Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up the vast majority of business in Qatar, as is the case in the broader MENA region. Enterprise Qatar, the state-backed SME support vehicle that was established in 2011 and has since been absorbed by Qatar Development Bank, reported that SMEs constitute some 97% of the private sector. Qatar...
With Qatari residents benefitting from one of the world’s highest levels of GDP per capita, and enjoying the resultant disposable income, demand for new retail space has reached historic highs. The retail segment is set to welcome more than 1m sq metres of net leasable area (NLA) before 2020, adding much-needed space to a fast-growing market,...
In 2014 Qatar’s real estate market officially surpassed its 2008 highs, with rapid expansion driven by a growing population, shrinking average household sizes and a shortage of available units in the residential sector. This expansion has not been painless, with rental and land price inflation putting the market, and wider economy, at risk of...
As already seen in Qatar’s real estate segment, inflation is becoming a challenge to future growth. Although it has yet to reach the same highs as in 2008, inflation has been rising in recent years, with contractors facing escalating labour, land and materials costs as the state rolls out wave after wave of infrastructure builds. Although the...
The construction industry is one of the largest employers in Qatar, with the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics reporting that sector employment stood at 547,504 in 2013, spread across 2483 registered construction businesses. Of these, 93.6%, or 512,430, were employed at 928 companies with more than 50 employees, while 35,074 were...
The state’s fastest-growing sector, construction is booming in Qatar, with the government planning to spend over $200bn as part of a major infrastructure investment scheme. Big-ticket transport projects coupled with the rapid expansion of tourism, education and real estate builds will see the sector continue to dominate economic...
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