International Trade in Qatar

News Related to International Trade in Qatar

• Stocks to Soccer Add Up for Qatar Needing Funds Back Home - May 21, 2013

  Stocks to Soccer Add Up for Qatar Needing Funds Back Home

  Source: Bloomberg

• Arab Spring makes Israeli-Palestinian peace more pressing - Qatar - May 21, 2013

  DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's emir, who has thrown his state's riches behind Arab uprisings, said on Monday that the emergence of 'people power' had put Arabs in direct confrontation with Israel and made a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more pressing.Related StoriesChief Palestinian peace negotiator backs Kerry's effortsCouncil of Europe tells Putin of concern over Russian NGO lawU.S. says concerned with charges against Egyptian journalistsMonster tornado devastates area near Oklahoma CityLibya war weapons may be killing central Africa elephants - U.N.

  Source: Reuters

• Qatar's Qrail awards USD2b Doha Metro's Red Line design contract: Report - May 21, 2013

  (MENAFN) Qatar Railways Company (Qrail) has granted the USD2-billion design contract for the Red Line North of Doha Metro to a consortium led by Italy's construction firm Impregilo, reported Arabian ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• US receives request from Qatar, Oman to buy military equipment - May 21, 2013

  (MENAFN) The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that it has notified the Congress about a possible USD210 million arms deal with both Oman and Qatar, reported Arabian Business. The two ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• Qatar Holding may invest in Versace: Report - May 21, 2013

  (MENAFN) Qatar Holding is said to be eying an investment in Versace, the famous Italian fashion house, reported Reuters citing Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore. According to the report, Qatar ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• Alessa Industries to enter Qatar market - May 20, 2013

  Alessa Industries Group has announced their plan to expand into the Qatari market leveraging the huge potential offered by diverse sectors of the economy, a press statement said.

  Source: Manufacturing News-Zawya

• Qatar's non-oil sector set to grow, says Global Investment House - May 20, 2013

  Manufacturing sector and the roll-out of infrastructure projects in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, would continue to drive Qatar's growth of the non-oil sector, Global Investment House said.

  Source: Construction News-Zawya

• Qatar Holding to acquire stake in Milan's Porta Nuova - May 20, 2013

  (MENAFN) Qatar Holding LLC announced that it will acquire a stake of 40 percent in Milan's Porta Nuova, reported The Peninsula. The announcement confirms reports last month that Qatar was in ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• Qatar Airways Announces Codeshare Flights with Bangkok Airways - May 18, 2013

  (MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) Qatar Airways today announced a new codeshare agreement with Bangkok Airways to destinations across Thailand and the capital cities of neighbouring Cambodia and ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• Qatar Airways requests additional capacity into India - May 18, 2013

  (MENAFN) Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, stated that the carrier, which at the current time serves Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, plans to add additional cities in India to its network, ...

  Source: Menafn.com

• Qatar Airways, Bangkok Airways in codeshare agreement - May 18, 2013

  (MENAFN) Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, announced that the carrier inked a codeshare deal with Thailand's Bangkok Airways, reported Arabian Business. Al Baker added that the agreement will ...

  Source: Menafn.com

Business outline for Qatar

Economic Overview

Qatar is a rich country and after Liechtenstein, has the second highest per capita income in the world.  For Several years, Qatar has shown the strongest growth in the world, despite a slight drop due to the crisis in 2008, which has been improving since 2010 when the country again showed a double-digit growth (14%). Estimates for 2011 are between 16% and 18%. The country is one of the richest and most creditworthy in the regin. This is mainly due to the last years' boom in the prices of petrol, to a very efficient policy of economic diversification and to the launch of numerous large-scale projects. The slowdown of the world economy leading to the decline in the prices of petrol in 2009 had a relatively strong impact on the country, however, the increase in strength of the gas production program should sustain, in a long-lasting manner, the GDP increase in the coming years. As the third largest producer of gas in the world, Quatar holds 16% of the world's reserves, which equals around 250 years of possible expoitation.

The country's dependence on gas and, to a lesser extent, on oil forced the Quatarian authorities turn to economic diversification. Apart from its gas potential, the Emirate wants to develop an ambitious industrialization program, namely in the area of liquefaction of gas and petro-chemistry. The industrial sector currently represents two thirds of the GDP. Thanks to virtually unlimited financial means, the country has chosen a voluntarist policy based on investment in infrastrucutres: urban development, highway and raiway network, leisure and luxury infrastructures. In this way, the country wants to develop the services sector (especially tourism and financial services). Numerous investment projects are already under way, notably the construction of the new international airport in Doha, which is planned for 2011.

Given his situation of overheating, the Qatari economy is experiencing inflationary pressures due to several factors: quick and large rise of real-estate prices, weakness of the interest rates, depreciation of the dollar, influx of cash due to the soaring oil prices. However, the government is trying to control these tensions, the inflation rate decreasing from 15% in 2008 to 1% in 2010, with a forecast of 3% in 2011.

FDI in Figures

The country's aim is to become a haven for the investment flowing into the Gulf region.

Foreign investment into the country are continuously growing. FDI stocks in terms of GDP have increased since 2000 but have been altered by the 2009 economic crisis.

Factors limiting FDI influx are the slowness in the in country's privatization program, institutional constraints, the limited size of the market, the lack of skilled labor and its high cost. Moreover, foreign companies are not allowed to invest in certain key sectors like banking and insurance and the governement grants more priviledges to its own citizens than to foreign investors.

The main sectors attracting foreign investments are oil and gas, construction and public works, and financial services. The main investor countries are Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

The organization of the 2022 World Cup will no doubt bring it large foreign investment in the coming years.

Foreign Trade Overview

Qatar is open to international trade. The country's trade policy is essentially focused on creating a modern economy, investment promotion (both domestic & foreign), trade diversification and trade at regional and international levels, as well as providing the necessary support to the private sector.

Customs duties are relatively low. The country does not have many trade barriers and thus remains easily accessible to foreign trade. Despite the fact that Qatar became a member of the WTO, it has not yet implemented its agreements, including the Customs Valuation agreement.

Qatar exports far more than it imports. This results in a positive trade balance, which is expected to remain largely positive during the coming years. The hydrocarbons represent 88% of the total value of exports. The country's primary imports are foodstuffs, mechanical equipment and machines, cars and construction material.

Its main trade partners are Japan (1/3 of total exports), the European Union and the United States. Asia is Quatar's main client, exports to Asia representing over 78% of the state's total exports. Its main trading partners for imports are Japan, the USA, Germany, Italy and China.