2017 proved a turbulent year for Qatar, dominated by the diplomatic rift that emerged between the country and several other regional states in June 2017. However, Qatar has adapted quickly, with many in the local business community confident about the future.
Twenty years ago, Qatar’s leadership set out to liberalize the country’s telecoms sector, transforming its state-run monopoly operator into a market-driven firm. This was part of an effort to transition the Qatari economy away from its traditional mainstays, oil and gas. To that end, the ICT sector has been instrumental to a broader process that continues today. As state and private players...
With the fall in oil prices underlining the dangers of an over reliance on hydrocarbons revenues, Qatar has continued to forge ahead with its economic diversification drive in 2016. Non-hydrocarbons growth now outstrips hydrocarbons growth, with several big-ticket construction projects, an increasingly dynamic financial services sector and a growing reputation as a tourist destination all fuelling non-oil expansion.
The telecoms sector in Qatar has grown at a rapid pace over the past decade and today boasts at least 100% mobile penetration, 93% laptop ownership, 65% smartphone ownership and 29% tablet penetration. Data services have underpinned revenue growth in recent years and are expected to continue driving demand and revenues in the mobile segment. Meanwhile, the take-up of IT services has been...
Hydrocarbons revenues, specifically from liquefied natural gas, still form the bulk of Qatar’s national income. However, as the country moves forward with Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), the government is increasingly seeking to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons while investing in renewable solutions to meet the energy demands of the future.
2013 saw the transition of power from the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, his fourth son and second son with Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, a move unprecedented elsewhere in the Gulf but not unexpected in Qatar.
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