Centrally located in the Arabian Gulf, the peninsula state of Qatar, with 900 trillion cubic feet, controls five percent of the world’s proven natural gas reserves. It is the richest Arab nation with a per capita income of US $30,000 per annum.

Eighty percent of the Qatari population, which is now approaching one million, is based in and around the capital, Doha.

Qatar has strong historical and cultural ties to the sea. Pearl fishing was the traditional mainstay of the economy until oil and gas took over around 50 years ago. Although pearling is no longer a key economic driver, it has left a legacy of skills, stories, music, art and poetry that is a source of identity and pride for Qataris today.

Qatar has growing inbound tourism ambitions with The Qatar Tourism Authority this year targeting arrivals of 1.25 million tourists and the Doha International Airport undergoing huge expansion to cope with the anticipated increase in passenger traffic. When completed in 2015, the airport will handle around 50 million passengers a year.

Central to the international promotion of Qatar is the country’s flag carrier Qatar Airways – now one of the world’s fastest-growing international airlines. Currently serving a growing route network throughout Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Sub-Continent and Asia, the airline will operate a fleet of 52 Airbus aircraft by 2008.

Qatar, already host to annual ATP tennis tournaments and PGA golfing events, is making a name for itself on all the international sporting event circuits and, in 2006, will host the Asian Games. The Qatari government has a pro-business stance on foreign investment and is encouraging the growth of the country’s private sector, stimulating progress with an active privatisation programme.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Commerce, State of Qatar