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Qatar Country Profile

Qatar is a country with alot of history and attractions, they also have an extremely strong economy, so there's alot to learn...

Posted on

22 July 2013

Last updated on 14 June 2017
Qatar Country Profile

Qatar Overview
Qatar is an independent, sovereign state, situated half way down the west coast of The Gulf, and occupies a small peninsula. Its only land border is with Saudi Arabia and the rest of its territory is surrounded by the Gulf. A strait of the Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain. Qatar has been ruled as an absolute monarchy by Al Thani family since the mid-19th century.The country is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which also includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

The Terrain
The terrain in Qatar is generally flat and rocky and covered with sand flats and dunes. However there are a variety of geographical marvels such as exceptionally elevated limestone formations, coastal salt plains, singing sand dunes. To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid ‘The Inland Sea, an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Gulf. This is a popular day trip destination and many people camp overnight here too. It really is worth the journey so make sure you visit it and try and incorporate a ‘dune bashing’ trip too, where a 4x4 vehicle will take you on a roller coaster ride across the dunes.

The highest point in Qatar is Qurayn Abu al Bawl at 103 metres in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcroppings running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border. The Jebel Dukhan area also contains Qatar’s main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.

Beaches
Qatar has a number of beaches, however many are only accessible with a 4x4 vehicle or are attached to hotels wh ere you have to pay a membership for the use of the facilities. Not surprisingly, the more secluded beaches do not have restaurants and toilet facilities attached to them so be prepared for this when you visit them. However this can be part of the charm, especially finding a gorgeous unspoiled beach and having it all to yourself for the day!

Weather
For the most part, Qatar has dry, arid weather conditions and its landscape consists primarily of sand dunes, scrub and rocky hills. Vegetation is sparse but the desert comes to life if rain falls and flowers and plants spring back to life.
There are mild winters and very hot, humid summers. The summer (which runs from May to September) typically brings intense heat, alternating between dryness and humidity. Temperatures are sometimes known to exceed 50°C, yes it’s true! The weather is much more agreeable from October to April and in fact winter temperatures can fall to around 17° C, which after the summer can feel relatively cool.

Rainfall is negligible, averaging approximately 100 millimetres per year, and is generally confined to the winter months (January and February). In 2008 it rained on only 2 days! The rain, when it comes does tends to fall either in small brief showers lasting only minutes or heavy showers that can last the day. Qatar is not equipped to cope with these longer heavier showers and when they come flooding is common on the roads.
Limited natural fresh water resources mean increasing dependence on large scale desalination and most people drink bottled water.

Sand storms also occur in Qatar causing low visibility and major disruption on the roads. These can last for a few days and descend within minutes covering everything in layers of sand and making spending any period of time outside uncomfortable.

Wildlife
The Arabian oryx roams the desert and is a protected species as well as Qatar’s national animal.
Although agriculture is very limited it does occur but is totally reliant on irrigation. There are many Date Palm farms which mainly get water from underground wells. In the North Central part of Qatar, rainwater is collected through the drainage basins but most of the water comes from desalination plants.

Population
The growth in population in Qatar has been phenomenal, in the 1960’s the population was 70,000, it is now currently estimated to be over 1,500,000. This number is predominantly made up of the expat community; of the 1,500,000 only around 350,000 are native Qataris. Approximately 50% of the population resides in Doha, which is the business and administrative capital of Qatar. There are other reasonably sized towns which include Masaieed and Al Wakra, in the south, Dukhan on the west coast, and Ras Laffan and the harbour town of Al Khor in the North of Qatar.

The breakdown of population based on 2008 information is Qatari 20%, other Arab 20%, Indian 20%, Filipino 10%, Nepali 13%, Pakistani 7%, Sri Lankan 5% and other 5%.
Arabic, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Tagalog, Urdu and Punjabi are the most widely spoken languages in Qatar

History
Qatar is a country rich in history and heritage and was a former pearl fishing centre. Archaeological discoveries, inscriptions and artifacts prove that the land now known as Qatar was populated from around 4000 BC. During the pre-Islamic era, it was mostly dominated by foreign powers, such as the Persian dynasties, then during the Islamic era Qatar was one of the first areas to convert to Islam.

Qatar remained quite independent during medieval times however races and ideas were introduced into the peninsula from Africa, South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Malay archipelago, as a result of Qatar’s participation in ocean commerce.
The British initially became interested in Qatar due to its location, which was a useful and significant vantage point en route to their colonial interests in India. However the British Empire’s dominance over Qatar diminished after the 2nd world war, especially following Indian independence in 1947, and on 3rd September 1971 Qatar became an independent sovereign state. The Emir, His Highness, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, acceded to power on the 27th June 1995 after seizing control of the country in a bloodless coup whilst his father was on holiday in Switzerland. The Emir and his father are now reconciled.

On 5th August 2003, HH the Emir announced the appointment of his son, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani as the Heir Apparent. The ruling Al Thani family was among a tribal group who settled for a long time at the Gibrin oasis in the southern Najd, before their arrival in Qatar during the early 18th century. The name Al Thani is derived from that of the family's ancestor Sheik Thani Bin Mohamed Bin Thani, who was the first Sheikh to rule over modern Qatar during the mid- 19th century. The family is a branch of the ancient Arab tribe, the Bani Tameem, whose descent, can be traced back to Mudar Bin Nizar.

Since his rise to power the Emir has introduced many liberal reforms such as press freedom, extended with the launch of the television news channel Al Jazeera, elections in 1999 (where Qatari women voted for the first time) and the drafting of a new constitution.

Industry
Before the discovery of its vast natural oil and gas reserves Qatar’s economy was mostly dependent on pearling and fishing. In the 1920’s Qatar’s economy faltered after the decline in its pearling industry.
Qatar’s national income is now primarily derived from hydrocarbons which were discovered in the 1940’s. It has proven gas reserves of approximately 900 trillion standard cubic feet in its huge North Field, and oil reserves estimated at 15billion barrels. It is one of the world’s fastest growing economies with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. In just decades, it has developed as a major global supplier of energy and is set to become the largest exporter of LNG in the world.

Oil and gas will certainly remain the focus of Qatar’s economy for years to come however Qatar has had the foresight to look beyond its reserves to a more diversified future. They have recognised the importance of education and are currently developing Education City. The Emir’s second wife, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned has been integral in developing education within Qatar, she is chair of the Qatar Foundation and a board member of Qatar’s Supreme Education Council. Qatar has also founded the Qatar Science and Technology Park in order to attract technology based companies from within and outside Qatar.

Qatar Today
Qatar is a country buzzing with energy, rich in tradition and bursting with development. It is a country until recently unknown to many travellers. However, with the release of its national carrier, Qatar Airlines and the extreme growth, development and modernisation of its capital Doha, Qatar has become more than just a place of transit- it has turned itself into a modern state for its nationals, a thriving economy for the expatriates an exciting tourist destination and the home of the immensely successful Al Jazeera Satellite News Network.

Architecture
Doha is currently booming and although skyscrapers and international hotels are seen dotted throughout the city, it has managed to maintain an air of tradition and the subtle local architecture still pleases the eye. The architecture is at times breathtaking and you will see a lot of amazing structures, designed in the Middle Eastern tradition.

Language
The official language of the country is Arabic, but English is widely spoken and understood. All official documents (such as visas, resident permit applications and contracts) must be completed in Arabic.
In contrast with other Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar has comparatively liberal laws, for instance women can’t legally drive in Saudi Arabia but they can in Qatar.

Alcohol
Alcohol is permitted in Qatar but is only available at the Qatar Distribution Center (QDC) or in licensed hotels or clubs. Expats that are not Muslim can obtain an alcohol permit that allows them to purchase alcohol at the QDC. Alcohol can only be purchased for personal consumption and you will only be permitted to spend an allotted percentage of your annual salary on alcohol. Although Qatar is seen as liberal in some aspects it is much less liberalised than the UAE or Bahrain.

Religion
Islam is the official religion of the country and Shari’a (Islamic) Law is the principal source of legislation and this is applied to family law, inheritance and some criminal acts. The Qatari’s are very dedicated to upholding tradition and deeply religious and you will hear the call to prayers from every mosque five times a day. During this time many Muslims will stop whatever they are doing to go to the mosque or kneel to prayer wherever they are.

Media
Al Jazeera is Qatar’s Doha based television network and is famously known for its fresh approach to news, media and content. It is popular in the Middle East and Far East region and has expanded to several regions across the world.
The 3 main English language newspapers in Qatar are The Gulf Times, Qatar Tribune and The Peninsula. Many international newspapers and magazines are available too.
English language radio stations include QF Radio 93.7 FM and QBS English 97.5 FM.

qatari riyals


Currency
The monetary unit of Qatar is the Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 Dirhams.
Bank notes in circulation are QR 1, QR 5, QR 10, QR 50, QR 500, coins available are Dh5, Dh 10, Dh 25, and Dh 50.
The exchange rate is linked to the US Dollar at the fixed rate of US$1 = QR3.65

The Qatar banking sector mainly operates from Doha- it consists of 9 Qatari owned banks and 7 foreign owned banks. 3 of Qatar’s national banks are Islamic banks. Islamic banking institutions must abide by the Islamic law (Sharia) and charging interest is forbidden- as a result there are fees for services. Both Muslims and non-Muslims have access to Islamic banking products.
Standard banking facilities are available and offered at most banks, which range from current and savings accounts to loans, debit and credit cards. If you are paid in US dollars you may open an account in that currency. To open an account you require a letter from your company confirming your employment, a valid work permit or residence permit, as well as 4 passport-sized photos.

Banks are generally open f rom 07:00 to 13:00 Sunday to Thursday. Some banks are open on Friday and Saturday; like the HSBC’s Al Sadd branch at the City Centre and the QNB branches also at the City centre in Doha.
ATM’s are spread throughout Qatar and are easily available. All major credit cards are widely accepted. There are no exchange controls in Qatar. For large cash deposits, banks do require a declaration of origin.

Transport
Road is the main means of transport in Qatar as petrol is very cheap and there is no rail network at present. The country has an advanced road system undergoing vast upgrades in response to the country's rapidly rising population, with several highways undergoing upgrades and new expressways within Doha under construction. A large bus network connects Doha with other towns in the country, and is the primary means of public transportation in the city.
The Salwa International Highway currently connects Doha to the border with Saudi Arabia, and a causeway with both road and rail links to Bahrain at Zubarah is due to begin construction shortly. The causeway will become the largest in the world, and will be the second to connect Bahrain to the Arabian Peninsula.

It is planned to construct a railway system over the next 20 years. The network will connect the country itself, and will include an international link with neighbouring states as part of a larger rail network being constructed across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. A railway link is also under construction between Qatar and Bahrain as part of the Qatar Bahrain Causeway.

The Airport
Qatar's main airport is the Doha International Airport. There are massively increased numbers of passengers transiting through and travelling to Doha and the New Doha International Airport is currently under construction, and will replace the existing airport in 2013.