Qatar

Qatar: The country of Qatar is an independent territory rules by the Al Thani family since mid 1800s. Qatar was once a British protectorate but is now a proud and independent state with considerable gas and oil reserves with the highest per capita income in the World.

Qatar is a peninsula located mid way along the west coast of the Persian Gulf covering 11,437 sq km. The main islands are Hawar Islands and Halul, just two amongst many. The coastline is more than 700km long with shallow coastal waters. The geography is flat and sometimes rocky with sand dunes. The climate provides a very hot summer (up to 45C) and a relatively mild winter. Rainfall will not normally exceed 75.2mm. 

The country is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman. Doha is the capital city with an incredible amount of new buildings this really is a place that is growing and developing.

The Qatar people are primarily of Arab descent. As with the rest of Arabia the people in other Gulf States they are from tribal groups. Today most of the population live in the capital city Doha. The total population today is approximately 600,000

Islam is the official religion of Qatar and the vast majority are Sunni Muslims. Public holidays in Qatar are linked to religious events including Eid Al Fitr (just after Ramadan) and Eid Al Adha, 40 days after Eid Al Fitr.

VISA: If you have a British Passport and live in the UK you will not need a visa to visit Qatar although if your passport has an Israeli stamp you will probably be denied entry.

Language: The official language is Arabic. English is widely spoken and understood. All official documents must be in Arabic. The law is based on Shari’s (Islamic Law).

Activities: There are a lots of activates to be enjoyed in Qatar including sports, shopping, sightseeing, festivals, shows and conferences.

Economy: Gas and oil will probably remain the backbone of Qatar's economy for some time to come but the country is looking to stimulate the private sector and develop a "knowledge economy".

Developments: In 2004, the Qatar Science & Technology Park was established to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar. There is also the Education City, with international colleges. Sports City was built for the 15th Asian Games and includes the Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres.

Qatar is aiming to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region. Large scale investment in all social and economic sectors will also lead to the development of a strong financial market. The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides financial institutions with a world class financial services centre. It has been created with a long term objective to support the development of Qatar, helping to develop the local and regional markets, and strengthen the links between the energy based economies and the global financial markets.