Business in Qatar, Doha

The objectives of the subject “Foreign Trade and Business in the State of Qatar” are the following:

1. To analyse the Qatari Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the State of Qatar
3. To explore the Qatari trade relations with the country of the student
4. To know the Qatari Trade Agreements (FTA)
5. To examine the profile of Qatari companies
6. To develop a business plan for the Qatari market

Qatari Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements

1. Qatar and the Arab Economic Area
2. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Bahrain.
   1. Qatar has Free Trade Agreements (as a GCC Member) with China, South Korea, Australia, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), New Zealand, India, Thailand, the European Union, Singapore and the MERCOSUR.
3. Islamic Trade Preferential System (TPS-OIC)
4. Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT)
5. Greater Arab Free-Trade Area (GAFTA)
6. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
7. Central American Integration System (SICA) (Observer)

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   2. WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. International Road Transport Union (IRU)
   1. TIR Convention
   2. Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport
4. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
5. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
   1. Convention Relating to Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention) - not a member
6. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN) - not a member

Islamic Organisations

1. Arab League (LAS)
2. Summit of South American-Arab Countries
3. Asia-Middle East Dialogue
4. Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
5. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
6. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
   1. Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC)
   2. Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
   3. Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT)
   4. Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC)
7. Arab Trade Financing Programme (ATFP)
8. Arab Development Funds
9. OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)
10. Afro-Arab Cooperation
11. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
12. Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND)

Global Organisations

1. Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
2. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
3. World Bank (WB)
4. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
5. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The State of Qatar:

1. The population of Qatar amounts to 1.5 million people, of whom 83% lives in Doha (Qatar's political capital) and its main suburb Al- Rayyan
2. Nearly all Qataris are Muslim (98% Sunni)
3. Arabic is the official language in Qatar
4. Qatar shares borders with Saudi Arabia
5. Abolition of Slavery in Qatar: 1952
6. Independence of Qatar from the United Kingdom: 1971

Religion in Qatar: Islam Sunni is the principal religion of Qatar

1. The main school of Islamic Jurisprudence is Hanbali

Qatar belongs to the Arab Economic Area (Islamic Civilisation).

Qatari Economy

1. Qatar is the international financial centre of the Gulf region
2. In 2001, Doha hosted the first ministerial-level meeting of the Doha Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
3. Al- Jazeera (the leading international Arab media communication) headquarters are in Doha
4. Qatar is a very open economy
5. Petroleum, natural gas, and related industries make up most of the Qatari economy
6. Qatar produces less than 1% of the world petroleum production
7. Crude oil and liquefied natural gas account for 80% of the exports of Qatar
8. Qatar, like other countries in the Gulf region, is being affected by the international financial and economic crisis, including by the decline in international demand for hydrocarbons, both in quantity and value

Foreign Trade of Qatar

1. Total international trade (imports + exports) related to its GDP stands at 95%.
2. Main imports of Qatar: The European Union (EU), Japan, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea
3. Qatar exports mainly to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and the European Union (EU)
4. The largest Qatari export products are hydrocarbons (petrol and gas), fertilizers and chemicals, and steel products
5. The largest Qatari imports are machinery, primary metals, cars and other means of transport, food, chemicals, and building materials
6. In the States of Qatar is required to work with a Qatari import agent/distributor (natural or legal person) who has the exclusive distribution rights for Qatar

Qatar is negotiating other Free Trade Agreements with the United States, Japan, and Australia. Qatar also has signed economic agreements with France, Germany, Romania, China, Senegal, the Republic of India, Cuba, Switzerland, Finland, and Turkey.