Qatar


Qatar Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in Qatar; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankQatar Central Bank
International ReservesUS$ 31.182 billion (Source: World Bank; Data updated: November 2010)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 194.27 billion (2009 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)182.591 billion of International dollars (2009 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
10.9%6.3%3.2%6.3%17.7%7.6%18.6%26.8%
2008200920102011*
25.4%8.6%16.3%20%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 109,881 (2009 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$103,276 International Dollars (2009 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
0.1%0.06%0.08%0.2%0.24%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 0.1% 
  • industry: 68.4% 
  • services: 31.5% (2009 estimate)

    • (Data released on November 2010)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)N/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
15%(2008)-4.9%-2.4%4.2%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
N/AN/AN/A(2009)N/A

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
8.4%11.9%26.6%17.8%13.3%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
11.3%11.5%13.7%11.3%6.9%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: AA/Stable/A-1+

Moody's rating: Aa2

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$95.488 billionUS$76.307 billionUS$87.856 billion
Largest companies in QatarQNB (Major Banks), Qatar Telecom (Telecommunications services), Industries Qatar (Specialized Chemicals), Ezdan Real Estate (Real Estate), Commercial Bank Qatar (Regional Banks)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ 70.2 billion (2009 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP36.1% of GDP (2009 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

64.2% (2007)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.41%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.12%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2006)

Total exportsUS$57.82 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesliquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Total importsUS$24.96 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Exports - major partnersJapan 39.9%, South Korea 19.9%, Singapore 9.9%, India 5.1%, Thailand 4.9%, UAE 4% (2007)
Imports - major partnersUS 13.3%, Italy 10.8%, Japan 8.9%, France 7.9%, Germany 7.3%, UK 5.7%, South Korea 5.6%, UAE 5.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$3,779 millionUS$8,125 million(2009)US$5,534 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010 
US$6,029 millionUS$11,584 millionUS$1,863 million 
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$6,029 millionUS$10,266 million(2009)US$865 million(2009)US$-1,200 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 50 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 111 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 58 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 2 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 138 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 93 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 46 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 95 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		14

(2011/2012)

 

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 27 Score: 70.5 (Mostly Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+3
Total area 11,586 km2 (2006)
CapitalDoha (2009)
CurrencyQatari rial (QAR) (2009)
Government typeemirate (2009)
LanguagesArabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
ReligionsMuslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
0.22 million0.42 million0.62 million1.7 million2.07 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
85.2%89.4%94.9%95.7%
Population median age31.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate9.6% (2009)
Life expectancy76 years (2007)
Adult literacy90% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a dayN/A
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

41.1 (2007)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:6
Civil Liberties:5 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

149.38% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population69% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

Doha: 164th (2011)

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

53.4624 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE BANKS

2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Doha Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Doha Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Mashreq Bank (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks HSBC (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Mashreq Bank (National, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks HSBC (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate/Institutional Internet Banks Standard Chartered (2009)

WORLD'S BEST ISLAMIC FINANCE INSTITUTIONS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar Islamic Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • OVERALL WINNERS / Best Islamic Project Finance Provider Qatar Islamic Bank (Global, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar Islamic Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar Islamic Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Qatar National Bank (Middle East, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Qatar National Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Commercial Bank of Qatar (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Doha Bank Qatar (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Qatar National Bank (Middle East, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS HSBC (2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2011:
  • GLOBAL / Best Up-and-Comer QInvest (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS QNB Capital (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar First Investment Bank (National, 2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2010:
  • BIGGEST BANK IN MIDDLE EAST Qatar National Bank (Middle East, 2010)

TOP 200 EMERGING MARKETS BANKS

2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Qatar National Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Qatar National Bank (National, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Commercialbank (National, 2011)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE