The State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent state in the Middle East, occupying a peninsula that juts into the Arabian Gulf. Since its complete independence from Britain in 1971, Qatar has emerged as one of the world’s most important producers of oil and gas. It is an Islamic State whose laws and customs follow the Islamic tradition. Since 2013, the country has been governed by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

Location and geography

The State of Qatar is a peninsula located on the western coast of the Arabian Gulf. The peninsula is approximately 100km across and extends 200km into the Gulf. Qatar includes several islands the largest of which are, Halul, Shraouh and Al-Asshat. The country shares its southern border with Saudi Arabia and has maritime borders with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

Topography

The land mainly consists of a flat rocky plain, covered with a range of low limestone outcroppings in Jebel Dukhan in the west and Jebel Fuyart in the north. This plain is mostly marked by its many inland seas (Khors), bays and basins called al-Riyadh over the northern and middle areas that are considered to be the most fertile lands housing different natural plants.

Area

Qatar occupies an area of 11,521 square kilometers.

Population

Qatar has a population of approximately 2.3 million.

Capital City

Qatar’s capital city is Doha (in Arabic, ad-Dawḥa, which means ‘the big tree’)

Major Cities

Doha (capital), Al-Wakrah, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Al-Shamal, Msaieed, Ras Lafan and others.

Religion

Islam is the official religion of the State of Qatar, and the Islamic Law (Sharia) is the principal source of its legislation.

Economy

Since the mid-1800s, Qatar has grown from a poor British protectorate known for pearling into one of the world’s most important oil and gas producing countries. While there is increasing investment in non-energy sectors, oil and gas still account for more than half of the Gross Domestic Product. Due to its substantial reserves of oil and gas, the country has one of the highest incomes per capita in the world.

Largest listed companies by market capitalisation

(Source: Doha Stock Exchange, 2011)

	($bn)
Qatar National Bank 26	26
Industries Qatar 20	20
Ezdan Real Estate Company 16	16
Qatar Telecom 7.4	7,4
Commercial Bank of Qatar 5.6	5,6
Masraf al-Rayan 5.5	5,5
Qatar Islamic Bank 5.5	5,5
Qatar Electricity & Water Company 3.8	3,8
Doha Bank 3.6	3,6
Barwa Real Estate Company 3.1	3,1

Gross domestic product by sector

(Source: Qatar National Bank, 2010)

	($bn)
Mining & quarrying	56
Other services	11
Finance, insurance & real estate	9
Manufacturing	7
Trade, restaurants & hotels	6
Transport & communications	6
Construction	5

Language

Arabic is the official language of the country, though English is widely spoken.

Climate

Qatar has a desert climate with hot summers, warm winters and scarce rainfall. The annual average temperature in Doha is 26.0 ° C, exceeding 47° C in July and reaching 5 ° C in January nights. It rains between 8 and 10 days in a year with brief and light rains. But if something distinguishes Qatar among other countries, it is the large number of hours of sunshine it receives per year exceeding 3,430 hours. (Source: Clima-de.com).

Currency

Qatari Riyal (1 Riyal = 100 Dirhams).
The Riyal is pegged to the US Dollar ($US 1 = QAR 3.65).

National Day

Qatar National Day is held on 18th December every year in celebration and commemoration of Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammad Al-Thani, the founder of the State of Qatar.

Official Working Hours

Ministries and Government Entities: from 7am to 2 pm
Private Companies and Organisations: from 8am to 12pm and from 4pm to 8pm
Banks: from 7:30am to 1pm

Official Holidays

Fridays and Saturdays are official days off in Qatar.
Qatar National Day: December 18 (annually).
National Sport Day on Tuesday of the second week of February (annually).
The holy Eid Al-Fitr.
The holy Eid Al-Adha.

Local Time

GMT +3 hours.

Electric Current

220 – 240 + 6V/50Hz. A mix of plugs: 3-pin square and 2-pin round designs.

Más información en: https://www.qatarchamber.com/qatar-at-glance/