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Qatar occupies the small Qatar Peninsula on the Gulf Coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula, placing it right in the heart of the GCC region. It shares its only land boundary with Saudi Arabia to the south, while Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Iran are all close by.

Possessing the world’s third largest natural gas reserves, Qatar is a small nation of just under 1.5 million people. The government’s sagacious deployment of the natural gas income and copious investment in infrastructure has led to a flourishing economy and one of the world’s highest per capita GDP figures at over US$ 70,000. Even as the double digit growth continues, the government is going forward with its efforts to diversify the economy away from oil & gas.

The burgeoning economy and extremely tolerant culture has attracted many thousands of expatriate workers, both white collar and blue collar, to Qatar in pursuit of opportunity. With only 15% of the population being Qatari citizens, the country is a melting pot of peoples and cultures from across the length and breadth of the globe. Arabs, Westerners, Asians, Africans and Americans live and work side by side in the country, which offers them a well-appointed lifestyle and tax free income in exchange for their time and expertise.

Politics

Qatar is an emirate, ruled by the Emir HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani who has been at the helm since 1995. Under his reign, Qatar has seen unprecedented growth and prosperity, and the country’s leadership continues to show a keen eye for reforms and modernization. With high levels of satisfaction with the government and no other political parties or pressure groups operating in the country, the political climate of Qatar can be described as highly stable.

Landmark reforms in recent years include a new constitution approved by popular referendum, preparations for a mostly elected national legislature and moves to hold public officials to higher standards of performance and accountability, greater transparency and a consistent process of social liberalization.

Although Qatar is an Islamic state, practice of other religions is permitted. The first Christian Church in the country was completed in 2007 followed by another in 2009, standing testament to the tolerant policies of the government.

Economy

Qatar has experienced rapid economic growth over the last several years on the back of high oil prices, and in 2008 posted its eighth consecutive budget surplus. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's non associated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings and 70% of government revenues.

The oil and gas revenues have driven Qatar’s per-capita income to one of the highest in the world, and made the economy one of the world's fastest growing. Even in the face of the recent global slowdown, Qatar’s economy remains robust thanks to many years of budget surpluses and the continued demand for natural gas around the world, albeit at lower prices.

Real Estate & Construction

As Qatar pumps its hydrocarbon income into infrastructure and real estate, the construction sector continues to grow at an impressive clip. The skyline of Doha city has been completely transformed in the last five years and construction continues unabated, particularly in the business district of the city. Further out of town, brand new cities are being developed to house the growing population and huge industrial and energy projects are beginning to become operational with many more on the way.

The sector is gaining increased importance in the economy, with one third of Qatar’s workforce being involved in the construction & real estate sectors directly or indirectly. The sector’s contribution to the GDP in 2006 was 5.6%, marking an impressive growth of 17.7% for the sector over the previous year. Growth figures for 2007 and 2008 also remained in the double digits.