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The built environment of Qatar has seen some spec¬tacular changes in recent years, with rapid growth and a range of iconic towers, malls, gated com¬munities, hotels and luxury villas coming onto the market. Swift expansion has transformed the skyline and propelled the country into the top ranks of the global real estate market. However, the fast-paced build-up of various segments is beginning to show signs of outstripping demand, and the sector may face some challenges in the short to medium term as the rest of Qatar’s economy plays catch-up with robust real estate expansion. Opportunities remain, however, as the need to fill out the housing, hotel and retail portfolios with more mid-range options persists, while a pipeline of major infrastructure projects reaching comple¬tion in the run-up to hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup should see a revaluing of a great number of Doha’s neighbourhoods. At the same time, a shift to higher-quality, lower-cost developments is also being brought on by current market conditions, as tenants demand more for their money. This chapter contains an interview with Nabeel Mohammed Al Buenain, Group CEO, Qatari Diar.

A quick look at the Doha skyline reveals just how much activity there is in Qatar’s construction sector currently. Activity in the capital is just one aspect of the work being done, however, with highways, housing estates and hypermarkets now also being built around the country. A huge amount of invest¬ment is going into Qatar’s infrastructure, along with its real estate, providing some of the largest contracts of recent decades for construction companies. Despite this flurry of activity, there are still challenges as the sector faces an economic slowdown. Falling oil and gas revenues have affected government spending, with many of the mega-projects currently under con¬struction seeing reprioritisation, while new contracts have become scarcer. The blockade imposed on Qatar in June 2017 by some of its regional neighbours has also had notable effects on the economy. Nonetheless, Qatar remains a global centre for the industry as it gears up for 2022 FIFA World Cup. Indeed, sector players now expect a flurry of smaller contracts in the second half of 2018 and beyond, as the country’s plans for the tournament are realised and major pro¬jects are speeding up to meet pre-2022 deadlines This chapter contains an interview with Saad bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi, President, Public Works Authority (Ashghal); and Eisa Al Hammadi, CEO, Qatar Primary Materials Company (QPMC).

Guided by the state’s long-term economic devel¬opment plan, Qatar National Vision 2030, and driven by preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar is investing heavily in infrastructure pro¬grammes focused on its non-oil and gas sectors. More than $500m a week is being spent across all capital projects in the country in preparation for the upcoming games, with investments of up to $13bn in infrastructure projects having taken place in 2017, covering airport and port projects, as well as road upgrades. This chapter contains an interview with Jassim bin Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications; and Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Managing Director and CEO, Qatar Rail.

Central to Qatar National Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development plan, is creating a competitive and diversified economy. The industrial sector plays a key role in this, broadening the scope of private sector activity, encouraging the shift to higher value-added activities and creating jobs in an increas¬ingly knowledge and innovation-based economy. Recent times have seen the impact of the shift away from hydrocarbons dependency, despite the large share of Qatar’s GDP still contributed by its oil and gas sectors. Now though, with some industrial projects having been scaled down or put on hold due to lower oil and gas revenues in recent years, the sector has to demon¬strate its resilience. Enhancing efficiency and cutting costs are thus major priorities, with leaner and more agile competitive industries the likely result. Further¬more, while the ongoing economic blockade of Qatar, which began in June 2017, presents a challenge, government entities and the private sector have pushed for initiatives to expand industries and establish new projects to boost local products and achieve self-sufficiency.

Driven by large energy-intensive developments and a rapidly growing population, demand for electricity and water has surged in Qatar over the past decade. Peak power demand on the country’s networks has more than doubled since 2006, while water con¬sumption has also increased in tandem with the country’s development. Base case assumptions issued by government regulators and procurement agencies forecast strong demand growth over the next sev¬eral years in both water and power as the country gears up to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Power generation and desalination capacity has contin¬ued to grow since 2007. With considerable capacity coming on-line in 2018 and the Qatar Power Transmission System Expansion project entering its 13th phase, supplies of power and water are well positioned to meet growing demand. This chapter contains an interview with Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, President, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa).

In 2016 Qatar retained its title as the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. For many years the state has also been a global player in the crude oil and petroleum product markets. It is a key energy provider for many of the world’s leading economies, lying at the heart of a hydrocarbons logistics chain that stretches from Japan to the UK. However, these are challenging times for the oil and gas sector internationally, and Qatar has not been exempt from these recent global trends. Falling prices, and a scaling down of exploration and pro¬duction, have affected the state’s main oil and gas companies, alongside their multinational allies. Oil and gas service companies, too, have felt the impact, as have a range of related research and development facilities, and energy financers and insurers. Despite these trends, Qatar remains one of the world’s strongest hydrocarbons players, with the vast capacity of the North Field natural gas facility likely to secure its major role in global energy mar¬kets for many years to come. This chapter contains an interview with Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry.