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With strong foundations in a thriving economy, a young population and a maturing consumer base, Qatar’s retail sector looks set to maintain robust growth as the country continues to develop into a major regional centre for trade and commerce. The state’s luxury retail segment in particular has witnessed strong growth in recent times with the rapid growth of the economy providing luxury retailers with a large and wealthy consumer base. A total of 14 new malls are in the pipeline and are set to add more than 1m sq metres of retail space over the next three years. In addition to malls, mixed-use projects are also being developed in Doha with one such development set to include 640 retail stores and 56,600 sq metres of leasable shopping space when fully operational.

The state of Qatar has become a hub for regional broadcasters, and the country enjoys high levels of media consumption with, for example, some 81% of Qatari residents reading newspapers, compared to a figure of 65% regionally. Elsewhere, Qatar’s internet penetration rate was 85.3% at the end of 2013, according to the International Telecommunications Union, one of the highest levels in the GCC, with 72% of the state’s internet users saying that “passing time online” is important, compared to 71% regionally. Meanwhile, total advertising spend in Qatar in the first three quarters of 2014 was $461m, down 1% from $466m in the same period of 2013. Newspapers were the dominant medium on the advertising market, accounting for $353m, or 77% of overall spend.

Qatar is ramping up its production schedule in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the state is allocating around $200bn for the tournament and associated projects, with the money to be invested in an extensive programme of infrastructure and service development. However, Qatar is looking beyond the World Cup and aims to establish itself as a global centre of excellence for all aspects of sport. To this end the Ministry of Youth and Sports was founded by the government in June 2013 and is expected to strengthen the long-term development of athletics in the state, improving planning and oversight, and consolidating the government’s involvement in the sector. Other notable institutions leveraging the growing concentration of sector expertise include the Aspire Academy for sports and the Aspetar Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Hospital located in the Aspire Zone, an integrated complex of sports facilities, all of which should ensure the growth of the sector’s international standing moving forward. This chapter contains an interview with Dahlan Al Hamad, President, Qatar Athletics Federation; and Vice President, International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF).

Qatar’s rapid population growth over the past 10 years and the rising incidence of lifestyle-related diseases means the state represents the fastest-growing health care market in the GCC. The sector is forecast to be worth some $9bn by 2018, about double the $4.6bn seen in 2013, with the inpatient market pegged to hit $2.5bn and the outpatient market expected to reach $6.6bn by that time. Allocations to the health care sector increased by 12% year-on-year in the 2014/15 budget, to $4.3bn, as Qatar prepares to double the number of health facilities in the country by 2022. Meanwhile, with non-life insurance penetration at 0.6% in 2012, against a global average of 2.8%, Qatar’s health insurance market shows significant room for growth. This chapter contains an interview with Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Managing Director, Hamad Medical Corporation.

The government of Qatar has identified education as key to meeting the targets outlined in both the National Development Strategy 2011-16 and the Qatar National Vision 2030. Government expenditures in 2014 emphasised education, which accounted for over 7% of the national budget. Private sector actors are also playing an increasingly important role in providing education services, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, with private schools catering primarily to the expatriate population, although the number of Qatari nationals enrolled in these facilities is gradually increasing. Meanwhile, at the tertiary level a number of new research and development facilities across the state are helping to establish a strong cadre of research programmes. This chapter contains an interview with Mohammed Abdul Wahed Ali Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education.

The last decade has seen a rapid expansion in the number of hotels and other tourism facilities in Qatar, as the state has invested in transforming the country into a luxury, sports and business destination. While in 2014 the majority of tourists visited the country for business purposes, the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 aims to reverse this trend, with hopes that by 2030, 64% of all non-GCC tourists visit Qatar for leisure. The hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup should boost growth across the sector, with the government expected to spend as much as $200bn in the build-up to the global event. Meanwhile, Qatar is increasingly looking to preserve its archaeological and heritage sites with specific initiatives to safeguard its heritage and strengthen laws and regulations that support cultural preservation. This chapter contains interviews with Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, Chariman, Al Faisal Holding; and Hala Mohammed Al Khalifa, Director, The Fire Station – Artists in Residence.