Qatar is in the initial phases of its National Development Strategy 2024-30 (NDS-3) to transform the country into an advanced economy capable of sustainable development. The plan prioritises competitiveness, innovation and institutional excellence, while balancing sustainable growth and social cohesion. The NDS-3 outlines seven strategic national outcomes that represent the main strategic priorities for the country’s next phase of development: sustainable economic growth, fiscal sustainability, a future-ready workforce, a cohesive society, quality of life, environmental sustainability and government excellence. While these cover various aspects of the economy, many are related to ICT – which supports the growth of many non-hydrocarbons sectors and is key to diversification objectives.
Economic Diversification
The NDS-3 targets an annual growth rate of 4% through to 2030. This is expected to be achieved by expanding gas production, supporting sectors that contribute to economic diversification and creating specialised economic clusters. These are broken down into four categories. Growth clusters build on existing non-hydrocarbons sectors, such as manufacturing, logistics and tourism, while enabling clusters – IT and digital, financial services and education – bolster growth throughout the economy. Resilience clusters, including food and agriculture, and health care, help sustain broader societal well-being, while future clusters are non-hydrocarbons sector such as technology, media and creative industries.
To ensure collective growth, each cluster has its own targets. For example, the financial services cluster looks to launch 35 financial technology (fintech) companies by 2030, and the IT and digital services cluster aims for a real GDP compound annual growth rate of 7.8% annually. The expectation is that this decentralised strategy will bolster Qatar’s broader diversification agenda.
Boosting Digital Development
The NDS-3 is set to significantly influence the ICT sector, as it aims to position Qatar as a leader in digital government. A key component of this strategy is establishing a specialised centre of excellence for data and emerging technologies to spearhead several initiatives, including the development of a comprehensive national data governance and management framework. This centre will facilitate the design and delivery of innovative and digitalised services, thereby improving the effectiveness and speed of government decision-making.
Additionally, Qatar plans to launch centralised performance tracking and monitoring systems for government services to ensure their quality and efficiency. This will involve digitalising 90% of citizen services, and improving data governance and management. The strategy also emphasises policy alignment across various government entities, incorporating systematic input from academia, citizens, residents, businesses and non-governmental entities to foster a conducive environment for digital entrepreneurship.
Strategy to Implementation
The successful execution of the NDS-3 is likely to require a comprehensive approach that addresses the ongoing challenges. For instance, the growth of the non-hydrocarbons economy is not yet as consistent as that of the hydrocarbons sector. To stimulate this growth, policies look to encourage private-sector development, particularly in the digital space – which would shift the onus away from the public sector to free up resources for other activities and ensure fiscal sustainability.
In light of the challenges likely to be faced in implementing the NDS-3, its roadmap is delineated into three phases between 2024 and 2030. The initial phase ( 2024-25) focuses on laying the groundwork, introducing major policy reforms, initiating large-scale initiatives and bolstering capabilities. The subsequent phases – 2026-27 and 2028-30 – will build upon the established foundations to scale up initiatives, accelerate transformation and capitalise on proven competitive advantages, setting the foundations for sustained, digital-enabled growth and development beyond 2030.
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