Qatar

Qatar's political and business leaders have been talking up the health of the country's economy, predicting a soft landing instead of a crash, though there are signs of a few bumps in the road ahead.

Qatar, along with Russia and Iran, has moved towards forming a permanent organisation of leading gas-producing nations, a step that could lead to the establishment of a grouping similar to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), intended to give gas exporters greater control over the international market.

A recent report issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found no evidence of terrorist groups receiving finance through Qatar and only minimal levels of money laundering, which comes as good news for the country's international standing and for its banking sector.

Qatar is looking to ride out the storm caused by the crash of many of the US's leading financial houses, with its high levels of liquidity, low exposure to the US market and solid investment policies serving to ward off the worst of the crisis.

The insurance industry has generally failed to capitalise on Qatar's recently booming economy, but a series of initiatives aimed at broadening the sector's customer appeal may help it to get in on the action.

Qatar's economy may be booming, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, per capita income and energy production all at near record highs, but the world's largest exporter of liquid natural gas still has some hurdles to overcome on the road to economic strength and stability.