Qatar is a peninsula situated halfway along the West Coast of the Arabian Gulf. It has a number of islands; the most important ones are Halool, Shira’aw, Al-Ashart and others. Its topography consists of a rocky flat surface with some limestone outcrops in Dukhan area in the west and Fuwairit area in the north. The surface is full with characteristic depressions called Rawdat, particularly in the north and central plants.
The total land area of Qatar including the islands is approximately 11,521 square kilometers.
Population:
The total population within the State of Qatar is 2,700,000 persons at the end of February 2018 . With an increase of 2,2 % from January 2018 and an increase of 1% from February 2017 .
This number represents persons of all ages (Qataris and Non-Qataris) within the boundaries of the State of Qatar and does not include:
Capital City:
Doha
Official Language:
Arabic is the official language in Qatar, and English is widely spoken.
Religion:
Islam is the official religion of the country, and the Shariah (Islamic Law) is the principal source of legislation in the country.
Climate:
Qatar has a moderate desert climate with long hot summers and short mild winters and little rain in winter.
Major Towns:
Doha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Dukhan, Al Shamal, Mesaieed, Ras Lafan and others.
Currency:
The official currency is the Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 dirhams. The Exchange parity has been set at the fixed rate of US $ = 3.65QR's.
National Day:
December 18th.
Work Hours:
Sunday to Thursday
Government offices: 7 am to 1 pm for clients
Banks and Financial Institutions: 7:30am to 2:00 pm
Private Sectors: Two shifts: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, and 4 pm to 8 pm
Local Time:
Greenwich Mean Time +3 hours.
An Overview of Qatar’s Economy
Qatar is one of the smallest Gulf Countries in terms of population and geographical area but the third largest gas reserves in the world representing more than 5% of the world total. The prosperity of natural resources coupled with the growing and diversifying economy means enormous access to investment opportunities and incentives. Qatar offers investors a mature sophisticated banking and business environment. The Qatari government adopts a policy aiming at diversifying income resources and developing economic infrastructure. Specifically, the government expanded the exploration projects in oil and gas sectors and offered numerous incentives to attract foreign investors to carry out similar projects. The Qatari economy is one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world offering the international community a variety of world-class and cutting- edge products and services. With its strong and open economy, the government of Qatar is committed to international standards and practices. The country is concentrating on establishing business presence in the world community in order to leverage on globalization basis. Continuous improvements have been as central to the country’s growth and advancement as summarized below:
Qatar is a stable and pro-business country with clear vision and direct focus.
Qatar has the highest GDP per capita income in the world estimated at US $68,467 .
Qatar’s nominal GDP growth continues to reach record levels, averaging 25% over the past five years.
Qatar has a strong trade surplus over the years with revenues mainly driven from oil and gas exports.
Qatar is a country of creative energy, a leader in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sector and one of the desirable investment destinations of the world.
Qatar welcomes foreign participation in joint venture to invest in all the various sectors of national economy.
Qatar is rated with AA-long term and A1 short term on foreign and local currency sovereign credit by Standards and Poor’s, Aa2 with stable long-term outlook by Moody’s and A+ by Capital Intelligence .
Qatar’s Equity Markets has been among the most exuberant in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), accumulating significant gains since 2003.
The State of Qatar has developed a long term strategic direction (Qatar National Vision 2030) aimed at achieving an advanced society in all major fields.
Pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030
By 2030, Qatar aims to be an advanced society capable of sustaining its development and providing a high standard of living for all of its people. Qatar’s National Vision defines the long-term outcomes for the country and provides a framework within which national strategies and implementation plans can be developed.
Economic Development
Development of a competitive and diversified economy capable of meeting the needs of, and securing a high standard of living for, all its people both for the present and for the future
Social Development
Development of a just and caring society based on high moral standards, and capable of playing a significant role in global partnerships for development
Human Development
Development of all its people to enable them to sustain a prosperous society
Environmental Development
Management of the environment such that there is harmony between economic growth, social development and environmental protection
I can provide Advice and Services on the following:
· Legal Structure of the business:
o Restriction on ownership of companies.
o Simple Partnership Company.
o Joint Partnership Company.
o Joint Venture Company.
o Public Shareholding Company.
o Limited Share Partnership Company.
o Limited Liability Company.
o Holding Company.
· Setting up of a company in Qatar:
o Identifying Appropriate Qatari National Partner.
o Preparation of Memorandum and Articles of Association.
o Commercial registration; preparation & follow up of required documentation, application processing and securing approval of the right Authority (All licenses are issued by Ministry of Business and Trade, but each business category requires approval from its respective Authority; e.g. Industrial or Energy Companies require approval from Ministry of Energy and Industry, Education Institutions require approval from Ministry of Education…etc. ).
o Company Business Name & Company Logo approval and registration.
o Opening of Bank Accounts.
o Documentation and processing of the application of the Municipality License.
· Office space.
· Manpower requirements.
· Regulatory Compliance.
· Corporate Tax Advice and Management.
· Financial Accounting Services.
· Audit Services.
· Tendering and Contracts Administration Support.
· Project Management.
· Other Services :
- Facilitating relations between companies from all over the world, especially companies operating in the food industry from the Balkans and Qatary companies .
- Preparing specialized advertising supplements for foreign companies and publishing them in Qatar with the largest and most distributed Qatari newspapers in both ) Arabic and English (.