Qatar

The lines have been drawn for the fight to win the hearts, minds and subscriptions of Qatar's phone users, with long time monopoly rights holder Qatar Telecommunications (Qtel) about to face off against newcomer Vodafone Qatar.

Qatar's construction sector is going from strength to strength, benefitting from high levels of investment, healthy consumer confidence and the overall sense of wellbeing in the country's economy.

Qatar is pushing ahead with a series of large-scale transport infrastructure projects aimed at improving the emirate’s links and boosting the economy, though unlike many other countries these schemes are not part of a package to restart growth stalled by the global recession but are components of a broader vision for the nation’s future.

Over the years, Qatar has worked hard to develop an attractive and diverse investment location. Now it is focusing on the environment in order to sustain the economy and the future of the country.

Qatar's financial sector appears to be well placed to ride out the global economic downturn, thanks to a combination of factors, including the sound state of the country's economy, prompt intervention by the state to support local banks and solid levels of liquidity.

Though international oil and gas prices have fallen steeply resulting in the economies of many countries in the Middle East facing negative growth and large-scale cut backs in energy projects, Qatar stands out as an exception.