3. History Of Qatar Barter trading. British establishment. Thani dynasty. Independence.
4. Government Prime Minister: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin KhalifaAl-Thani First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister: H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al-Thani Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry: H.E. Mr. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah
5. Ruling Family Sheikh Mohammad Bin Thani (1850 – 1878) • Sheikh Jassim (Qassim) Bin Mohammad Al-Thani (1878 – 1913) • Sheikh Abdullah Bin Jassim (Qassim) Al-Thani (1913 – 1949) • Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani (1949 – 1960) • Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani (1960 – 1972) • Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani (1972 – 1995) • Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani (1995 – present) The Emir’s son, H.H. Sheikh
6. The Emir A very popular Emir. Sandhurst Military Academy. The highest income per capita.
8. Quick Facts and Figures Located in the Middle East Official religion is Islam Official Name; State of Qatar (in Arabic: Dawlat Qatar) Independence Day; 3 September 1971 Time GMT +3 Total Area: 11,437 sq km Natural resource petroleum, natural gas, fish Population 928,635 (July 2008 est.) Capital City Doha Life expectancy: 75 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN) Currencyis Qatar Riyal (QAR) Football is a very important sport in Qatar.
13. Sports Qatar is now a candidate for the run in holding the Olympics. This would be a very big and important step for the tourism industry in Qatar. Qatar wins the heart of Athletes.
16. The Press Al-Watan (The Homeland) - daily Al-Rayah (The Banner) - daily Al-Sharq (The East) - daily Gulf Times - English-language The Peninsula - English-language Qatar Tribune - English-language
17. Television Al-Jazeera - influential pan-Arab satellite broadcaster, financed by the Qatar government Qatar TV - state-run; operates main Arabic service, Koran channel, English channel, satellite channel RADIOQatar Broadcasting Service (QBS) - state-run, programmes in Arabic, English, French, Urdu News agencyQatar News Agency - state-run
21. Food in Qatar Traditional Food in Qatar Lobster, Crab, Shrimp, Tuna, Kingfish And Red Snapper Speciality of food in Qatar Qatari eat only halal meat. do not eat pork or drink alcohol.
24. IMPORTS & EXPORTS Imports:$20.87 billion (2009 est.) $25.11 billion (2008 est.) Imports - commodities:machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals Imports - partners:US 12.1%, Germany 9%, Italy 8.9%, Japan 8%, South Korea 7.5%, France 6.2%, UAE 5.5%, UK 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, China 4.2% (2008) Exports:$37.43 billion (2009 est.) $55.73 billion (2008 est.) Exports - commodities:liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel Exports - partners:Japan 38.5%, South Korea 20.9%, Singapore 11.1%, India 4.5%, Thailand 4.4% (2008)
25. GDP (purchasing power parity):$101.2 billion (2009 est.) GDP - per capita:$121,400 million (2009 est.) Labor force:1.202 million (2009 est.) Unemployment rate:0.5% (2009 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices):-3.9% (2009 est.)
30. TODAY 2009 January - Qatar cuts trade ties with Israel over Gaza offensive. Was sole Gulf state to have trade ties with Israel. 2009 March - Qatar is among 11 countries officially in contention to host the 2022 World Cup. It has hosted the Asian Games and is due to host the Asian Cup in 2011.
31. The change Over the past few years Qatar has really changed a lot. As you can see Qatar has really changed a lot during the past few years and Qatar is a very new country. 1975 2010
Discoveries have been made that indicates that prehistoric humans have lived in Qatar. Evidences also have been found that the ancient Qataris engaged in barter based trading mostly on pottery and dried fishes. During the 7th century its rulers and people converted to Islam. During the medieval period Qatar is an active participant in the Persian Gulf-Indian ocean commerce. The British established themselves in Qatar because the territory is a good vantage point in their route to their colony in India. During the 19th century the Al Khalifa clan from Bahrain controls the northern peninsula. The Qataris rose up in revolt against the Al Khalifas who in turn sent a massive naval force against them. The rebels were defeated but the British intervened and a series of negotiations ensued. As a result, the State of Qatar was founded in December 18, 1878. The Qataris choose an entrepreneur named Muhammed bin Thani as their negotiator with the British and Bahrain. His clan the Al Thanis, would soon become the ruling dynasty in Qatar. In 1968 when the British officially announced its political disengagement with the Persian Gulf, Qatar joined a federation which includes Bahrain and seven other States. Disagreements with the federation made Qatar leave and declare its independence in September 3 1971. In 1995 Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thanisiezed power from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while on vacation in Switzerland. Under his rule, the country enjoyed some amount of socio political liberalization like the right to vote.
Government: Qatar is a constitutional monarchy and rule is hereditary within the Al-Thani family. The Emir is the head of the constitutional authorities, holding both legislative and executive powers. He appoints the prime minister and ministers.The country’s first elections, for a Central Municipal Council, were held in 1999 with Qatari women participating as candidates and voters.Qatar is now ruled by H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, who was put to power in 1995.
Ruling over Qatar is His Highness The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The Al-Thani family, a branch of the ancient IbnTamim (BaniTamim) tribe, can trace its ancestry back to Mudar Bin Nizar and began its rule over Qatar in the mid-1800s. The family had settled with the tribal group for some time around the Gibrin oasis in southern Nejd (now part of Saudi Arabia), moving to Qatar during the early 18th century. Initially, the family settled in Zubara in the north of the peninsula, moving to Doha only in the mid-19th century. The name Al-Thani is derived from that of the family’s ancestor, Thani Bin Mohammad Bin Thani, who was the first sheikh to rule over modern Qatar.
H.H. Sheikh Hamad is a very popular emir to his people because of his loyalty and kindness to Qatar. He began his education in Qatar then continued his college years in Sandhurst Military Academy in England.He has done a very good job in developing Qatar.He is one of the many reasons of why Qatar is now one of the most developed countries in the Middle East.One of the reasons why Qatar has the highest income per capita is thanks to the Emir. He is sometimes known as the Emir of generosity. One day after hurricane Katrina he donate $100million.
Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers. Qatari contracting agency Barwa is constructing a residential area for laborers known as Barwa Al Baraha, also called Workers City. The project was launched after a recent scandal inDubai's Labor camps. The project aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation.[34] The Barwa Al Baraha will cost around $1.1 billion and will be a completely integrated city in the industrial area in Doha. Along with 4.25 square meters of living space per person, the residential project will provide parks, recreational areas, malls, and shops for labourers. Phase one of the project was set to be completed at the end of 2008, and the project itself will be completed by the middle of 2010Course on human rights commencesAs part of a newly-launched partnership, the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in association with the Le Mediateur De La Republic institution, yesterday started a course on human rights for participants from local NGOs and government departments.Le Mediateur De La Republic is an institution which has been devoted -- since its creation in 1973 -- to improving relations between the French government and the citizens as well as examining the inappropriateness of certain legislations, procedures or their interpretation. The course aims to introduce the social mediation concept and techniques to members of the Qatari NGOs and to highlight the civil society role in human rights protectionGovernment and politicsQatar has an emirate government type.[8] Based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; the country has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.Political parties and electionsQatar is developing into a constitutional monarchy, but it doesn't allow political parties nor hold elections on a national level yet.[1] Suffrage is currently limited to municipal elections (for both males and females aged 18 years or more). Expatriate residents are excluded. The elected Municipal Council has no executive powers but may offer advice to the Minister.
LanguageArabic Is the official language. English is widely spoken.Land & peopleQatar is largely barren, flat desert. Water is scarce, and agriculture is minimal. Once a nomadic society, Qatar now has little rural population. Doha, the main urban center, is on the eastern coast of the peninsula. About 40% of the inhabitants are Sunni Arabs of the Wahhabi sect of Islam. There are Christian and other minorities. Other ethnicities include South Asians, Iranians, and Palestinians. Less than one fifth of the population are native Qataris; most of the workers associated with the important oil and gas industries are foreigners.
the white colour reflects the internationally recognised symbol of peace; the maroon symbolises the blood shed during the battles Qatar fought, particularly in the second half of the 19th century; and the nine-point serration indicates that Qatar was the ninth member of the ‘reconciled Emirates’ following the conclusion of the Qatari-British treaty in 1916.
law :Qatar has a discretionary system of law controlled by the emir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal mattersclosely restricts the activities of Qatari women, who are largely limited to roles within the home. Women are not allowed to obtain a driver's license without the permission of her husband.Qatar is the only GCC country to allow women to vote.
Qatari culture (music, art, dress, and cuisine) is extremely similar to that of other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. Arab tribes from Saudi Arabia migrated to Qatar and other places in the gulf; therefore, the culture in the Persian Gulf region varies little from country to country.French maestro leads orchestraThe Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) welcomed well known French composer Marc Minkowski to take up the baton recently, when the composer led the orchestra in the latest concert to be held as part of their extensive programme during Doha’s year as the Capital of Arab Culture.
However, growing numbers of woman are receiving government scholarships to study abroad, and some women work in education, medicine, and the mediaOne of the biggest education centres in the world is in Qatar, it is called Education City and is still being expanded.There are also some other famous colleges and universities in Qatar, such as Cambrige University, Texas A&M University, College of the North Atlantic and more.
The Asian games were held in Qatar in 2006 and were a big success. Qatar is now a candidate for the run in holding the Olympics. This would be a very big and important step for the tourism industry in Qatar. Lots of people came to the Asian games, and lots of hotels were built for this. Roads were also re-built and the infrastructure was updated. The Asian games went really smooth, and so hopefully the Olympics will be a big success just like the Asian games.The 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships, held for the first time in the Arab world, featured 650 athletes from 140 countries.
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is the premier non-profit health care provider in Doha, Qatar. Established by the Emiri decree in 1979, HMC manages four highly specialised hospitals: Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital and the Primary Health Care Centres.
The Qatari media continues its conscientious efforts to carry out its mission of fostering civil society. Its role is to highlight Qatar's contemporary developments reflect its genuine Arabian and Islamic heritage and morals. The Qatari media also advocates national as well as Gulf, Arab and Islamic causes.
Print media is going through expansion, with over three English dailies and Arabic titles
Al Jazeera (Arabic: meaning “The Peninsula”) is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel of the same name, but has since expanded into a network of several specialty TV channels.
Qatar Airways, the country’s national airline, is one of the world’s fastest growing carriers with its aircraft fleet of 29 and continuing to grow. Offering approximately 50 international destinations, Qatar Airways has signed a US$5.1 billion deal with Airbus to purchase an additional 32 aircraft during the next five years. It is also investing US$2 billion in the construction of Doha’s new international airport, set to open in 2007. Located in Doha International Airport is the 1500 square metre, bright and spacious Duty Free Shop offering gifts for international travellers.
Tourism is a growing source of income in Qatar. Lots of visitors come to Qatar and lots of hotels have been built. All the hotels in Qatar can suit up to 8000 people. There are lots of tourist companies that offer trips to the desert and such.Hotels:Lots of new shopping malls and entertainment facilities in order to attract more tourists and convince them to come back. Qatar is being turned into a luxury destination with lots of famous hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, the Four Seasons and the famous pyramid shaped Sheraton.
Food: Today food in Qatar features several cuisine which carry the imprints of food of several countries like India, Pakistan, Iran and Lebanon but American fast food is the most popular food in Qatar among the youngsters.
Qatar's economy maintains its growth momentum with the constant addition of various projects that further expands the economyGlobal Investment House Qatar Economic & Strategic Outlook - Macroeconomic Profile- Qatar is one of the fastest growing economies in the world for past many years and to further boost the growth it is committed to spend huge amount on infrastructure and hydrocarbon projects over the coming years. These projects present significant opportunities to almost all the economic sectors such as power, telecom, banking, financial services, real estate, construction.http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-16655967.html
Exports Qatar has three primary export terminals: Umm Said, Halul Island, and RasLaffan. RasLaffan is the newest of the three ports and is mainly used to export liquefied natural gas.Industry sources report that Qatar typically exports around 600,000 bbl/d of crude oil and about 20,000 bbl/d of refined petroleum products. Most of Qatar’s oil exports are sent to Asian economies, with Japan as the single largest receiver (about 380,000 bbl/d of crude in 2006,according to IEA statistics)
Revenues from the oil and natural gas sectors amount to 60 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Domestically, the vast majority of Qatar’s total energy consumption comes from natural gas (79 percent), while the balance is supplied by oil.LNG prices paid by Japan, the biggest importer, have fallen 13 percent since July, compared with the 68 percent plunge in crude. With the world’s third-largest natural-gas reserves, after Russia and Iran, Qatar plans to more than double output of LNG to 77 million tons a year in 2011. It will earn more than $153 billion in gas sales over the next three years, according to the International Monetary Fund. The revenue from the sales will help the government to continue to post budget surpluses and finance 60 percent of the planned investments, according to the Doha-based unit of HSBC Holdings.Qatar plans to significantly expand natural gas production during the next five years. Qatari officials have stated that target production for 2012 is about 8.7 tcf, or nearly six times greater than 2005 output levels.
The Pearl is a big housing complex opening in Qatar. Many celebrities have already bought a house here (For example David Beckham) The Pearl will be very famous and a very luxurious complex, like The Palm, located in Dubai.
Islamabad :Energy-starved China is exploring ways to tap Saudi Arabian gas through a tie up with Gulf-South Asia (Gusa) gas company of Qatar that already has a joint venture for a deep sea pipeline with Pakistan. Once gas from the 'Pak-Qatar' pipeline reaches Gwadar on the Balochistan coast where Beijing has already invested heavily in a port and a military base, the Chinese want to move the gas along the Indus river by a land route across the Karakorum Highway via a "white oil pipeline" feeding its energy grid. China has accelerated its effort in this direction after its earlier interest in joining the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline diminished. While the first pipeline is bogged down due to global politics, Beijing is not too keen on the TAP line due to security considerations.
