Qatar_TNYT 2008

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
THIS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT IS PRODUCED BY SUMMIT COMMUNICATIONS AND DID NOT INVOLVE THE REPORTING OR EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
R
ich in natural gas, the Gulf microstate is a high-profile
actor in the region and a tested friend of the U.S. Like
Arab purebreds, Qatar has intelligence and staying pow-
er. Its desert roots are evident in its reverence of tradi-
tion. But Qatar also has the stamina that has enabled
its society to master the era of globalization. Today, it is better
known for the cachet of its Formula 1 races or the verve of Al Jazeera
television than for its vast natural gas reserves.
The State of Qatar (pronounced Ghattr in Arabic) is scarcely
the size of Connecticut. Haze and sandstorms regularly sweep
eastward from neighboring Saudi Arabia, with which Qatar shares
a 37-mile land border. With a population of 825,000, it is as-
tounding how far this country has taken its reform agenda. A
pearling nation under the British protectorate, GDP in 2007
amounted to around $71.42 billion (source: CIA – The World
Factbook.)
Qatar has also proven to be a formidable U.S. ally in the re-
gion. Al Udeid, just north of the capital, Doha, served as cen-
tral command during the war in Iraq. United States Central
Command, including the 9th Air Force, still ensures that mili-
tary operations in Iraq and Afghanistan run smoothly. The U.S.
Department of Defense has therefore awarded several contracts
to maintain operations at Al Udeid up until 2012.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, is also the
acting defense minister. He has made it clear that his govern-
ment hopes the U.S. will prevail in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Security and stability in our region are closely tied to political
and economic stability,” he told his Advisory Council last year.
Social advancement
The thrust of the Emir’s policies, however, is directed at educa-
tion and social advancement. Rapid action and talent will be
needed to prepare Qatar for the post-oil era of the 21st centu-
ry. Sheikh Hamad has turned the country into the wealthiest na-
tion per capita in the world. But beyond macroeconomics, he
believes that greater political pluralism will create even more val-
ue. Hence his enthusiasm for the 24-hour news station Al Jazeera,
based in Doha.
In his speeches, the Qatari head of state emphasizes an inte-
grated context for his reforms. His management philosophy is to
free talent from red tape. This means encouraging the private sec-
tor to participate in helping to build a modern state. The wind-
fall money from the oil and natural gas boom is being channeled
into new sectors: financial services, insurance and ICT.
Foreign investment, meanwhile, has begun to shift subtly to more
added-value projects in petrochemicals and LNG. With the launch-
ing of the fifth train of RasGas, Qatar’s production capacity will
rise to 30 million tons per year. Ports, industrial cities and eco-
nomic zones will act as complementary agents of development.
A modernizer at heart
Sheikh Hamad has embraced change. He is a believer in swift
overhauls to make the system more effective, refusing to insu-
late civil society from reforms. Instead, he delegates many of
the reforms to actors in the private sector. A keen manager, Sheikh
Hamad is also a modernizer at heart with a profound respect
for ancient Bedouin traditions.
“Our options in the economic sphere were limited in the past.
They were confined to the development of our hydrocarbon in-
dustries and to the optimal utilization of our finite natural re-
sources,” Sheikh Hamad said recently. Today, Qatar has alter-
natives that match the Emir’s vision.
Building a knowledge economy requires investments in edu-
cation. To encourage R&D ventures in Qatar, the Emir has
stressed the importance of universities nurturing new talent, and
not being places of privilege for the few. Qatari centers of learn-
ing have signed partnership agreements with higher institutions
in developed countries to encourage the flow of ideas.
“We will work on pursuing our development efforts in the so-
cial, scientific and urban fields as well as the sphere of culture,
art, and other aspects of human activity that go hand in hand
with continuous progress in the economy,” explains Sheikh Hamad.
Creating the Gulf
region’s health hub
Premier facilities and hotel-
style service raise standards
Page 4
The Pearl-Qatar
rises from the sea
One of the world’s largest real
estate projects is taking shape
Page 8
PIONEERING WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS Page 3
Oilandgasrich,Qatar’spercapitaincomemakesitoneoftheworld’s
wealthiest nations. Aware that hydrocarbons are a finite resource,
the country’s Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has spent the
last decade laying the foundations for the post-oil era through an am-
bitious program based on education, health care, and housing
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the first lady Sheikha Mozah
attending the ceremony of the tenth anniversary of Al Jazeera, in Doha,
in2006.Dubbed“theArabCNN”,AlJazeerabroketaboosinArabtelevision.
Doha digs new ideas
INSIDER VIEW
Qatar
Location: Middle East,
peninsula bordering the Persian
Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Capital: Doha
Area – comparative: slightly
smaller than Connecticut
GDP (purchasing
power parity):
$71.42 billion (2007 estimate)
Exports – commodoties:
liquified natural gas (LNG),
petroleum products, fertilizers,
steel
GDP – composition
by sector:
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 77.8%
services 22.1% (2007 estimate)
Industries: crude oil production
and refining, ammonia, fertilizers,
petrochemicals, steel reinforcing
bars, cement, commercial
ship repair
Imports – partners:
U.S. 14.2%, Italy 11.5%, Japan
9.5%,France 8.4%, Germany
7.7%, U.K. 6%, U.A.E 5.5%,
Saudi Arabia 4.6% (2007)
The Qatari government is keenly aware
of the need to strengthen its economy
by diversifying away from oil and gas pro-
duction, but the sector is currently still re-
sponsible for 85 percent of export earnings,
and will remain of paramount importance
to the country for the foreseeable future.
It is true that Qatar is a relatively small
player in oil production—its proven oil re-
serves of 15 billion barrels are dwarfed by
Saudi Arabia’s 260 billion barrels and are
less than half those of Nigeria—but the dis-
covery of the world's largest non-associat-
ed offshore gas field in its territory has pro-
pelled it to third place in terms of global
natural gas reserves.
This has thrust the State of Qatar into
the international spotlight, and a flurry of
deals have been signed in the past year or
so to exploit its renewed energy-rich sta-
tus. The result should be for gas to over-
take crude oil as the main contributor to
Qatar’s GDP by 2010.
Projects include the Qatar
Petroleum/ConocoPhillips joint venture
QatarGas III, which will start producing gas
for the U.S. market from 2010, and Qatar-
Gas IV, a joint project between Royal
Dutch/Shellandstate-ownedoilgiantQatar
Petroleum,whichwillcomeonstreamayear
later, with output aimed at both North
America and Europe.
The crucial importance of oil and gas to
theeconomyisreflectedintheimmenseser-
vices infrastructure investment being made
for the sector. Most notable is the con-
struction of Energy City—a $3.5 billion de-
velopment in the giant Lusail real estate in-
vestmentprojectlocatednorthofDohathat
is being pitched to be a hub for the ener-
gy business in the Middle East.
Immense
energy
resources
spark new
investments
New LNG projects are increasing
almost daily as massive gas finds
add weight to Qatar’s energy
clout on world markets
Continued on page 10
PHOTO:KARIMJAAFAR/AFP/GETTYIMAGES
An online version is
available at
www.summitreports.com
This supplement was
produced in Qatar by:
Nathalie Martin-Bea
(Project Director)
Matthew Carroll (Editorial Director)
Photography: Maneesh Bakshi
For further information contact:
Summit Communications
1040 First Avenue,
Suite 395,
New York, NY 10022-2902
Tel: 1 (212) 286-0034,
Fax: 1 (212) 286-8376,
info@summitreports.com
QATAR nytsab pp1 OK PDF.qxd 30.10.2008 16:30 Página 1

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Qatar
2
E
very day, the journalists of the
Arab news channel Al Jazeera
challenge the conventional wis-
dom of their viewers. Many of the
station’s reporters were initially
recruited from the BBC’s Arabic service. Their
success lies in generating a critical approach
to news analysis.
It may seem odd that a small country in
the Gulf was able to launch such an influ-
ential and controversial media outlet. Started
in 1996 with a $150 million grant from the
Emir of Qatar, Al Jazeera introduced a level
of freedom of speech on TV that was previ-
ously unheard of in many Persian Gulf
countries. Today Al Jazeera is an empire
with a huge operation in Doha and scores of
offices around the world. More importantly,
it is an undisputed free voice in the Arab
world, which infuriates many governments
not only in the region but also in the West.
But it is no secret that openness is often
behind key competitive advantages, and ever
since he took power in 1995, Sheikh Hamad
has promoted freedom of expression. One of
the first reforms he put in place was to sup-
press the Ministry of Information that
existed under the previous regime. Qatar,
unlike more traditional societies in the Arab
world, has used openness to ensure its eco-
nomic future. By diversifying opportunities,
each citizen is a free agent of change.
The Emir sees scientific research and
knowledge as future economic motors. To
cope with a changing global landscape,
Qatar dedicates funds for technical train-
ing. It facilitates the endowment of depart-
mental chairs and signs partnership
agreements with foreign institutions. The
policy here is to reward innovation and cre-
ativity, not to stifle them under the weight
of tradition.
“We need to intensify our work and
upgrade educational standards in order to
build the capacity that we lack in R&D. We
look forward to a future with contented-
ness and trust, confident that we shall
achieve the progress and high status that
Qatar deserves,” the Emir told members of
his Advisory Council in a recent address.
This versatility of knowledge will prepare
young men and women to pursue personal
initiatives in the private sector and encour-
age others to follow in their path. Sheikh
Hamad is convinced this can all be done
while preserving national identity and basic
cultural principles.
Education City
In addition to Qatar University, estab-
lished in 1973, the government is attracting
institutions of higher learning to its new
Doha Education City, the flagship project
of the Qatar Foundation. Created by the
Emir in 1995 as a private non-profit orga-
nization, and chaired by his wife Sheikha
Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned, the Qatar
Foundation for Education, Science and
Community Development is the “heart and
mind" of the new Qatar.
New arrivals at the campus include Cornell
Medical College, Texas A&M University,
Carnegie Mellon University and Georgetown
University’s School of Foreign Service.
Cornell was the first institution to estab-
lish a branch location in Education City. It
acted as a magnet for other U.S.-based
research centers. The renewals of these part-
nership agreements are currently being
negotiated for the long term.
“This is the most exciting experience I
have seen in my lifetime since I graduated
from college in the U.S.,” says Dr. Mohamed
Fathy Saoud, the Egyptian-born president of
the Qatar Foundation.
The core idea of Education City is to
boost the qualifications of the Qatari work-
force. When Dr. Saoud first came to the Gulf
in 1996, he recalls the predominant lifestyle
choice as being government dependence.
Now the focus is on the liberating power
of knowledge.
The institutional role played by foreign
universities is important not only in terms of
quality training, but also in accreditation.
Cornell Medical College is in Doha to help
raise the standards of the Hamad Medical
Corporation, for example. Soon, the Qatari
medical center will become a recognized
teaching hospital.
Meanwhile, Education City is already a
live community. To strengthen the social
bonds, the academic deans launched the
Doha Debates, giving voice to students and
faculty on wide-ranging issues. Another ini-
tiative has been dubbed Lakom al Qarar (The
Decision is Yours), which encourages stu-
dents to think independently.
“The message was clear from the begin-
ning: education is the most effective way
to institute change. No sustained change
can be achieved without the empowerment
of education and research,” says Dr. Saoud.
Still, Education City will not only be about
training doctors, but about opening minds.
Dr. Saoud says that coeducation of men
and women was perhaps the biggest change
of all. No one but the Emir could have chal-
lenged the idea that receptivity to new ideas
entails the loss of Qatar’s traditional cul-
ture. In the end, Sheikh Hamad’s political
vision has succeeded in dispelling the myth
that they are opposing forces.
Society
The rewards of investing
in knowledge
Investment in education and R&D has helped fuel Qatar’s global competitiveness
Education City is home to the largest cluster of American universities outside the U.S.
One of the two major auction
houses in the world, Sotheby’s,
announced in early October that it
was about to open an office in
Doha, where it would hold its first
major international series of
auctions in 2009. This move is proof
of the increasing weight of the Gulf
countries in the international art
market, and particularly of Qatar.
“Doha is today a center of dynamic
economic and cultural growth, not
only for the region but also
internationally," declared Bill
Ruprecht, president and chief
executive of Sotheby's at a press
conference in Doha. “The
magnificent Museum of Islamic Art
as well as other museums planned
for this city are stirring huge
excitement around the world and it
is a great honor for Sotheby’s to be
a part of this dynamism.”
Scheduled to open on November 22,
the new Museum of Islamic Art
(MIA) is designed by I.M Pei, the
world-famous Chinese-American
architect who created the Louvre
Museum Pyramid in Paris. Situated
on its own island in Doha harbor –
an area where four other museums
are slated to be built – the MIA has
nearly 5,000 square meters of
exhibition space and will show a
vast collection of unique Islamic
artefacts.
“Qatar is an important center of art
and education in the region. The
presence of Sotheby's underlines the
growing demand of art in Arab
society," said Abdullah Al Najar, CEO
of the Qatar Museum Authority,
quoted by the Qatari daily The
Peninsula. “With the new MIA
opening [in a few days], the whole
world is looking at us. The museum
will make Qatar a global center of
culture and heritage."
Has progress towards democracy come
to a halt in the Arab world? Are
Muslims failing to combat extremism?
Can the U.S. still act as an agent of
peace in the Middle East? While most
Arabs have an opinion on such issues,
not all have the freedom to ask or
debate them openly, particularly in a
public arena.
Working with the Qatar Foundation,
BBC award-winning journalist Tim
Sebastian established the Doha Debates,
a forum where such opinions could be
heard, argued over and voted on.
Based on a centuries-old format
used at the Oxford Union, the Doha
Debates take place eight times a year
and focus on a single, controversial
motion, with two speakers for and
against. The debates are then
broadcast on BBC News and archived
on the organization’s website,
www.thedohadebates.com.
The majority of the debates take
place in Doha, in front of an
international audience of Arab
students, although the group has also
organized sessions in Cambridge and
Oxford. Bringing together
international experts from around the
world, the debates' guests range form
a former American president to a
Lebanese talk show host.
Mr. Sebastian ensures they stay to
the point. His unbiased and aggressive
manner of moderation allows no room
for equivocation, speciousness or
contradiction. Following one expert’s
introductory remarks, Mr. Sebastian
read a seemingly contradictory
statement back to the participant and
asked him, “Are you sure you are on
the right side of the debate?”
As the participants present and
rebut arguments, Mr. Sebastian
frequently interrupts and rebukes
them, and offers his own opinion.
“But you are arguing it’s halted, and
now you are saying there are steps,”
he said to Dr. Amr Hamzawy, an
Egyptian political scientist and senior
associate at the Carnegie International
Endowment for Peace. “If those aren’t
moves towards democracy, I don’t
know what is.”
After each side has presented its
argument, the audience is given the
opportunity to ask questions and then
vote on the issue. The majority vote
either carries or rejects the House’s (the
organization’s) ruling.
For Westerners, the exchanges offer
a unique opportunity to hear how Arab
intellectuals and students opine on
their own issues. Conversely, it allows
Arabs the opportunity to ask questions
to Western leaders. In 2005, former
President Bill Clinton fielded questions
on foreign policy, Iraq and nuclear
proliferation.
Apart from its on-the-floor debates,
the Doha Debates organization
conducts polls on peripheral topics. For
instance, a 965-person poll conducted
after a debate on extremism
determined that the majority of Arabs
believe Saudi Arabia is at greatest risk
to religious extremism.
The debates larger importance for
Arab society is in presenting a way to
dissect controversial issues without
violence. According to its website, the
group seeks: “to change minds, re-
examine conflicts and project new
solutions by unleashing the power of
words in a region scarred by violence
and discord.”
New Museum of
Islamic Art ‘stirs
huge excitement’
Unleashing words
to silence guns
Change is thought to come slowly in Arab
societies, but powerful women are start-
ing to emerge and to play an active role
in promoting social and economic devel-
opment. One of the most prominent is
Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned,
ranked by Forbes magazine the 79th most
powerful woman in the world, and second
in the Arab world.
Sheikha Mozah’s vision for the future of
Qatar parallels that of the Emir, her hus-
band. Along with establishing a sustain-
able economy, the influential couple has
given education, scientific advancement and
health care significant consideration.
As head and founder of various educa-
tion institutions, groups and initiatives,
Sheikha Mozah has shown concern for fu-
ture generations around the globe. She is
becoming an increasingly influential fig-
ure not just in Qatar, but also in the wider
Gulf region and internationally.
In the State of Qatar, she is a driving
force for change. As chairperson of the Qatar
Foundation for Education,
Science and Community
Development, a private,
non-profit organization
behind major initiatives
currently under way in
Qatar, she has overseen the
realization of major pilot
projects, such as Education City and Qatar
Science and Technology Park.
Education City, a 2,500-acre campus of
state-of-the-art facilities on the outskirts
of Doha, has helped attract some of the
world’s leading academic institutions, cre-
ating a kind of Ivy League in the Middle
East. Education City is home to a grow-
ing community of educational and re-
search institutions, including the largest
cluster of American universities outside
the United States.
Already established are outposts of Weill
Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon
University, Virginia Commonwealth Uni-
versity, Texas A&M University and George-
town University. As close collaboration with
industry is a key goal, the site is also the
location of the new Qatar Science and
Technology Park.
“No sustained change can be achieved
without the empowerment of education
and research. This is why the Education City
project was started,” says Dr. Mohamed
Fathy Saoud, president of the Qatar Foun-
dation. “We wanted to use the best prac-
tices and features of what is happening in
education across the world.”
A high level of reassurance and long-
term commitment from Sheikha Mozah
and her staff have convinced some of the
world’s leading universities to open cam-
puses on the site, says Dr. Saoud. “We have
made them feel confident that their full
autonomy and governance of their pro-
grams, and their independent decisions re-
lated to admissions, faculty and staff re-
cruitment can never be undermined.”
CarnegieMellonUniversityopeneditscam-
pus in Education City in
2004,teachingcomputersci-
ence and business. Dean
Chuck Thorpe says Educa-
tion City’s blend of univer-
sities creates an extremely
uniqueenvironmentandop-
portunity. “There is a very
strong sense that you can get an education
here that you can’t get anywhere else in the
world,” he says. “We’ve opened up all our
coursesforcross-registration,soastudentcan
comehereandmajorincomputersciencefrom
CMU, the world’s number one ranked com-
puter science school, and go downstairs and
listen to a distinguished lecturer on foreign
affairsfromGeorgetown,goovertoVCUand
take a course in jewelry making and go play
soccer with their buddies at Texas A&M. This
is a chance to mix together high-ranked ma-
jors and programs from highly ranked uni-
versities around the world, and that’s a won-
derful opportunity.”
Building a sustainable
economy on
education and health
The Foundation for Education, Science and Community
Development is the heart and soul of Qatar
The addition of American institutions
has pushed academic standards for Qatar
University, where Sheikha Mozah serves
as president, and has increased her coun-
try’s international renown. “We are ex-
panding and accepting more applications
every year,” she says. “It is still a man-
ageable increase because this number is
being distributed among all of the oth-
er universities and colleges, namely the
Educational City and the region.”
Sheikha Mozah is also vice-president
of the Supreme Education Council and
is directly involved in setting national
policies, and has instituted reforms aimed
at improving learning and school per-
formance at elementary, middle, and
high school level. As president of the
Supreme Council for Family Affairs, she
is in a position to promote education
for children with special needs, learn-
ing for the disabled and training for the
underprivileged.
Appointed as Unesco’s Special Envoy
for Basic and Higher Education in 2003,
Sheikha Mozah promoted international
projects to improve the quality and ac-
cessibility of education worldwide.
Four years ago, she established the In-
ternational Fund for Higher Education in
Iraq, dedicated to the reconstruction of
institutions of advanced learning in Iraq.
Last year, with a $10 million endowment
from the Emir, she set up the Arab Foun-
dation for Democracy in Doha, which is
mandated to promote democracy and
equal opportunity throughout the Mid-
dle East and North Africa.
Ranked by Forbes
magazine as one of the
most powerful women in
the world, Sheikha
Mozah is a fervent
promotor of education
The Doha Debates take place eight times a year and provide a forum where international
experts from around the world debate in front of an audience of Arab students.
QATAR nytsab pp2 ok PDF.qxd 27.10.2008 18:13 Página 2

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMESTuesday, November 11, 2008
Qatar
3
One of the 20 most influential
business women of the Arab
world, according to the Financial
Times, and twice declared CEO of
the year at the 2008 and 2006 Mid-
dle East CEO awards for her “sig-
nificant contribution in develop-
ing Qatar's economic and social
presence in the Arab world”, Sheikha
Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani
has a stellar track record in global
Arab banking and finance.
CEO of Al Wa’ab City, vice pres-
ident of Nasser Bin Khaled Al Thani
& Sons Holding Group, and the
founder and chairperson of Amw-
al, she manages a wide range of
businesses including real estate and
investment banking. She is also a
role model for many Qatari and in-
deed Arab women, who she says
“play a trendsetting role in today’s
economies”.
“With its high GDP and sophis-
ticated infrastructure, Qatar can
play a prominent role in global fi-
nance. For this, increased partici-
pation of women is vital. We must
not only tap our financial reserves,
but our vast reserves of human capital – and that means all our
people, not just a fraction. For this region to flourish, we must do
more to harness the talent of our female population.”
The recent 2008 Middle East CEO prize tops a long list of awards;
Sheikha Hanadi has also been named Personality of the Year in 2005
by a leading Qatari newspaper Arraya, and the company she found-
ed – Amwal – was recognized as the leading investment firm in Qatar
‘Arab women entrepreneurs play a trendsetting role’
by Iktissad Wal Aamal Group dur-
ing the 2006 Turkish-Arab Economic
Forum.
Sheikha Hanadi’s singularity as a
businessperson goes back to her
days as a graduate student at the
London School of Economics. Dis-
covering that the majority of Arab
women’s wealth lies dormant in sav-
ings accounts, she wrote a paper
detailing what a great op-
portunity the overlooked
equity represented.
Her thesis wound up on
the desk of Sheikha Mozah
bint Nasser Al-Missned,
who would later marry the
Emir. Sheikha Mozah liked
the paper enough to give
Sheikha Hanadi the go-
ahead and in 1995 she
transformed the idea into the Qatar
Ladies Investment Company, today
known as Amwal.
Amwal was the first investment
company to receive a license from the
Qatar Central Bank to conduct in-
vestment banking, and asset and
wealth management in the country.
Although she does not like to think of herself as a pioneer,
Sheikha Hanadi recognizes the importance of role models. She has
worked as a lecturing assistant in the Economics Department of
Qatar University, and now gives inspirational seminars at various
academic institutions such as JA Worldwide, an organization that
provides hands-on, experimental learning in financial literacy and
entrepreneurship.
One of the rare women worldwide to have broken the glass-ceiling,
Sheikha Hanadi heads a range of multi-billion-dollar businesses.
A maverick, independent and
crucial ally of Washington
Home to one of the biggest
American military bases in the
world, Qatar has been a valuable
ally of the U.S. ever since the
first embassy opened in Doha in
1973. But American officials are
also often confused, to say the
least, about Qatar’s resolutely
independent foreign policy.
While maintaining friendly
relations with Washington, Qatar
is also close to Iran and has
voted against sanctions on
Tehran during its tenure on the
United Nations Security Council.
The emirate is also on good
terms with Syria. Not only is it
investing $350 million in a
tourism project there, but also
Qatar’s Emir personally offered
an Airbus to President Bashar
al-Assad.
While Sheikh Hamad has
been described by Arab
editorialists as a
modern-day
Metternich, Qatar’s
foreign minister
Hamad bin Jassim
bin Jaber Al Thani
has earned a
reputation as a
clever, astute and
infatigable mediator.
Together, they are
giving the tiny emirate an
increasingly important role in
international politics, in
particular since they brokered
the landmark Doha peace
agreement for Lebanon, last
summer.
“We don’t have an agenda,
and we don’t keep all our eggs
in one basket,” said Hassan al-
Ansari, the director of gulf
studies at Qatar University, in
an article published by The New
York Times in July this year.
Although Qatar’s maverick
foreign policy does raise
eyebrows in diplomatic circles
(both among American and
Arab officials), the emirate is a
crucial ally for Washington,
and their relations go much
deeper than defense.
For generations, Qatari
families have been sending
their children to the United
States for higher education.
While this trend shows no
sign of slowing, the creation
of Education City, a ground
breaking, multi-institution
complex that includes top-tier
U.S. universities, has brought
scholarly diplomacy to new
heights. “I think of education
as an entire sector of Qatar’s
development strategy and we
are extremely thrilled to play
a part in it,” says Michael
Alan Ratney, Chargé d'Affaires
at the U.S. Embassy in Doha.
Business links remain
powerful, too. “Qatar is a
growing economy and our
economic relationship in
general has been primarily
energy focused. It is the driver
of their economic
growth and wealth.
What that creates is an
enormously fast
growing economy. It
creates opportunities
for U.S. companies to
export a whole range
of products and
services,” Mr. Ratney
adds.
Energy companies like
ExxonMobil and
ConocoPhillips have long-
established partnerships in
Qatar and IT players like Cisco
are helping to create new
synergies between the
economies.
“This is a small country
with a lot going on that’s
important to the United
States. It is smaller than
Connecticut, with a
population of 825,000 and
yet we have ties in the areas
of energy, education, security
and other areas that are
terribly important to us,”
comments Mr. Ratney. “And
Qatar has a strong interest in
developing their relationship
with us as well.”
“We have ties in
the areas of
energy,
education and
security that are
terribly important
for the United
States”
“I never want to leave educa-
tion,” she says. “Even today, I
book at least two speaking times
per week with schools because I
believe that you have to educate
entrepreneurship from a very
young age.”
Through her lectures, Sheikha
Hanadi says she wants to teach
Qataris, especially women, how to
spot opportunities and
capitalize on them. De-
scribing Qatar as still a
“pearling society”, where
men traditionally spend
months out to sea and
leave their wives to han-
dle financial and busi-
ness matters on land, she
advises women on how
to invest their personal
wealth wisely. “We come from a
tribal society,” she says. “Every
single person had to rely on each
other—including women.”
Collaboration between busi-
ness leaders, on both local and
international levels, has occa-
sioned more prudence in invest-
ing fossil fuel income. While pre-
vious oil booms have brought
great wealth, she says the mon-
ey was largely mismanaged. This
revenue surge, under the guid-
ance of an increasingly modern,
capitalist government, will result
in markedly more long-lasting
prosperity, she says.
“We see the price of oil at a
record high, and we are not go-
ing to waste the opportunity,”
she adds. “Oil producing coun-
tries have to seize the opportu-
nity and secure the future for
subsequent generations.”
Unsurprisingly, much of the prof-
it earned from the gas and oil spike
goes into real estate – a booming
sector since Qatar decided four
years ago to become a world-class
business and tourism destination
and invest some $15 billion in build-
ing infrastructures, creating theme
parks, resorts, financial centers and
a new museum, as well as wooing
leading hotel chains.
Upon completion, the Al Wa’ab
City development in Doha will pro-
vide housing for more than 10,000
people. It will be comprised of more
than 2,200 residential units, com-
mercial spaces and a 300-room ho-
tel, according to the developer.
In March, Al Wa’ab City an-
nounced it was raising $1.3 billion
through loans, equity and subor-
dinated Islamic debt securities to
finance the project. The subordi-
nated debt sale is being arranged
by Dubai-based Shuaa Capital,
Amwal and Kaupthing Bank, with
HSBC Bank advising.
With a stellar track record in banking and finance, Sheikha Hanadi is one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the Arab world and an inspiration for Arab women
One of her
companies, Al
Wa’ab City, is a
leading real
estate developer
overseeing one
of Doha’s most
ambitious
projects to date
The U.S. Air Force 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, one of the largest of the
USAF, is based at Al Udeid, west of Doha.

Qatar
4
Health
Medical care beyond boundaries
Bold advances, premier facilities and hotel-style service aim to establish Qatar as the health care center of the Gulf
Barahat Al Wa’ab, the communal piazza at the heart of a vibrant, people-friendly place to live.
Anew community, Al Wa’ab City, is rising
in central Doha. The $3.3 billion project
will innovatively combine conventional and
Islamic financing to build 19 million square
feetofoffices,homes,andshopstoserve8,000
residents. This enormous project
is moving towards completion at
astrikingpace;constructionstart-
ed in 2005, most residences and
retailspaceswillbereadyby2010,
and the final piece – a five-star
hotel – will be finished in 2011.
TwomembersofoneofQatar’s
most prominent families, which
haslongbeenassociatedwiththe
309-acreAlWa’absite,arethedri-
ving forces behind the project.
Sheikh Nawaf Nasser Bin Khaled Al-Thani is
the chairman of Al Wa’ab City, and Sheikha
Hanadi Nasser Bin Khaled Al-Thani serves as
itsCEO.BrianMeilleur,thepresidentandCOO
of Al Wa’ab City, says that the Al-Thanis
could have opted for a more conventional
development, but instead wanted to make
a distinctive mark on their home city. “The
country has a great need for new residen-
tial, retail and commercial accommodations.
There are a number of excellent projects in
Doha,butwearecreatingsomethingdifferent
– a community – that is truly a unique con-
cept,” he says.
Mr. Meilleur goes on to describe Al Wa’ab
City as an expression of a confident and as-
sertive Gulf nation: “Qatar is growing quick-
ly, and our objective is to create a project
that uniquely suits the needs of the coun-
try today and offers the highest quality of
life to its residents. His Highness the Emir
Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani created
tremendous opportunities to achieve excel-
lence in this country, and that is our goal for
Al Wa’ab City.”
While preserving its strong cultural tradi-
tions,Qatarhasexperiencedadramaticmod-
ernization in recent years. Mr. Meilleur ex-
plains that this strategy – using the country’s
heritage to inform its future – carries over in-
to the name of the development. “The name
‘Al Wa’ab City’ is derived from the Arabic
wordforaspaciousplotofland.Italsoechoes
‘the ability to accommodate’, which is often
associated with Arabic traditions that cele-
brate generosity and hospitality.”
The design and concept of Al Wa’ab City
reflectthetreasuredsociabilityofQatarifam-
ilies, while at the same time updating Doha’s
The vision for health care in Qatar is extremely ambitious. “We
would like it to be the best in the region, and on a par with
the best in the world,” states Hanan Al Kuwari, managing direc-
tor of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the national health-
care provider, which is masterminding the building of the $1.5
billion Hamad Medical City.
At the center of the government's strategy to position Qatar as
a benchmark in global healthcare, Hamad Medical City will house
three specialized hospitals—a 320-bed children’s hospital, a 220-
bed center for bone diseases and a 350-bed center for medical
rehabilitation—togetherwiththerapeuticfacilities,residentialbuild-
ings for medical staff and the offices of the National Health Au-
thority. Scheduled to open within the next two years, the Med-
ical City is the crowning jewel in government efforts to expand
Qatar’s medical facilities that also include the new Sidra Medical
and Research Center, slated for 2010, and a new $33 million 100-
bed heart hospital. All in all, total hospital capacity in the coun-
try is expected to double over the next five years.
Latifa Al-Houty, chairperson of HMC’s board of directors says,
“We have always operated with the aim of being an internation-
ally recognized medical center of excellence, particularly in an age
when medical care is no longer limited by geography.”
Al Wa’ab City: building on the
spirit of community living
A low-rise, low-density multi-use development, the project will bring a different experience to the urban
landscape, reflecting the best traditions of Qatar and delivering world-class environmental performance
After studying in the U.S. in the
late1960sandearly1970swhere
he was the first Qatari student to at-
tend Hope College in Michigan, Dr.
Abdulwahed Al-Mawlawi returned
to Qatar to join the Ministry of Pub-
lic Health. There he developed health
care management strategies, a skill
that he has employed fully as man-
aging director and CEO of Medicare
Group, the parent company behind
the visionary Al-Ahli Hospital. He al-
so established the Qatari Red Cres-
cent Society, equivalent to the Red
Cross in the Middle East, and was
its first secretary general after its
founding in 1978. Here he speaks
on Qatar’s resurgence in health and
education, and the vision driving it
from the Emir.
What influence have the govern-
ment’s initiatives in health and ed-
ucation had?
If you looked at Qatar you’d say
that it is such a tiny country, but I’d
say that valuable things come in
smallboxes.TheEmir’svisionreminds
me of the Medici vision in 14th cen-
tury Florence. At a time when Flo-
rence was coming out of the Mid-
dle or the so-called Dark Ages, the
Medici family started with art, and
that’s why we created two schools
in Qatar where we teach our entire
curriculum through art.
The vision of the Emir transcends
the Gulf and even the Arab World.
Suddenly we have a leader who is
thinking very laterally and who is not
going after factories and big mega
projects and real estate, but rather
going after real quality, socio-eco-
nomic development. When we talk
about one of the top libraries of the
world, the top museums, the five re-
searchcenters,apparentlyQataristhe
third country in the world in its per-
capita allocation for research after
the U.S. and Japan. That’s incredi-
ble. We are attracting top Nobel lau-
reates like Dr. Ahmad Zuhair and
NASA’s guy Farouq al Bas, who are
members of the Board of Trustees
at Education City.
To me Qatar can potentially be-
come the Camelot of the Arab World
– the city on the hill that was the
guiding light for Europe during King
Arthur’s time. For Qatar, in a period
of just ten years to have turned Al
Jazeera, according to European sur-
veys, to exceed the BBC after the lat-
ter’s 76 years of existence, is a big
accomplishment.
What challenges exist for Qatar?
I hope that we don’t repeat two
historicalmistakesthatwehavemade
in the Gulf region. The first was
when nature gave us an incredible
opportunity during the times of
pearling. During this period a lot of
countries, whether it was Bahrain,
Kuwait,SaudiArabia,Qatar,orDubai,
got rich and suffered economically.
And thankfully, due to the accident
of geography, we were saved.
Then we went through another
phase in October 1973, when the
price of oil went from $1.20 per bar-
rel to $14 in one month. That
broughtalotofwealthandpetrodol-
larsintotheGulfregion,andtheArab
oil producing countries like Libya
and Algeria. And I feel that we se-
mi-squandered that great historical
opportunity. There was what some
consideredconspicuousconsumption
and dubious investments. We should
have concentrated on real develop-
ment, not growth. We concentrat-
ed on growth in civil development
and on capital income, which is
meaningless because you take the
gross national product and divide it
bythenumberofpopulationandthat
says little. What is really relevant is
developing the quality of the indi-
vidual. There was huge expansion in
infrastructure, roads and buildings,
but it did not get to the core of the
Gulf citizen.
I hope that Qatar, in the direction
it’s moving and because of the vi-
sion of the Emir, in 20 to 40 years
might spearhead a renaissance of
the Arab World.
What other progress is being made?
The other area, which is also mov-
ing greatly, is education. I remem-
ber reading an article in a U.A.E.
newspapertwoyearsback.Itsaidthat
the education in the Arab world is
waiting for the revolution that is
taking place in Qatar. We are taking
bold steps and redirecting educa-
tion. They are all waiting for Qatar
to lead the way with independent
schools and Education City. We have
tasted the success of plans in Qatar
and this is different than just hav-
ing them in the pipeline. And that
has given us a hail that is similar to
Obama’s mantra, ‘Yes, we can’.
‘We are going for real socio-
economic development’
For one philosophical health care leader, medical services in Qatar have undergone
a paradigm shift that reflect the nation’s potential to be a beacon for the region
residential landscape to accommodate 21st-
century lifestyles. In Mr. Meilleur’s view, this
thoughtful approach distinguishes Al Wa’ab
from other recent developments. “If you look
at the residential units here in Doha, they are
either in small compounds or large
towers. Al Wa’ab City is a low-rise
andlow-densityproject,yetwewill
still house around 8,000 people in
a unique and vibrant setting.”
In addition to offering security,
a central location, and comfort, Al
Wa’ab City will deliver world-class
environmental performance. Sus-
tainabledesignpracticeshavebeen
employed throughout the site, in-
cluding the careful positioning of
buildings to reduce the need for heating and
cooling. Fully one-fifth of the total area of
the project is park land, and the landscaping
hasbeendesignedtothrivenaturallyinadesert
environmentandthusminimizewaterusage.
Mr. Meilleur is proud to report that the de-
velopmentwilluseupto30%lessenergyand
water than other projects, while creating an
aesthetically pleasing urban neighborhood.
“We’re creating walking paths, shaded struc-
tures and water features that will render Al
Wa’ab City a very special, pedestrian-friend-
ly place to live.”
At the center of the development will be
a lively, family-friendly entertainment dis-
trict, built around a dramatic central plaza
thatwillformasocialhub.“BarahatAlWa’ab,
the piazza and the beating heart of Al Wa’ab
City, will be more than just another addition
to Doha’s entertainment scene. It is designed
to set a new benchmark and be a first in the
social life of Al Wa’ab City and Qatar more
widely.” A 200-bed luxury hotel and 600
housing units will be set around this 11-acre
central square, along with one million square
feet of retail space, two million square feet
of offices, and 10,700 parking spaces.
‘The project
echoes Arabic
traditions that
celebrate
generosity and
hospitality;
it’s designed to
set a new
benchmark’
ExcellenceintreatmentisnottheonlystrategyinQatar’s
global health care bid. Al-Ahli Hospital, the country’s
first major private hospital, is redefining basic ideas of
healthcaresetting.Patientsatthe250-bedhospital,which
opened in 2004, are referred to as guests, hospital rooms
as suites, and its reception is a spacious atrium that is
just a first taste of the luxurious comforts and world-
class amenities to be found inside.
Fromroomfurnishingstofood,thephilosophyofheal-
ing and hospitality remains palpable in every aspect of
the facility. This, along with a highly-qualified and in-
ternational team of medical professionals and the very
latest in technology and treatment, combine to create
a new standard for global health care that was recent-
ly awarded the International Gold Star award for Qual-
ity in Geneva by Business Initiative Decisions.
Now the premier private health care facility in the
Gulf region, Al-Ahli Hospital offers services in obstet-
rics and gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine, gen-
eral surgery, urology, gastroenterolo-
gy,dermatology,emergencycare,den-
tistry, anesthesia, radiology, patholo-
gy and lab medicine and physiother-
apy. Since managing director Dr. Ab-
dulwahed Al-Mawlawi took over the
helm in 2005, the hospital has become
aprofitmakerwhilestaffhasincreased
from just 35 nurses to 210 and from
14 doctors to more than 75.
International partnerships also form
part of the philosophy behind the
hospital, and of the desire to expand
its reach. “If you want to be a top
hospital, it is not enough to serve
only residents in Qatar. One has to
think regional and then global,” says
Dr. Al-Mawlawi, who has already begun to establish
relationships with top hospitals in the East and the West.
Dr. Al-Mawlawi says that establishing a solid repu-
tation for Al-Ahli Hospital is the first stepping stone
for the expansion of the hospital’s parent group,
Medicare. “We are concentrating on the hospital strate-
gically because it is at present the core of Medicare
Group, but Medicare has many other plans for the fu-
ture,” he explains.
The hospital is already on its way to establish-
ing international recognition. Top figures in med-
ical care visiting from around the globe have been
solidly impressed, and Dr. Al-Mawlawi has been in-
vited to present Al-Ahli as a case study at Harvard.
He adds, “We were visited by Professor Bindar from
Austria who heads 65 consultant cardiologist cen-
ters and whom I brought here for four days to con-
sult on our cardiology department. After he wrote
me to say, ‘Al-Ahli Hospital is a jewel’.”
Healing and hospitality await guests at the luxurious Al-Ahli Hospital.

Qatar
5
ICT sector edges ahead
Leveraging technology to benefit society
New infrastructure, liberalization of the ICT market and competition have sharpened the focus on IT knowledge and excellence
Qatar is harnessing the extraordi-
nary power of information and
communications technology to ac-
celeratesocial,political,economic,and
educational change. A wide-open
ICT marketplace is one element, al-
lowing new competitors to come in
andcutpricesforconsumers.Another
element is new facilities, which pro-
vide world-class office and labora-
tory space to local and internation-
al companies seeking to reap the
benefits of cluster effects. However,
perhaps the most important com-
ponent of the ICT revolution is a
modern telecoms agency that can
help unleash opportunity within the
knowledge-based economy. That’s
why Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khali-
fa Al-Thani established ictQatar in
2004 to accelerate the transforma-
tion of Qatar into an information-
based society.
As elsewhere in the Gulf, the lib-
eralization of the ICT sector has un-
locked growth by introducing com-
petition. In addition to the existing
state-owned telecoms provider Qtel,
thegovernmentthisyearhaslicensed
U.K. cellular operator Vodafone to
provide mobile services and award-
editQatar’ssecondfixed-linelicense.
TheintroductionofaEuropeantele-
coms giant to the market has helped
sharpen the focus on the customer
and lowered prices for people who
live and work here. A successful free
market needs a careful regulator to
makesurethatthebenefitsreachthe
consumer, and ictQatar is overseeing
the process as it introduces compe-
tition for telecom services.
Alongside these changes in the
consumermarketplace,Qatarischang-
ing the environment for research in
the Gulf. The construction of the
$300millionQatarScienceandTech-
nology Park has given the country a
new R&D center for local and inter-
national firms. It’s part of the Qatar
Foundation’s Education City in Do-
ha,whichhasseennewresearchhos-
pitals rise alongside campuses from
top-flightU.S.universitieslikeCarnegie
Mellon, Northwestern, and George-
town. The Science and Technology
Park is a free-trade zone that has at-
tracted advanced research activities
fromcompaniessuchasCisco,EADS,
Shell, GE, and Microsoft. The com-
plex is a hub for domestic innovation
as well, where Qatar is nurturing its
people’scapacityforentrepreneurship
through training, grants, and a busi-
ness incubator for local firms.
The government of Qatar estab-
lished ictQatar not only as an ICT
regulator, but also as an advocate
and a facilitator for extending ICT
throughout business, government,
health and education. Dr. Hessa Sul-
tan Al-Jaber, ictQatar secretary-gen-
eral, understands this multifaceted
role as key to fulfilling the promise
of technology for private enterprise
and social development in Qatar.
“No matter how state-of-the-art a
country’s infrastructure might be,
and no matter what regulations have
been promulgated, if people do not
have the readiness to use ICT, then
the infrastructure will not be ben-
eficial. That’s why we have been
working to increase business readi-
ness and working with individuals
to increase their readiness.”
A national ICT agency in a boom-
ing economy might simply find the
most advanced technology in the
world, plug it in, and wait for the re-
sults. Yet Dr. Al-Jaber is forthright in
laying out the problems with the
conventional approach to building a
knowledge economy. “I view IT dif-
ferently. I do not think of it as only
physical infrastructure, which is the
mistake that many countries have
made.TheyarenotusingITtoachieve
real impact for the social-economic
goals that they’ve set for their coun-
tries.Wedonotbelievethatourgoals
will be realized by importing ready-
madeapplicationsorstrategies.”The
agency is helping other government
entities use ICT as an engine of
progressforQatarisociety,andlever-
age technology to deliver better re-
sults for Qatar’s people from the
health and education systems.
The rapid growth of the Qatari
economy has created strategic op-
portunities for investment in ICT in-
frastructure – but taking full advan-
tage of them requires that ictQatar
makes the right choices. The gov-
ernment has already taken steps to
enhance the country’s own capaci-
ty to innovate and attract the best
and brightest, and has a goal of de-
voting 2.8 percent of the country’s
GDP to R&D. “What has happened
in the Gulf Cooperation Council over
the past couple of years, and will continue in the years to come, is that gov-
ernments have been generating a lot of income, mainly through oil and
gas. It’s become quite clear in Gulf countries that we need to diversify. For
this reason, ictQatar was one of our priorities here. ICT includes our tele-
com sector, which represents maybe 2 percent of the GDP.”
On examining international models for the ICT sector, as for education,
health, and government, it’s evident one size doesn’t necessarily fit all. Dr.
Al-Jaber has taken a hard look at how to grow ICT capabilities in the Qatari
economy, and says that her organization is opting to build local capacity
for communications from the ground up, instead of going with an off-the-
shelf approach. “We could spend $10 or $20 billion with international ven-
dors, who would come and establish state-of-the-art infrastructure, and af-
New investment is sweeping
into Qatar, and foreign
investors are seeking local
partners who can deliver
quality results. Since 1994, the
Gulf Development Centre has
helped Qatari organizations
meet those expectations by
complying with international
norms such as ISO 9001:2000,
and by advocating for a greater
focus on quality among Gulf
businesses. As GDC president
Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-
Kuwari puts it, “We act as
catalysts in the Qatari business
environment. We encourage
different companies, the
government, and even ourselves
to improve processes and to
start working according to
international quality
standards.”
The GDC’s client list reads like
a who’s who of Qatar’s major
state organizations and private
enterprises. Government clients
include the Qatari Armed
Forces, the Ministry of Economy
and Commerce, and the Emiri
Diwan (Qatar’s royal household.)
On the corporate side, GDC can
count among its customers
industrial firms like Qatar
Petroleum, Qatar Steel, and
Qatar Fertilizers, as well as
major financial institutions like
the Doha Bank, the Qatar
Islamic Bank, and the Qatar
National Bank.
In addition to providing
direct advice to Qatar’s major
enterprises, the GDC takes an
active role in fostering an
overall culture of quality in
Qatar and across the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries.
The GDC developed the
blueprint for the Qatar Quality
Award in 1996, and started
promoting the idea to the Emir
and the government. In 2003,
the government responded by
passing a law that created a
new award recognizing
improved quality standards at
Qatari businesses, awarded by
a committee including the
Minister of Finance and a
group of experts.
The annual Gulf Conference
on Quality Systems, another
GDC initiative, brings
organizations from across the
GCC to Qatar to gain valuable
knowledge about quality
management systems. The
GDC also publishes a directory
of ISO-certified companies in
the GCC, a regularly updated
list of 1,425 corporations that
is the first such inventory in
the Gulf. Mr. Al-Kuwari
explains that these efforts are
all part of the GDC’s push to
create a coherent environment
of quality for Qatari and Gulf
business, and promote
systematic approaches to
quality management. “We’re
trying to encourage people to
bring their standards up, and
to understand the influence
they have over lives and
businesses. This doesn’t
happen suddenly, it’s a
gradual process.”
ter two or three years we wouldn’t be
abletosustainitourselves.That’swhy
ictQatar thought that now would be
the right moment to start something
local in a couple of areas, with a very
clear vision, that could be regional
and even international.”
Dr. Al-Jaber believes that a Qatari
firm can take the country’s success to
the next level, both as a lever for so-
cial development and as a Gulf busi-
ness success story. “It’s time to create
a company that will provide IT ser-
vices, in order to act as the delivery
arm for some of the projects Qatar
wants while maintaining a 100 per-
centcompetitiveprocess.Thecompany
will join with international firms, ei-
ther by acquisition or by developing
strategic partnerships, that will act as
catalysts to upgrade the local workforce. The main objective is to develop
the skills of locals, who will stay here and be a part of the positive growth
of the Qatari ICT sector.”
Qatar’s youth have taken up the internet with astonishing speed, adopt-
ing a global medium and making it their own in ways that may trans-
form Qatari society in the future. However, Dr. Al-Jaber says that ictQatar
is making efforts to introduce the power of information technology to all
sectors of the population. “We’re working to provide e-literacy courses
for people of all ages and walks of life.” Providing online content in Ara-
bic is an important part of ictQatar’s push to help this highly literate coun-
try display its culture to an online audience, including projects to digitize
historic Arabic books.
Making waves: the new Qatar Science and Technology Park in Doha aims to serve as an incubator for ICT innovation.
Raising the standard of Qatari
business development

Over the last decade, real estate de-
velopment has changed Qatar’s cap-
ital Doha, through high-profile projects
such as the Pearl of the Gulf Island, the-
new International Airport, Hamad Med-
ical City, Qatar Education City, the Gen-
eral Library, the Islamic Museum, and the
Qatar Science and Technology Park, to
name but a few of the best-known.
One of the biggest players in the sec-
tor is Barwa International. With a rep-
utation for meeting its post-delivery
commitments, the company has em-
barked on an ambitious international
expansion program throughout the re-
gion, into Europe and beyond. The com-
pany’s high-profile projects in London,
Paris and Switzerland have gained me-
dia attention, but it is also committed
to carrying out large projects in East-
ern Europe, the southern Mediterranean,
Asia and Africa.
Ghassan Al-Binali, CEO of Barwa In-
ternational discusses his company’s glob-
al strategy.
What are Barwa International’s criteria
for developing an overseas project?
When we look at a new market we con-
sider many factors, such as supply, de-
mand, the regulatory environment, bank-
ing, and risks among others. And not for-
getting partners. These factors help us
make up our mind on this or that mar-
ket. We look for long-term
projects; as we believe in long-
term relationships.
In the case of the Shard,
for example, our partners are
a group of developers and
bankers. The location of the
Shard of Glass tower, and its
mixed use will bring a sophis-
ticated real estate solution to
the market, with offices, a ho-
tel, and residencies in one prime loca-
tion in London. The project is a chal-
lenging one; however, we truly believe
that it’s worth it.
There is also the Paris convention
center, in addition to a number of
properties in Paris and Switzerland.
Why Europe?
Europe is an attractive market. It has
major cities like Paris, London, and Rome.
Those cities will continue to play a ma-
jor role in the global economy. In Eu-
rope we look for trophy assets
that we can turn around and
keep for long periods. Our as-
sets in Europe help to diversi-
fy our portfolio, which covers
a number of emerging mar-
kets.
Are you planning to enter the
U.S. market?
We are keeping an eye on the
United States. We recently
came up with a new structure in Barwa
International to focus on the US mar-
ket. We have set our targets and start-
ed looking at that. However, we are fo-
cusing on buildings which we can con-
vert and add value to, such as trophy as-
sets and hotels. But property develop-
ment is another ball game; we would need
a partner with experience in that sector.
How do you go about selecting a com-
pany to work with?
There are people working in different
areas, from development to asset man-
agement to brokerage, but we don’t deal
with them. We look for a partner that
shares our vision, and to a great extent
who shares the same ethics and ways of
doing business. I believe that there is no
perfect partnership but there is the right
partner. Partnerships go up and down
with markets, opportunities and profits and
losses; partners do not.
Do you think you represent Qatar inter-
nationally?
Yes. We are a Qatari company. Qatar’s
name is a door opener for us, and we
have to maintain the name and the im-
age of Qatar and work hard to com-
municate the soul of Qatari visions and
beliefs.
Qatar
6
Dozens of spectacular projects are changing the skyline of Qatar’s capital city
Real Estate
Construction and property
sectors drive Doha renewal
Shard takes shape
The race is on
After years of delay, work is finally due
to begin in January on what will be
Europe’s tallest building: The Shard.
The breakthrough on the much-
stalled glass skyscraper came after a
Qatari consortium made up of the
Qatari Islamic Investment bank QInvest,
Sellar Property Group, Qatar National
Bank, Qatari Islamic Bank and Barwa,
paid $130 million to secure an 80
percent stake and take control of the
project. By providing the first tranche
of finance, construction of the tower
can now begin.
Due for completion in time for the
London Olympics, the 1,016-foot tower
will have 88 floors. A mini-city within
a city, it is a vertical town with offices,
a hotel, apartments, retailers and
restaurants – a building that will
employ as many as 12,000 people and
will attract millions of visitors annually.
The Shard will become a global
landmark for London. The project has
already achieved iconic status and is
probably one of the most talked about
buildings in Europe.
The use of sophisticated glazing and
angled panes will reflect sunlight and
the changing patterns of the sky on the
building, constantly changing
appearance according to the weather
and seasons.
Barwa chairman Ghanim bin Saad Al
Saad says the project is a first. “This is
a unique project for Barwa. It is the
tallest mixed-use development tower in
Europe, and will house the first
Shangri-La hotel on the old continent,
in addition to hosting prestigious
tenants and luxurious residences
overlooking London. We also believe
that the involvement of this specially
formed consortium should provide the
necessary support needed for a project
at this level.”
Mr. Al Saad highlights the shared
vision of the consortium’s members,
who have equal stakes. “We all share the
same vision, and we will do whatever it
takes to deliver the project on time to
finally bring this magnificent tower to
life, making it the latest and most
striking addition to the London skyline.”
Glamorous the project may be, but it
also fits in with Barwa’s long-term
expansion strategy. “We seek long-term
ownership and always look for
differentiation and value added. Barwa
has projects worth more than $20 billion
inside and outside Qatar. At the same
time, Barwa International, our
international arm, has investments in
four European countries with a total
portfolio of more than $2 billion.”
Barwa International’s first foray into
motor racing sponsorship has won it the
Constructor´s Championship for the
GP2 2008 season, which ended in
September. The prize topped a fine
season for the Spanish driven Barwa
International Campos Team.
Now Barwa is looking to attract
young Qataris to the sport, says Barwa
chairman Ghanim bin Saad Al Saad. “As
part of Barwa International's corporate
social responsibility to promote Qatari
sport, we are working with Campos
Racing to find talented young Qatari
drivers. Once a driver is discovered, it
will take two or three years of training
for them to qualify and begin racing,
but Barwa International looks forward
to that day in the near future.”
The Shard: it’s finally going to happen.
Fast lane Barwa’s team tops a fine season.
Doha skyline new districts are mushrooming up around the capital city of Qatar, as a
decade-long construction boom of so-called mega projects continues unabated.
“We look for a
partner that
shares our
vision, and to a
great extent
shares the same
ethics and ways
of doing
business. ”
QATAR nytsab pp6 ok PDF(Barwachange).qxd 24.11.2008 10:43 Página 2

Qatar
7
Al Wa’ab City, located six miles from
Doha’s Corniche, comprises more than
2,200 residential units, commercial
space and a world-class 300 room
hotel. Although Al Wa’ab will provide
housing for more than 10,000 people,
it boasts the lowest density ratio in
any new major development in the
country. At its heart is Barahat Al
Wa’ab, Doha’s first urban piazza, with
outdoor restaurants, cafes and a hotel.
It will be filled with water features,
landscaping and a spectacular sunken
garden, and be accessible on foot.
Brian K. Meilleur, president and
COO of Al Wa’ab City, says the
project’s inspiration came from
chairman Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin
Khaled Al Thani, and CEO Sheikha
Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani.
Mr. Meilleur explains: “They wanted
Al Wa’ab City to be Qatar’s first
family-planned vibrant community.
Qatar is growing quickly and the
objective is to create a project that
uniquely suits the needs of the
country today and offers the highest
quality living to its citizens.”
The best way to appreciate the scale
of construction projects underway in
Qatar is from the air. The view of this tiny
peninsula nation’s coastline on descent
into Doha airport is of a vast construc-
tion site. Landmarks such as the offshore
Pearl-Qatar project stand out, or the new
$5 billion airport being built ten miles
from the present overcrowded installa-
tions, but these are just two examples
among many more.
A budget of more than $100 billion has
been allocated for new construction and
infrastructure between now and 2012.
Much of it will be spent on transport,
health, education, housing (taking in lux-
ury projects and low-cost units), and
public buildings.
Foreign investment in real estate is
booming drawn by the liberalization of
laws opening the market to greater de-
velopment.
Among the key players building Qatar
from the ground up is Barwa, the coun-
try’s largest property developer.
Real estate in Qatar has largely focused
on prestige projects, but as Barwa’s
deputy CEO Dr. Yousef M. Alhorr points
out, Barwa is also supplying solutions
to the country’s acute housing shortage
by developing large-scale residential de-
velopments in Doha and the second city
of Al Khor that amount to new districts.
The company insists on quality ac-
commodation and facilities at all levels.
“By catering to the whole spectrum, we
feel we are building for the nation,” says
Dr. Alhorr.
Ongoing developments under way in-
clude the Al Khor development on Qatar’s
northeastern coast, the Barwa City resi-
dential scheme and the Barwa Financial
District, a new regional and financial hub
for Doha.
The development of Al Khor has seen
a remarkable transformation from what
was once a wild desert to a hub for thriv-
ing energy-related multinational com-
panies. The city houses some of the elite
names in the world of energy such as
ExxonMobil, Shell, Dolphin Energy and
the production facilities of the pride of
pride, Qatargas and RasGas LNG. A large
number of other multinational compa-
nies are also headed to Al Khor over the
next couple of years.
Strategically located at the center of
the Arabian Gulf sandwiched between
the Far East and Europe on the inter-
national maritime shipping route, Al
Khor has become an ideal location for
real estate investors. Along with its
growth the city is also in need of supe-
rior real estate solutions and that’s where
Barwa comes in.
The Al Khor project will comprise 24,000
residential units, and 700,000 square me-
ters for a commercial and retail complex,
civic buildings, public plazas, a green
space, a beachfront, and extensive high-
end hotels.
The Al Doha project, located in the
city center, is billed to become one of the
most popular fixtures in Qatar’s residen-
tial and retail solutions market. Aimed at
high-net-worth individuals, the futuris-
tic complex will house spacious apartment
buildings with multiple floors and vari-
ous function areas. The apartments will
offer professional and highly-skilled guest
workers – a demographic group that’s
important to Qatar’s economy – a cus-
tom-built residential complex. The pro-
ject includes a five-star hotel and cine-
ma complexes.
A statement of style
Barwa’s U® Street development brings
style to the company’s portfolio. The
concept of design guru Philippe Starck,
the structure will be an inspirational con-
tribution to Qatar’s burgeoning educa-
tion sector.
Suitable for conferences, student ex-
change events, seminars and a variety of
other education-related activities, the
blueprint includes two reflective glass
monoliths connected by a shopping com-
plex at the base. The buildings will cre-
ate a canyon effect, providing an elevat-
ed, open corridor where students and
young professionals can gather to so-
cialize or shop.
With its bold, functional shape and in-
triguing name, U® Street has the mak-
ings of a national symbol, and one that
will be immediately recognizable to the
visitor flying in over the capital.
Developers aim for
quality construction
at all levels
Futuristic and innovative
construction projects spearhead
the building boom
A city of the future. From top left clockwise: Barwa’s Al Doha project, two glimpses of U ® Street, and the Doha Convention Center and Tower.
AL WA’AB CITY
Vibrant urban
planning
Qatari Diar, which has a 45 percent
stake in Barwa Real Estate, is the
driving force behind a brand new city
that’s taking shape north of the
capital. Lusail is a 15-year mixed-use
satellite city of Doha expected to rival
the capital in grandeur and possibly
trump it in quality of life. Built from
scratch for a potential 200,000
residents, the city will cover over 13
square miles and include every
imaginable amenity. With towers,
marinas, commercial centers,
shopping and luxury condos, Lusial
will change the face of Qatar
indefinitely.
“Lusail is where Qatar’s
imagination comes to life,” says Diar
CEO Ghanim bin Saad Al Saad. “It’s
an outstanding symbol of vision and
inspiration—we are essentially
creating a brand new city where
people will work, live, raise their
families and enjoy their lives.”
The end-goal of the development,
aside from beautifying the city, will
fall in line with the government’s
economic diversification plans.
LUSAIL
A city custom-
built from scratch
In addition to its high profile
projects, Barwa provides housing that
caters to the needs of low-income
earners including public housing and
residences for workers. One of the
company’s latest projects is the Al
Baraha development in Doha’s
industrial area, which will include
housing and recreational facilities.
The project, designed to improve
living conditions for Qatar’s massive
temporary foreign labor force, will
include a number of amenities
unseen in the so-called “man camps”
that dot the Gulf. Used car
showrooms, shopping malls,
multiplex movie theaters, cricket and
soccer fields, medical centers and a
mosque have all been incorporated
into the master plan.
"Barwa's vision is to construct
living quarters which are not only
comfortable but also make you feel at
home we genuinely believe that it's
the least we can do to help those who
are building our nation to rest and
relax,” says Barwa chairman Ghanim
bin Saad Al Saad.
AL BARAHA
Quality housing
for all sectors

Qatar
8
There is something magical about cities
built on water: the Spanish conquista-
dors marveled at ancient Mexico’s Tenochti-
tlan; while Venice, Amsterdam, and Copen-
hagen still captivate visitors.
In the 21st century, few countries have
the vision—or the resources—to attempt to
build anything on such a scale. But the oil
rich states of Dubai, and now Qatar, are re-
viving the tradition and reclaiming land
from the waters of the Arabian Gulf to cre-
ate exclusive Riviera-style island commu-
nities characterized by wealth and archi-
tectural elegance.
The Pearl-Qatar is one of the most am-
bitious real estate projects in the world, with
a price tag of $20 billion. Currently under
construction off the coast of Doha it will
eventually be home to 42,000 people and
up to 800 visitors.
A four-phase development, it is made up
of 11 distinct, themed districts to be de-
veloped over five years. When completed,
The Pearl-Qatar will house beachfront vil-
las, and a range of housing options with
creative architecture including town hous-
es, luxury apartments, deluxe hotels, mari-
nas, and schools, as well as upscale retail
and restaurant facilities. It will be a desti-
nation in its own right – a lavish, secure
and exclusive island retreat.
Those fortunate and wealthy enough to
live in The Pearl-Qatar’s glamorous pent-
houses, apartments, town houses, and vil-
las will enjoy a luxurious waterfront lifestyle
based around three marinas, almost half a
million square feet of retail, dining and en-
tertainment space, and mile upon mile of
pristine beaches.
Schools and medical centers will be pro-
vided, making it quite possible to live on
the island without ever leaving it.
Qatar’s first international real estate de-
velopment, The Pearl-Qatar is one of the
first in Qatar to offer freehold properties
to international investors. There has been
no lack of interest. Investors have been so
eager to snap up real estate on the island
that one entire district, the Qanat Quarti-
er, was sold within an hour when it was
launched in January 2008, grossing $405
million in just 60 minutes.
Among those buying property were the
architects of the precinct, Andre Lategan
and his wife Rebecca Gernon, who flew to
Qatar specifically for the launch.
The challenges of creating
a city on the water
A challenging project, The Pearl-Qatar is
comprised entirely of reclaimed land—a to-
tal of four million square meters—built in
various stages. The project developer is
United Development Company (UDC), one
of Qatar’s leading private sector companies.
UDC’s mission is to identify and invest in
long-term projects that contribute to the
country’s growth and provide high share-
holder value. Its founders, who on launch
in 1999 held 45 percent of the shares, are
among Qatar’s most successful investors and
developers. Equity is also held by thou-
sands of Qatari and International investors.
UDC raised a total of $600 million of eq-
uity commitments and committed financ-
ing to invest in the Qanat Quartier, which
was launched under the banner “Venice is
now in Qatar”. Guests at the launch were
told that the company aims to build “a
precinct akin to the finest European cities
and to Venice’s famed canals and Renais-
sance architecture.”
Khalil Sholy, UDC’s managing director
and president, explains the thinking be-
hind The Pearl-Qatar: “Thanks to the Emir’s
initiative, Qatar is one of the most robust
diversified and fast-growing economies
in the world, and is becoming a destina-
tion of choice as a world-leading center
of finance, energy, education, sports, med-
icine, and culture, attracting the hightest
calibert of professionals worldwide. As the
country grows, its infrastructure has to
grow with it and be able to offer the best
facilities at the highest standards. The
Pearl-Qatar island was the the product
that we thought would best serve to achieve
these goals.” The vision of the Emir is to
open up the country and to make Qatar
a destination of choice to come here and
enjoy a vacation, do business or just for
an exploration trip.”
“The Pearl Island was the product that
we thought would best help acheive these
goals,” says Mr. Sholy.
UDC intends to make The Pearl-Qatar a
unique living and cultural experience that
combines the best of the country’s past and
present. A primary objective is to incorpo-
rate a range of living environments – from
high-end luxury villas complete with their
own beaches to fashionable apartment-
style accommodation with sweeping sea
views. Diversity and the very highest qual-
ity of the accommodations is a key objec-
tive in the project’s master planning.
The Pearl-Qatar, the Venice of the Middle East
Off the coast of Doha, a very
special man-made island is
taking shape under the auspices
of domestic and international
investors led by Qatar’s UDC
The Pearl-Qatar These artist’s impressions give an idea of the scale of the project. The first
phase, the Qanat Quartier, has already been sold. As can be seen, life on the pearl will be
green,sustainable,andverycalm.Itwillalsohaveapositiveimpactonthemarineenvironment.
The goal of The Pearl-Qatar is to
offer residents a secure and
exclusive island retreat which brings
the ambiance and lifestyle of the
Mediterranean to the heart of the
Gulf. In addition to its European
feel, The Pearl-Qatar is set to be
one of the most technologically
advanced real estate projects in the
world. The island will be home to a
full range of diverse technological
services and solutions in what is
known as the world’s first Smart
Island. Smart Island technology
includes innovative security
systems, building management
systems, energy monitoring, smart-
card system technology, and of
course user-friendly home
entertainment systems.
As Eric Lebrun, executive vice
president of assets management at
UDC, points out, nothing of this
scale has been attempted anywhere
on the planet. “I think the best way
to define a smart island is to talk
about convergence,” he says.
“As the master developer, UDC has
been installing a full fiber optic
network throughout the island
linking all units, villas, apartments
and buildings.” A full range of
telephony options, as well as
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV),
high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, e-
learning, gaming, and video on
demand will be available. Residents
will have full automation in all
units, “so people can open their
door, move their curtains, tweak the
AC, put on the radio or play a CD—
all remotely,” says Mr Lebrun,
adding: “The whole city is
interconnected, we have total
monitoring of what’s going on,
reducng staff and lowering costs for
end-users,” he says.
From the outset, UDC wanted
The Pearl-Qatar to set new
environmental standards.
From energy efficient buildings
to machine beach cleaning, and
a vacuum waste disposal system,
the methods used to maintain
environmental control meet the
highest standards in the world.
The Pearl-Qatar also uses district
cooling, a system that
distributes thermal energy via
chilled water from a central
source through a network of
underground pipes.
The cooling or heat rejection is
usually provided from a central
cooling plant, thus eliminating
the need for separate systems in
individual buildings.
“This is very environmentally-
friendly and reduces carbon
emissions. In summer there is
too much load on the power
generator facilities because 70
pecent of power goes to cooling.
We have reduced dependency on
power by around half,” says Mr.
Sholy, adding: “As an owner,
you save the cost of having to
build a chilling plant that takes
up space in your building, as
well as those ugly looking
cooling towers. You also save
about 40 percent on bills
because of reduced power
consumption.”
Peter Bolton, the head of
environmental protection and
control at UDC, says
environmental concerns have
been paramount throughout
the project: “It’s refreshing to
be working with a company
where the higher management
understands the issues and is
committed to addressing
them.”
But UDC’s real environmental
achievements lie under the
water.“We’re creating a unique
seascape and landscape that has
already started to establish an
underwater ecosystem,” Mr.
Bolton says. “The Pearl-Qatar
will become a tropical garden
with local and exotic flora.”
The Pearl Qatar offers its residents the
total island package. But the man-made
island’s beaches, seaside cafes and
waterfront villas would not be complete
without a world-class marina. Ronautica
Middle East, a joint venture between The
Pearl-Qatar’s developer UDC and Spanish
nautical services provider Ronautica, has
entered the first phase of completion on
the new marinas that are designed to set
new standards for sailors.
Each of the three marinas under
development has a distinct theme. The
largest, Porto Arabia, will be encircled by
high-rise residential buildings, shopping
districts and a boardwalk. With room for
500 vessels, the marina at Port Arabia
will be one of the world’s first all-in-one
yacht spots, offering services normally
reserved for luxury hotels.
“It’s like a five-star hotel,” says
general manager Jaume Marco, adding
that mariners can expect a special
welcome when they drop anchor at
The Pearl-Qatar. “There will be
somebody to greet you with a cold
towel on a hot day. That’s the kind of
service we will provide.”
To boost the marina’s efficiency,
Ronautica ME has designed a convenient
system that allows larger yachts to refuel
and pumpout from larger berths,
without having to navigate the island’s
water ways.
The marina will also be home to a
network of water taxis, allowing
residents and guests to visit nearly every
corner of The Pearl-Qatar, as well as
access the airport and mainland.
Ronautica’s in-depth approach to
service ensures that all the marinas will
buzz with activity. “This is not real
estate, it’s a lifestyle,” says Mr. Marco,
adding that berth rentals have been
intentionally limited to two per client.
“It’s a place where you can come to
enjoy the sea….we want to make sure
that everybody who wants to have a boat
here can.”
The Pearl-Qatar’s other two marinas
will offer a more low-key experience.
Costa Maraz, has a private clubhouse and
will take advantage of prevailing winds
and deep water to attract sailing
enthusiasts. It’s location on the edge of a
secluded villa area, will minimize impact
on residents.
Viva Bahriya, designed with families in
mind, will include a nautical activity
center with charters, a sailing school,
diving classes, and a range of water
sports and activities.
The marinas will not only be open to
residents of The Pearl-Qatar. Some of the
world’s top-end retail outlets have
already scheduled fashion shows, and
property developers have expressed an
interest in offering seaborne promotions.
Currently, Doha’s marinas boast a
combined 750 berths. When The Pearl-
Qatar is completed, an additional 1,000
will be created. Developers expect that
this increase will create a sailing culture.
“Ronautica brought its expertise to
make this marina the best in the world,”
says Mr. Marco. “We’ve put together a
team of expert sailors, managers, and
mariners to make it possible.“
After 20 years in the business,
Ronautica has won a reputation for
being passionate about the sea.
Company policy is that every employee,
from management to maintenance, must
take sailing courses. As one of The Pearl-
Qatar’s crucial lifestyle partners, Mr.
Marco says that Ronautica looks forward
to end-to-end management of all the
island’s maritime services.
Welcome
to the future
World-class marinas aim to make Qatar an international sailing center
Environmental concerns the major priority
The Pearl-Qatar’s environmental impact will be positive.

Qatar
9
Since the 19th century, Jaidah
Group has been one of Qatar's
premier companies. Starting out as
a trader of foodstuffs, wool and
even pearls, the company has evolved
into a market leader in sectors that
include heavy equipment, furniture
and the automotive industry.
The turning point in Jaidah
Group's history came in the 1950s,
when the company started import-
ing British and American cars to
Qatar. Since then, by adapting to the
changing Qatari market, it has been
able to consolidate its position as a
preeminent enterprise. Its continu-
ing leadership does not mean, how-
ever, that the notion of high stan-
dards has been forgotten. In fact,
the implementation of an internal
quality management system, which
led to the company being awarded
an ISO 9001-2000 certificate, means
that nowadays Jaidah Group guar-
antees a complete service for both
clients and international partners.
Through long-term distribution
agreements with a range of inter-
nationally respected companies,
Jaidah Group has become more than
a mere Qatari agent or distributor
of products by such well-known
companies as GM, Fujitsu and Nis-
san. In the face of unsustainable
agent distribution agreements, where
clients are free to change according
to their own needs and the oppor-
tunities presented to them by com-
peting companies, Jaidah ensures
stability and quality by establishing
more permanent joint ventures
through its subsidiary companies.
The group's marketing manager,
Mohamed Jaidah, understands the
relationship between Jaidah Group
and these international companies
as “long-lasting and strong part-
nerships". And as the strength of
these partnerships allows Jaidah
Group to reinforce its own brand,
as well as that of its partners, it's no
surprise that Mr. Jaidah defines this
approach as “one of our key suc-
cess factors".
Through its subsidiaries, Jaidah
Group supplies consumers and cor-
porations throughout Qatar with
products as varied as cars, cranes
and couches. Jaidah Motors, one of
the oldest elements of the group, has
twomajorshowroomsinDoha,where
pick-ups, sedans and SUVs from the
Chevrolet and Isuzu brands can be
viewed.Meanwhile,thegroup'sheavy
equipment division provides vehi-
clesofadifferentkind,includingroad
pavers, loaders and excavators, which
supply Qatar's major development
projects with the necessary equip-
ment to successfully carry out ma-
jor construction and infrastructure
work. A workshop, which compli-
ments the sales division and services
and repairs this equipment, makes
sure that Jaidah provides its clients
with a comprehensive service, even
at the post-sales stage.
Further diversification, in response
to the evolving Qatari economy, has
taken the company into new territo-
ries too, including oil and gas equip-
ment supplies and technology. “The
group's chairman decided to diversi-
fy and expand business operations
mainlytocapitalizeonthemarketop-
portunities and also to cater for cus-
tomers' growing needs within vari-
Family business adapts and thrives for over a century
ous areas," explains Mr. Jaidah. The oil and gas equipment subsidiary has a
broad business base, which includes drilling services in partnership with Hal-
liburton and equipment from Invensys. It also offers operation management
services, from supplying skilled manpower to logistical support.
The technology division, meanwhile, works with firms such as Siemens
and Key Radio Systems, distributing computers, mobile phones and
plasma and LCD screens. A recent agreement with the British firm Neos
Interactive means Jaidah’s subsidiary company Business Communica-
tions Qatar (BCQ) will distribute Neos' iTV interactive entertainment
system, favored by luxury hotels the world over. Furthermore the prod-
uct will be present in another of Jaidah Group's business interests, the
Technological development and IT solutions are just some of Jaidah Group’s priorities for the future.
Jaidah Motors’ U.S.-made cars can be seen all over Doha.
Bringing the pride of
Detroit to the Gulf
Thanks to its more than five
decades of experience, Jaidah
Group's automotive arm, Jaidah
Motors, has built strong ties
with American carmaker GM and
its emblematic Chevrolet brand.
Since the 1950s, the Qatari
holding has enjoyed a fruitful
relationship with General Motors
and has been responsible for
bringing a number of Detroit's
finest specimen to the Gulf. “At
the beginning of the 1950s, we
started importing different
types of cars, mainly British and
American. Then on January 1st,
1963, we signed with GM to be
the official dealer for Buick,
Oldsmobile and Chevrolet,"
explains Mohamed Jaidah, group
marketing manager of Jaidah
Group. Since then, GM vehicles
can be seen all over the country
and Jaidah Motor's relationship
with the company has been so
successful that, along with
another 16 Middle East dealers,
Jaidah was awarded one of GM's
International Chairman's
Challenge Awards for 2006, in
recognition of surpassing sales
targets and providing a high
level of customer satisfaction.
Qatar’s insulated fuel prices
have made powerful American-
made cars and trucks preferred
vehicles in Doha and the rest of
the country. Jaidah's top-of-
the-line products include the
Chevy Corvette, the Trailblazer,
Uplander and the Captiva
compact SUV. As the fastest
production car built in the
States, the emblematic Corvette
remains a popular choice among
enthusiasts on Doha’s streets.
Additionally, the importer's
racing team, equipped with the
Z06 editions of the sports car,
has been hitting local circuits
with considerable success.
The racing track and city
streets are not the only driving
surfaces for Jaidah Motors'
American imports; off road,
Jaidah's roster of SUVs and
pickups have also gained
popularity with “dune bashers".
These drivers, who prefer the
freedom of tackling the
peninsula's dunes to the stress
of city traffic, are choosing
Jaidah Motors as their preferred
supplier of sand climbers, and
the Silverado and Tahoe are both
adept in the unlikely
environment of deep Middle
Eastern sand.
Even though GM vehicles
have a considerable presence
throughout Qatar, there is still
room for more. In September
2008, Jaidah and the Qatari
public transport company
Mowatasalat signed an
agreement for the supply of 400
Chevrolet cars – 300 Chevrolet
Epicas and 100 Chevrolet
Caprices. These cars will
contribute to the expansion of
the country's taxi fleet and form
part of Mowatasalat's expansion
plans for its taxi and limousine
services. As part of the
agreement, Jaidah Group will
supply vehicles and services that
will reiterate not only the
company's quality approach to
business, but also its
commitment to providing
infrastructure support in Qatar.
The continuing popularity of
American cars in the Gulf region
is good news for American
manufacturers who have
witnessed a decline in sales as of
late. And as the Qatari economy
grows, more and more are likely
to find there way onto Doha’s
streets, thus ensuring many
more years' successful business
for Jaidah Motors and GM.
W Doha Hotel & Residences, to be
opened at the end of 2008.
The group's hopes for future di-
versification, which go hand in
hand with the country's own
growth and development, lie in
the creation of an IT solution com-
pany focusing on a particular mar-
ket segment. One of those niche
segments is e-government solu-
tions, as shown by the memoran-
dum of understanding signed with
CrimsonLogic of Singapore in
2007. “CrimsonLogic was ap-
proached by many other compa-
nies," says Mr. Jaidah, “but they
chose us because we value strong
and long-term partnerships based
on a win-win principle. We are
working in a way that makes the
idea an investment for the future."
Investment in the future, howev-
er, is not only made through busi-
ness transactions. “Qatar is a very
capitalist economy, but at the same
time we have a very social mindset,"
reveals Mr. Jaidah. “We are looking
at different ways of helping the
community, and our main goal is to
empower the community and help
people acquire the tools and skills
that will help them become an ac-
tive part of society and contribute
to its successful expansion."
One example of Jaidah Group's
corporate social responsibility is its
recent agreement with the Reach
Out to Asia (ROTA) NGO to promote
education in the Middle East and
Asia. On signing the agreement,
Jaidah Group COO, Bengt Schultz,
declared that its intention was “to
achieve a common goal through
team work". Future projects include
a Corporate Literacy Campaign,
which will include a literacy pro-
motion program for Jaidah Group
employees, reiterating Mr. Jaidah's
belief that while in the past “we
have been heavily dependent on a
foreign workforce, our long-term
plan would be to develop a local
workforce."
While regional and international
ambitions may well form part of the
future, for now Jaidah Group is con-
centrating on fully capitalizing on
the national market. Sponsorship of
major events, such as Project Qatar,
an international construction trade
fair that celebrated its fifth edition
in 2008, is a sign of its aim to con-
solidate its position as a Qatari busi-
ness leader.
“It's one of the fast booming
economies in the Gulf region," con-
firms Mr. Jaidah, and Jaidah Group
aims to continue to be a key play-
er in the staggering development of
the Qatari economy, maintaining
the notion of quality as the refer-
ence point for all of its work.
Strong, lasting partnerships with leading international companies have fortified Jaidah Group’s pole position and its diversity of business interests

Qatar_TNYT 2008

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