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The Islamic finance services (IFS) sector in Qatar is one of the most vibrant in the region and incorporates a rapidly expanding sharia-compliant banking segment, an array of financing companies, an insurance market that is well positioned to capitalise on the potential of an underserved market, and an increasingly deep Islamic investment component. Recent regulatory changes suggest that the government’s ambition to establish the nation as a centre for Islamic finance remains undimmed and, as the country gears up for the project pipeline associated with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, sharia-compliant finance players are expected to reap the rewards of this support. This chapter contains an interview with Bassel Gamal, Group CEO, Qatar Islamic Bank.

This chapter contains a look at the legal environment and the framework for foreign investment in Qatar, as well as a rundown of the advantages investors can enjoy in the country’s new economic zones. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Khalifa Al Misnad, Founding Partner, Al Misnad & Rifaat.

This chapter contains an introduction to general issues for foreign investors in Qatar, an in-depth look at tax regulations, the perks for would-be investors offered by the Qatari Financial Centre, and information about the steps being taken to protect organisations in Qatar from fraud and other crimes. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Stephen Anderson, Managing Partner, PwC Qatar.

Thriving on the back of an expanding economy and surging population growth, Qatar’s retail sector is now set for further expansion. With a string of giant malls inching towards completion and existing stores undergoing refitting and refurbishing, the country looks set to establish itself as a major regional retail centre. Location will be a major factor in competition, with transport links such as the new metro likely to favour sites close to stations. Over the longer term, continuing economic and population growth will lead to greater stability in the sector, with any surplus likely to filled.

Known throughout the world as the home of Al Jazeera and of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF), a local watchdog with a global reach, Qatar has developed a well-established and far-reaching role on the stage of international media. The domestic market, made up of traditional outfits in print, radio and television, as well as a burgeoning online segment, is also thriving. Both at home and abroad, Qatar is well placed to continue expanding its media activities both in domestic and international markets, and on a more commercially rewarding basis, and as such presents opportunities and challenges that make it one of the region’s more intriguing media centres.