) now involved in projects across the globe. QP has been working in cooperation with other international oil companies and state…
Key to Qatar’s drive towards diversification in its economy is developing a thriving private industrial sector. The most recent national development strategy has thus sought to encourage businesses, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This support is also likely to continue in the National Development Strategy 2017-22. These are, however, challenging times…
With $500m a week being spent on infrastructure projects in Qatar over the next three to four years, supplying these projects with the materials they need is in itself an epic task. Many have predicted that this volume will produce a price squeeze in the years up to peak construction, ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under Control Thanks to foresighted improvement to the country’s transport…
The government’s focus on investing in large-scale transport projects is expected to continue for the next three to four years as new motorways, rail links and other expansions are built to service a growing population and meet demand projections for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, Qatar’s transformation is not just about football – it goes well beyond the 2022 FIFA tournament. Transportation…
One of the four pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030, the long-term development plan, is environmental sustainability. Under this goal, economic growth and social development must occur in such a way as to ensure environmental protection, securing the country’s achievements for future generations, as well as boosting the health and standard of living of existing residents. This has implications…
In December 2010 Qatar beat competition from the US, Australia, Japan and South Korea to become the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In so doing it became the first Arab country and the smallest nation to ever be awarded the honour. Yet what Qatar may lack in size it is more than making up for in investment and planning for this momentous occasion. Price Tag Indeed, in February 2017 Ali…
With its strong telecommunications infrastructure, and with rules in place to free tech start-ups from local ownership requirements, Qatar is a natural home for ICT entrepreneurship. However, the country’s start-up segment has faced challenges, not least a shortage of private sector investors willing to invest in high-risk propositions, given the availability of less volatile options. “Private…
Improving education forms part of the first pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development plan aimed at reducing dependency on hydrocarbons and creating a diversified economy driven by services. This targeted development is seeing new tertiary developments opening in Qatar; for example, the Scotland-based University of Aberdeen opened a local branch in partnership…
Public spend composed 84% of health expenditure in 2016, with the remainder made up by the private sector. As spending priorities shift to preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar’s authorities are intent on courting private sector involvement in social infrastructure – specifically the health care sector – to help fill gaps in construction and provision. The projected…
