Industry

Though chiefly known for its success in the oil and gas sector, Qatar is also home to a number of non-hydrocarbons industries that are playing an increasingly important role in the economy, particularly in light of the government’s broader plans for greater diversification. According to the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS), the non-hydrocarbon sector accounted for all GDP growth in 2015, and was led by the services and construction sectors. Most of Qatar’s industry is relatively new, having been built up in the last few decades, largely as downstream components of the oil and gas sector. Qatar’s downstream petrochemicals sector forms a key pillar of its industrial base – and has maintained robust output despite depressed global oil prices. Qatar is also the largest producer of urea fertilizer in the GCC, accounting for 37% of the 15.2m tonnes produced in the region in 2014, up from 28% a decade earlier.