Economic Stability:

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Inflation Foreign Trade Exports Imports Monetary Policy Domestic Liquidity Exchange Rate Policy Interest Rate Policy

The State of Qatar is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Arabian Gulf and connected to the south by land to Saudi Arabia. Qatar offers businesses a uniquely central location at the hub of Middle East and European trade and heart of decision-making. Geographically, the region's immediate neighbors are UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Qatar provides businesses with rapid access to leading markets and suppliers. In 2000, the government of the State of Qatar carried on its efforts to implement its policies aiming at diversifying income sources and developing the economic infrastructure. It intensified its efforts to provide the best possible utilization of its hydrocarbon wealth. As a result, several steps were taken to accomplish these objectives.

In the first place, the government has expanded exploration projects in oil and gas fields, and offered incentives to attract foreign investors to carry out similar projects in Qatar. In this regard, it has issued several laws to simplify investment procedures and liberated economy and developed the techniques of marketing gas from giant plants.

Parallel to this, the government implemented an economic policy in public expenditure and diversified sources of national income to include non-oil sources. Consequently, the country has witnessed tremendous economic improvement manifested by surplus in current account of expenditure scale, reduction of deficit in general budget and stability of inflation and exchange rates.

The national economy has been developed tremendously during the past few years which were reflected positively on the general economic performance.

The economy of Qatar has achieved a remarkable growth during the second quarter, April/June 2007 in various economic activities, Estimates indicate the GDP reached QR 50.7 Billion, compared with QR 48.0 Billion during corresponding quarter, April/June 2006, with a growth rate of 5.59 %,While it reached QR 44.7 Billion during the preceding quarter, January/March 2007, with a growth rate of 13.38 %.

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The inflation rate increased by 10.1% during the first half of 2007, compared to an increase of 11.8% in 2006 This increase in inflation can be the primarily attributed to the sustained increase in housing costs and the weakness of the US dollar, to which the Qatari Riyal is pegged.

1. Qatar is now the most open Arab economy, and the, "best regional model for its neighbours to emulate." (According to the World Economic Forum)
2. Qatar's rapid economic growth has enabled it to become one of the wealthiest countries in the world,
3. Qatar has the highest GDP per capita income in the world which stood around Of $49,655. In 2005.
4. Qatar national bank Estimates GDP per capita reaching as high as $64,495 by the year 2007.
5. Qatar has the third largest reserves of natural gas in the world.
6. Qatar has an average crude oil output of 759,000 barrels per day
7. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world.
8. Investments in Oil and Gas Petrochemicals are expected to reach 70 billion USD in the Coming 7 years.
9. Qatar hopes to spend an astronomical $100bn on investment and infrastructure projects by 2012.
10. Qatari officials expect at least USD 45 billion to be invested in expansion projects by the Coming few years.
11. Qatar builds a USD 5 billion new airport, the biggest in the region.
12. Qatar plans 27 mega industrial projects by 2010 at USD 60 billion.
13. Qatar introduces USD 2.5 billion project "Pearl of the Gulf" man-made Island.
14. Hotel industry in Qatar growing 8 new hotels with 2,550 rooms will be added in the next Two years.
15. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and is expected to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter by 2007.