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To diversify the economy and move away from a reliance on its hydrocarbons wealth, the government has invested heavily in reforming the education sector. Indeed, more than QR19bn ($5.21bn) of the 2011/12 national budget has been allocated to education, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. Along with providing adequate funding, the government has made significant progress in reforming the sector, overhauling the regulatory and oversight bodies, restructuring the primary education system and developing competitive research institutions. The government is also seeking to expand the role of the private sector in delivering education. Through these efforts, Qatar seeks to develop a knowledge-based economy and a role as a centre for research and academic excellence. This chapter includes an interview with Sheikha Abdulla Al Misnad, President, Qatar University.

As Qatar’s economy has grown, so has demand for information, driving tremendous progress in the media industry and related sectors. The popularity and reach of the media has also had an impact on the advertising and communications industry, which has seen double-digit growth over the past five years. In a bid to expand the media sector, Qatar is now planning to establish a dedicated media and communications free zone called Qatar Media City outside Doha. Going forward, the country’s winning bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to lend a huge boost to sports coverage. This chapter includes an interview with Haya Al Nassr, Director of Communication Directorate, Qatar Foundation.

As an ancient pearl fishing centre, Qatar was once part of an historic trade network stretching across the Indian Ocean and connecting the merchants of Arabia and East Africa to South Asia. The modern state continues to show a commitment to building on its cosmopolitan history to attract travellers to its shores and expand its dynamic tourism offerings. The five pillars targeted for development to promote sector growth are: MICE, culture, education, sports and leisure. Certainly, challenges remain; one issue currently being addressed is infrastructure congestion. However, development of niche tourism segments complements long-term diversification plans by expanding the knowledge-based areas of the tourism economy.

Exploiting its competitive advantage in energy and, to a lesser extent, labour and land, Qatar’s industrial base has continued to show impressive growth throughout 2011 and into 2012. The oil and gas sector, buoyed by high hydrocarbons prices, has reclaimed its place as the mainstay of the economy, accounting for 51.7% of nominal GDP in 2010 and 57.7% in 2011. The petrochemicals sector continues to have a significant competitive advantage over its counterparts thanks to the state’s vast reserves of available gas. At the same time, the non-hydrocarbons sector continues to flourish. In 2010, manufacturing expanded by 22.4%, making it the fastest-growing non-hydrocarbons sector that year. Going forward, the National Development Strategy 2011-16 identifies enterprise creation, research and development, and science and technology as the key components to diversify the industrial base.

The telecoms market is still relatively young in terms of market-driven competition. The market entered a new phase in 2009, when Vodafone Qatar began to operate as the second telecoms provider, bringing an end to Qatar Telecom’s (Qtel) monopoly. The resulting competition has sparked more innovation and brought higher-quality service. Indeed, mobile penetration rates now stand at 142%. Landline network has grown too: between 2002 and 2011 the number of landline telephone subscriptions jumped from 176,519 to 308,655. More recently, this has been useful in propelling the use of broadband internet. However, a new $550m public fibre network initiative is set to provide more than 95% of the state’s population with connection speeds up to 100 megabits per second by 2015. This chapter includes interviews with Hessa Al Jaber, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQATAR); Sheikh Saud bin Nasser Al Thani, CEO, Qatar Telecom; and Rashid Al Naimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Meeza.

With the construction industry expecting several changes in both the short and long term, contractors and developers are anticipating a steady increase in projects in late 2012 and into 2013. While the past two years have been difficult for the sector, with excessive competition driving down prices and limiting the availability of work, underlying growth factors remain strong. Although the excitement surrounding the 2022 World Cup has brought few tangible benefits to contractors yet, the capital is expected to see a number of expansion projects that should catalyse other developments. This chapter examines how sustainable building practices are at the centre of the government’s National Development Strategy 2011-16, with environmental production a key priority. The chapter also includes an interview with Ebrahim Al Sulaiti, CEO of United Development Company.