Qatar - Economic Indicators

Geopolitical Risk Calendar: Aid Effort for Gaza

Mar 08, 2024

Download the latest Geopolitical Tracker update In his State of the Union address on Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced he would be directing the U.S. military to build a port on the Mediterranean coast of Gaza to improve the timeliness and efficiency of bringing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Also, ASEAN and Australia called for restraint in the South China Sea, an area where tensions have been rising. The National Electoral Council...

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GDP Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Investment 2022 Q4 214,365 265,103 Mil. QAR, SAAR Quarterly
Nominal Fixed Investment (gross fixed capital formation) 2014 247,604,000,000 209,962,000,000 NCU Annual
Labor Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Agriculture Employment 2017 24,887 23,450 # Annual
Trade Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Current Account Balance 2023 Q3 34,190 28,986 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Exports of Goods 2023 Q3 89,779 85,336 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Imports of Goods 2023 Q3 -27,070 -25,764 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Balance of Goods 2023 Q3 62,709 59,572 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Government Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Government Expenditures 2023 Q2 58,371 48,929 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Government Revenues 2023 Q2 68,418 68,615 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Government Budget Balance 2023 Q2 10,047 19,686 Mil. QAR, NSA Quarterly
Markets Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Lending Rate 19 Mar 2024 6.25 6.25 % p.a., NSA Daily
Stock Market Index Feb 2024 149.74 152.21 Index Jan2010=100, NSA Monthly
Money Market Rate Jan 2024 5.79 5.83 % p.a., NSA Monthly
Demographics Reference Last Previous Units Frequency
Net Migration 2017 200,000 # Annual
Birth Rate 2016 10.15 10.31 # per Ths. pop. Annual
Death Rate 2016 1.53 1.51 # per Ths. pop. Annual

Factbook

Background

Background:
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. The continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenue through the mid-1990s by Qatari amirs permanently residing in Europe had stunted Qatar’s economic growth. Former amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia and by 2007 had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11, due in part to its immense wealth. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM remains popular with the Qatari public, having prioritized improving the domestic welfare of Qataris, including establishing advanced healthcare and education systems and expanding the country's infrastructure in anticipation of Doha's hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Recently, Qatar’s relationships with its neighbors have been tense at times. Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in March 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. In June 2017, however, the Quartet — Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement.

Geography

Location:
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
25 30 N, 51 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 11,586 sq km
land: 11,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 165
Area - comparative:
almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut
Area comparison map:
Land boundaries:
total: 87 km
border countries (1): Saudi Arabia 87 km
Coastline:
563 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly flat and barren desert
Elevation:
mean elevation: 28 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use:
agricultural land: 5.6%
arable land 1.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 4.3%
forest: 0%
other: 94.4% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
130 sq km (2012)
Population - distribution:
most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula
Natural hazards:
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

People & Society

Population:
2,314,307 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
Nationality:
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari
Ethnic groups:
non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)
Languages:
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Religions:
Muslim 67.7%, Christian 13.8%, Hindu 13.8%, Buddhist 3.1%, folk religion <.1%, Jewish <.1%, other 0.7%, unaffiliated 0.9% (2010 est.)
religious affiliation:
Age structure:
0-14 years: 12.63% (male 148,021/female 144,252)
15-24 years: 12.35% (male 206,055/female 79,859)
25-54 years: 70.59% (male 1,359,383/female 274,334)
55-64 years: 3.42% (male 61,051/female 18,203)
65 years and over: 1% (male 14,932/female 8,217) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 17.5
youth dependency ratio: 16.3
elderly dependency ratio: 1.3
potential support ratio: 78.1 (2015 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.2 years
male: 34.3 years
female: 28.1 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Population growth rate:
2.27% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
Birth rate:
9.6 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Death rate:
1.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 226
Net migration rate:
14.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Population distribution:
most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula
Urbanization:
urban population: 99.4% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 1.63% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
DOHA (capital) 718,000 (2015)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 2.64 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 4.91 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 3.38 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.71 male(s)/female
total population: 3.41 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio:
13 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.2 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.9 years
male: 76.8 years
female: 81 years (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Total fertility rate:
1.9 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Contraceptive prevalence rate:
37.5% (2012)
Health expenditures:
2.2% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 189
Physicians density:
1.96 physicians/1,000 population (2014)
Hospital bed density:
1.2 beds/1,000 population (2014)
Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved:
urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 98% of population
rural: 98% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved:
urban: 2% of population
rural: 2% of population
total: 2% of population (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
<.1% (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
<100 (2016 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
<100 (2016 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
35.1% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 15
Education expenditures:
3.6% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 154
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.3%
male: 97.4%
female: 96.8% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2011)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 0.6%
male: 0.2%
female: 2.2% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
local short form: Qatar
note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation is gattar or cottar
etymology: the origin of the name is uncertain, but it dates back at least 2,000 years since a term "Catharrei" was used to describe the inhabitants of the peninsula by Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.), and a "Catara" peninsula is depicted on a map by Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.)
Government type:
absolute monarchy
Capital:
name: Doha
geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
8 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Khawr wa adh Dhakhirah, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Ash Shamal, Ash Shihaniyah, Az Za'ayin, Umm Salal
Independence:
3 September 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 18 December (1878), anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne; Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Constitution:
history: previous 1972 (provisional); latest drafted 2 July 2002, approved by referendum 29 April 2003, endorsed 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005
amendments: proposed by the emir or by one-third of Advisory Council members; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Advisory Council members and approval and promulgation by the emir; articles pertaining to the rule of state and its inheritance, functions of the emir, and citizen rights and liberties cannot be amended (2016)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic law (in family and personal matters)
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Qatar
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 20 years; 15 years if an Arab national
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013)
head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Nasir bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 26 June 2013); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Khalid bin Mohamed al-Thani (since 14 November 2017); Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (since 14 November 2017)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the amir
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the amir
Legislative branch:
description: unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed by the monarch)
note: the 2003 constitution calls for a 45-member council with 30 members directly elected by popular vote for 4-year re-electable terms and 15 appointed by the monarch to serve until resignation or until relieved; election for the new Council was initially scheduled for 2007 but has been extended several times, the latest to June 2019
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the Amir; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; courts of first instance; sharia courts; Courts of Justice; Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center, established in 2009, provides dispute resolution services for institutions and bodies in Qatar, as well as internationally
Political parties and leaders:
political parties are banned
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA (observer), EITI (implementing country), FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador MISHAL bin Hamad bin Muhammad Al Thani (since 24 April 2017)
chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600
FAX: [1] (202) 237-0682
consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Ryan GLIHA (since 30 November 2017)
embassy: 22 February Street, Al Luqta District, Doha
mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha
telephone: [974] 4496-6000
FAX: [974] 4488-4298
Flag description:
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars, white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the "reconciled emirates" in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916
note: the other eight emirates are the seven that compose the UAE and Bahrain; according to some sources, the dominant color was formerly red, but this darkened to maroon upon exposure to the sun and the new shade was eventually adopted
National symbol(s):
a maroon field surmounted by a white serrated band with nine white points; national colors: maroon, white
National anthem:
name: "Al-Salam Al-Amiri" (The Amiri Salute)
lyrics/music: Sheikh MUBARAK bin Saif al-Thani/Abdul Aziz Nasser OBAIDAN
note: adopted 1996; anthem first performed that year at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperative Council hosted by Qatar

Economy

Economy - overview:
Qatar’s oil and natural gas resources are the country’s main economic engine and government revenue source, driving Qatar’s high economic growth and per capita income levels, robust state spending on public entitlements, and booming construction spending, particularly as Qatar prepares to host the World Cup in 2022. Although the government has maintained high capital spending levels for ongoing infrastructure projects, low oil and natural gas prices in recent years have led the Qatari Government to tighten some spending to help stem its budget deficit.
Qatar’s reliance on oil and natural gas is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Proved natural gas reserves exceed 25 trillion cubic meters - 13% of the world total and, among countries, third largest in the world. Proved oil reserves exceed 25 billion barrels, allowing production to continue at current levels for about 56 years. Despite the dominance of oil and natural gas, Qatar has made significant gains in strengthening non-oil sectors, such as manufacturing, construction, and financial services, leading non-oil GDP to steadily rise in recent years to just over half the total.
Following trade restriction imposed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt in 2017, Qatar established new trade routes with other countries to maintain access to imports.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$341.7 billion (2017 est.)
$333.3 billion (2016 est.)
$326.1 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 53
GDP (official exchange rate):
$166.3 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.5% (2017 est.)
2.2% (2016 est.)
3.6% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$124,900 (2017 est.)
$127,300 (2016 est.)
$133,700 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 2
Gross national saving:
48.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
44% of GDP (2016 est.)
46.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 24.8%
government consumption: 22.8%
investment in fixed capital: 40.1%
investment in inventories: 1.6%
exports of goods and services: 44.6%
imports of goods and services: -33.9% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 0.2%
industry: 50.3%
services: 49.5% (2017 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
Industries:
liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:
-7% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Labor force:
1.953 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Unemployment rate:
0.6% (2017 est.)
0.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 35.9% (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $41.47 billion
expenditures: $54.97 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
24.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-8.1% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Public debt:
56.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
55.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2017 est.)
2.7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Central bank discount rate:
4.5% (16 March 2017 est.)
4.93% (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5% (31 December 2017 est.)
4.51% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
Stock of narrow money:
$35.54 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$35.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Stock of broad money:
$139.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$136.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Stock of domestic credit:
$228.7 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$224.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$142.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$185.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$152.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
Current account balance:
$3.901 billion (2017 est.)
$-7.679 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Exports:
$56.26 billion (2017 est.)
$57.25 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
Exports - commodities:
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Exports - partners:
Japan 20%, South Korea 15.5%, India 13.1%, China 8.2%, UAE 5.5%, Singapore 5.3% (2016)
Imports:
$26.69 billion (2017 est.)
$31.93 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners:
US 13.7%, Germany 9.8%, UAE 9.2%, China 8.6%, Japan 7.2%, UK 5.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Italy 4.4% (2016)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$16.89 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$31.89 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Debt - external:
$168 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$157.9 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$36.04 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$35.31 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$59.27 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$57.63 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Exchange rates:
Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -
3.64 (2017 est.)
3.64 (2016 est.)
3.64 (2015 est.)
3.64 (2014 est.)
3.64 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access:
population without electricity: 45,165
electrification - total population: 98%
electrification - urban areas: 98%
electrification - rural areas: 93% (2012)
Electricity - production:
39.01 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - consumption:
36.53 billion kWh (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
8.836 million kW (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
99.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Crude oil - production:
1.523 million bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Crude oil - exports:
1.255 million bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Crude oil - proved reserves:
25.24 billion bbl (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Refined petroleum products - production:
278,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
280,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Refined petroleum products - exports:
544,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
Refined petroleum products - imports:
245.3 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
Natural gas - production:
164 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Natural gas - consumption:
49.64 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Natural gas - exports:
123.9 billion cu m (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.3 trillion cu m (1 January 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
92 million Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 467,148
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 21 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 3,652,579
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 158 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 175 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2016)
Broadcast media:
TV and radio broadcast licensing and access to local media markets are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera, which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari government but has evolved to independent corporate status; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; local radio transmissions include state, private, and international broadcasters on FM frequencies in Doha; in August 2013, Qatar's satellite company Es'hailSat launched its first communications satellite Es'hail 1 (manufactured in the US), which entered commercial service in December 2013 to provide improved television broadcasting capability and expand availability of voice and Internet; Es'hailSat expects to launch its second satellite in 2018 (2014)
Internet country code:
.qa
Internet users:
total: 2,129,360
percent of population: 94.3% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Transportation

National air transport system:
number of registered air carriers: 2
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 199
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 25,263,224
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 7,563,307,390 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
A7 (2016)
Airports:
6 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 178
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
Heliports:
1 (2013)
Pipelines:
condensate 288 km; condensate/gas 221 km; gas 2,383 km; liquid petroleum gas 90 km; oil 745 km; refined products 103 km (2013)
Roadways:
total: 9,830 km (2010)
country comparison to the world: 136
Merchant marine:
total: 143
by type: bulk carrier 8, container ship 6, general cargo 5, oil tanker 6, other 118 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 75
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Doha, Mesaieed (Umaieed), Ra's Laffan
LNG terminal(s) (export): Ras Laffan

Military & Security

Military branches:
Qatari Emiri Land Force (QELF), Qatari Emiri Navy (QEN), Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF) (2013)
Military service age and obligation:
conscription for males aged 18-35; 4-month general obligation, 3 months for graduates (2014)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
stateless persons: 1,200 (2016)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, and, to a much lesser extent, forced prostitution; the predominantly foreign workforce migrates to Qatar legally for low- and semi-skilled work but often experiences situations of forced labor, including debt bondage, delayed or nonpayment of salaries, confiscation of passports, abuse, hazardous working conditions, and squalid living arrangements; foreign female domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to trafficking because of their isolation in private homes and lack of protection under Qatari labor laws; some women who migrate for work are also forced into prostitution
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Qatar does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government investigated 11 trafficking cases but did not prosecute or convict any offenders, including exploitative employers and recruitment agencies; the primary solution for resolving labor violations was to transfer a worker’s sponsorship to a new employer with minimal effort to investigate whether a forced labor violation had occurred; authorities increased their efforts to protect some trafficking victims, although many victims of forced labor, particularly domestic workers, remained unidentified and unprotected and were sometimes punished for immigration violations or running away from an employer or sponsor; authorities visited worksites throughout the country to meet and educate workers and employers on trafficking regulations, but the government failed to abolish or reform the sponsorship system, perpetuating Qatar’s forced labor problem (2015)

Economic Indicators for Qatar including actual values, historical data, and latest data updates for the Qatar economy.