Qatar melds traditional cultural identity with an openness to foreigners

Since gaining independence in 1971 Qatar has quickly risen to prominence both regionally and internationally to become an economic, political and cultural powerhouse in the Middle East. With a relatively small local population and substantial revenues generated from having the third-largest proven natural gas reserves globally, Qatar has one of the world’s highest GDP per capita: $72,700 at current prices in 2019, according to IMF estimates.

Prior to 2010 the country was primarily known for its vast gas reserves, however Qatar’s global profile received a major boost in 2010 when it won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November and December of that year. Now, the country is recognised in the international arena for many reasons, such as its extensive international investments and substantial infrastructure projects at home, which lead to the population growing by an estimated 40% since 2010 due to an influx of foreign workers.

Backed by sustained levels of growth, Qatar is channelling its resources into transitioning to a knowledge-based economy. “Qatar’s economy is experiencing a positive trend, and moving forward we are working on translating such growth into greater activity and sustainability throughout the private sector,” Saleh bin Mohammed Al Nabit, president of the Planning and Statistics Authority, told OBG. “The country is investing in strategic sectors such as agriculture, services, and research and development to further diversify our economy and attract greater foreign direct investment.”

History

The modern state of Qatar became a self-governing country on September 3, 1971 after declaring independence from the UK. However, it celebrates Qatar National Day on December 18 to mark the unification of all Qatari tribes in 1878 under Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, who is regarded as the founder of the state. Although a relatively young nation, the peninsula of Qatar has a long history of human habitation, with archaeological finds dating back to the Ubaid civilisation of Mesopotamia, which flourished in what is now Iraq and Syria between the 7th and 4th millennia BCE. In the late 3rd and early 2nd millennia BCE the area came under the influence of the Dilmun civilisation, which covered the northern Gulf including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the eastern portions of Saudi Arabia. This era was marked by the development of pearl diving and trading, which would later become mainstays of the developing Gulf economies.

Both the Babylonians and the Assyrians had influence over the region following this era. All territories, including Qatar, had contact with the Seleucid Empire, a successor of the empire built by Alexander the Great. The Persians established control in the Gulf around 250 BCE and the country became an important regional trading hub, producing pearls and dye, while also acting as an important trans-shipment centre. The Persians maintained control of the area until the early years of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad sent an envoy to the region in 628 CE, and eastern Arabia was one of the first areas that adopted the religion in the 7th century. A number of Islamic dynasties flourished in the region during the medieval period. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries both the Portuguese and the Ottomans fought for control of the Arabian peninsula. The Bani Khalid Arab tribal federation took over in 1670. Al Zubarah, Qatar’s UNESCO World Heritage site, was established at that time as a trading and commercial city on the north-west coast.

Autonomy

Qatar’s capital, Doha, was originally founded as Al Bidda in 1825 at a time when the British were beginning to increase their influence across the Middle East, which had strategic importance as a crossroads between Europe and India. British officials eventually acknowledged Qatar and Bahrain as distinct entities, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani as the ruler of Qatar. In 1893 Sheikh Mohammed’s son, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, staved off an Ottoman attack at the fort of Al Wajbah with an army of several thousand men. This resulted in the acknowledgement of Qatar’s autonomy. Although it officially remained part of the Ottoman Empire, the event is seen as one of the key moments in the foundation of Qatar as an independent state.

As the Ottoman Empire declined in the early 20th century, Qatar, like many of its neighbours, became a British protectorate. In 1971 the anticipated British withdrawal was finalised, and Qatar became independent. In June 1995 Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became amir, with a new constitution approved by referendum in 2003 and entering into force in 2005. A range of social reforms have since taken place, and the role of women in public life has greatly increased. On June 25, 2013 Sheikh Hamad handed the throne to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the current amir.

Geography

Qatar is located on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and has a total land area of 11,437 sq km, making it roughly comparable in size to Montenegro or The Gambia. The country is a 160-km peninsula jutting out into the Gulf, with its only land border being a 60-km stretch shared with Saudi Arabia, officially demarcated in 2001. Qatar also shares maritime borders with Bahrain to the north, Iran to the north-east and the UAE to the south-east. The peninsula lies only 30 km from the main island of Bahrain, and Bahrain’s Hawar Islands are only 1.5 km from the Qatari coast. A decision by the International Court of Justice in 2001 resolved a long-standing dispute between the two countries pertaining to the islands. Another equally important maritime boundary with Iran cuts through the world’s largest natural gas field, meaning that approximately 60% of the field – commonly known in Qatar as the North Field – lies in Qatari territorial waters. The remainder of the field is referred to as the South Pars Field and is under Iranian control.

Qatar has a number of islands surrounding the mainland, the most important of which is Halul Island, as it serves as a loading and storage terminal for neighbouring offshore oilfields. It is the closest inhabited island to the maritime border with the UAE. The total coastline of the country is 563 km long, and the state is almost entirely surrounded by the waters of the Gulf. The peninsula is low lying, with the highest point – Qurayn Abu Al Bawl in the south – being just 103 metres above sea level. The majority of Qatar is composed of predominantly flat desert, covered by loose sand and rock. Khor Al Udaid, known as the Inland Sea, is a large natural water inlet that is surrounded by lofty sand dunes. It is a largely uninhabited nature reserve, which serves as Qatar’s most renowned natural tourist attraction.

Climate

Qatar has a hot and humid summer, and a relatively mild winter. The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority classifies December to February as winter and May to September as summer. Average maximum temperatures in 2016 ranged from 25.4°C to 33.6°C. The highest recorded temperature was 49.6°C in July 2000 and the lowest on file was 1.5°C in February 2017. The average temperatures over the past 45 years were 35.1°C and 14.4°C, respectively, for July and January, which are the hottest and coldest months. The average annual humidity for 2016 ranged from 24.5% to 66%. Qatar is fairly windy throughout the year, with the lowest average wind speed over 45 years recorded at 6.7 knots in September and October, and the highest monthly average at 9.8 knots in June. Due to the prevailing wind from the north and the hot summer conditions, June features occasional strong sandstorms.

With no surface freshwater and depleting aquifers, Qatar is a water-scarce country with average rainfall of 77 mm per year. The government has stated that groundwater is extracted almost four times faster than the rate at which it can recharge naturally, at 220 cu metres per year in comparison to the replenishment rate of 60 cu metres per year. Groundwater is used almost exclusively for agricultural purposes, and given the extreme weather conditions, the limited arable land and water scarcity in the country, Qatar currently imports most of its food requirements. The majority of water for residential, commercial and industrial use comes from desalination plants. In December 2018 Qatar launched the Water Security Mega Reservoirs Project, which will extend water storage capacity by up to seven days, in line with anticipated demand in 2026 (see Utilities chapter). Qatar has also been a leading member of the Global Dryland Alliance, a UN-supported collaborative undertaking to make dryland countries food secure. The executive council of the alliance held its first session in February 2018 with 8 member states in Doha.

Population

According to the Planning and Statistics Authority, the total population of the country at the end of 2018 was 2.7m. Of these, 2m were male and around 700,000 were female. The 2015 national census broke down the population according to where individuals resided. Almost 40%, or some 956,457 people, lived in the municipality of Doha or within the city limits of the capital. Indeed, the vast majority of the population resides on the east coast of the peninsula. Al Rayyan, the largest municipality, has the second-highest number of residents, at 605,712. Almost completely surrounding Doha and serving as a suburban area for the capital city, Al Rayyan has a number of notable sites, including the Aspire Zone (also known as Doha Sports City), Education City and the Industrial Area.

The country’s other major population centres are located directly north and south of the capital. Al Wakrah Municipality, home to the second-largest city of Al Wakrah, had a population of 299,037, while Al Khor Municipality, home to Al Khor City, had a population of 202,031. Both cities are close to large industrial areas and the majority of their residents work within these zones. Al Khor, which is close to Ras Laffan City, is the centre of Qatar’s oil and gas industry and home to industry giants like Qatargas and RasGas. Al Wakrah, close to Mesaieed Industrial City, is the centre of Qatar’s industrial manufacturing and hosts companies like Qatar Fertiliser Company, Qatar Petrochemical Company, Qatar Fuel Additives Company and Qatar Steel.

Another key indicator of the 2015 census listed the total number of households in Qatar at 201,432. Figures show 159,552 of these were located in Doha or the suburbs of Al Rayyan Municipality, indicating that the majority of households, or around 80% of the population, prefer to live close to the capital.

Language

Arabic is the official language of Qatar, although English is also widely spoken, and, given the sizeable non-Arabic-speaking population, is often used as the de facto language of everyday communication. A number of other languages – such as Hindi, Malayalam, Nepali, Tagalog, Bengali and Urdu – are also well represented in the large communities from the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. However, all employment contracts and commercial contracts are normally required to be drawn up in Arabic, and in the case of any dispute, the Qatari authorities refer to the Arabic version; therefore, it is important to ensure that any contracts are issued in both Arabic and English (see Legal Framework chapter).

In January 2019 the Council of Ministers passed Law No. 7 of 2019 with provisions for the protection of the Arabic language in the country. It states that all ministries, government agencies and NGOs are required to use Arabic for meetings, documents, contracts, transactions, correspondence, advertisements and so on, with translations into other languages allowed as necessary. Concerned bodies have six months to make the necessary changes, and fines for non-compliance range up to QR50,000 ($13,700). The aim of the law is to protect cultural identity and ensure that younger generations of Qataris are able to speak Modern Standard Arabic. Rapid globalisation has resulted in a high percentage of youth who can no longer speak Arabic or choose not to use it as their primary language.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of Qatar. The country has adhered to Islam since the 7th century, during which time the religion spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The state religion follows the Sunni branch of Islam, and is in many respects similar to that of neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It is estimated that 90% of the population is Sunni and there is a minority Shia population.

The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and national law recognises the Abrahamic religions. An official register is maintained of approved Christian denominations granted legal status, which are Catholic, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic, Maronite, Filipino Evangelical and Indian Christian churches. The eight approved Christian denominations have facilities located in a religious complex in Mesaimeer, Al Rayyan.

Given the demographics of the labour force, there are also large Hindu and Buddhist communities. Non-Abrahamic faiths are not allowed to establish houses of worship, although they can worship privately. Qatar’s government is widely viewed as employing a consistent policy of non-interference regarding matters of faith and allowing religious freedom, under the provision that one’s practice does not infringe on the public order.

The Ruling Family

Qatar is an absolute monarchy and, as with constitutional monarchies, power is vested in the amir, who operates as the head of state. Sheikh Tamim is the current amir, after assuming his position on June 23, 2013, when his father – Sheikh Hamad – handed power over to him. Having ruled for almost two decades, Sheikh Hamad is widely credited with overhauling the state to establish and strengthen the economic and political powerhouse that Qatar is today.

Executive System

The head of government in Qatar is the prime minister, who is appointed by Amiri decree and is the second-most powerful official after the amir. Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani is serving as the current prime minister, as well as the minister of interior, and was appointed as part of Sheikh Tamim’s first Cabinet in 2013.

The main executive body of government is the Council of Ministers, which serves as the Cabinet, with all ministers being appointed by the amir. The body is headed by the prime minister, and all ministers report directly to the amir. The Cabinet was reshuffled on November 5, 2018 in the first change since Sheikh Tamim appointed his original Council of Ministers after assuming power in mid-2013.

Legislative System

The constitution places legislative authority under the purview of the Advisory Council, also known as the Shura Council, which was established in 1972. As per the 2003 constitution, the Advisory Council should be a unicameral body made up of 45 individuals, with one-third being appointed by the amir and the other two-thirds elected. However, at present the Advisory Council is still operating as per pre-constitutional law, with 35 members all appointed by the amir. There have been discussions in the past several years over holding elections as per the 2003 constitution. Given the government restructuring following the handing over of power and responsibility from Sheikh Hamad in 2013, the Advisory Council’s term was extended to 2016 and then for another three years until 2019.

The legislative body has three primary functions: reviewing and approving the state’s budget; overseeing the performance of state ministries; and suggesting, discussing and proposing legislation that will require final approval from the amir before being passed into law. Proposed legislative changes are additionally shared with the Council of Ministers for review, and the Council of Ministers may also propose legislation to the Advisory Council, although the Advisory Council is not legally obliged to either incorporate their reviews or comments, or to vote on any proposed legislation.

The Central Municipal Council was established in 1998 and is composed of 29 members who represent 29 constituencies across Qatar. Members are elected democratically to four-year terms by citizens, and are required to be over the age of 18 and residents within their constituency. The council, however, actually has no legislative authority, and can only provide recommendations to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment. The last elections took place on May 13, 2015 with a voter turnout of 70%. New elections for the council will occur in 2019.