qatar
The government strongly
encourages international
investment in certain
sectors such as energy
Gold: Could you elaborate on the objectives that Qatar has set out as its future
economic goals?
Abdul Rahman Al Attiya: In his foreword
to the Qatar National Vision 2030, H.H.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,
Crown Prince of the State of Qatar, states
that it builds a bridge between the present and the future. It envisages a vibrant
and prosperous country in which there is
economic and social justice for all, and in
which nature and man are in harmony.
“We need to galvanize our collective energies and direct them toward these aspirations,” he notes. “Strong Islamic and family
values will provide our moral and ethical
compass.
The welfare of our children and of our
children yet to be born demands that we
use our resource-wealth wisely. Qatar must
continue to invest in its people so that all
can participate fully in economic, social
and political life. Qatar must invest, too,
in a world-class infrastructure to create a
dynamic and more diversified economy in
which the private sector plays a prominent
role. This requires continuous improvements in the efficiency, transparency and
accountability of government agencies.”
Gold: The country has embarked on a
journey of sustainable economic diversification that seeks a secure future for
its people, built on human capital. What
measures have been taken to achieve
this?
A.R.A.A.: Our national journey of human
development and sustainable economic diversification rests on four pillars: Economic, Social, Environment and Human
Development. Qatar cannot develop
its economy and society without its
human capital and resources: its people. Human development entails a
holistic and modern healthcare
infrastructure that caters to
all, and an educational system on a par
with the highest international standards,
preparing Qatar’s students to take on the
world’s challenges and become tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs, artists
and professionals. Moreover, a world-class
education system and equal opportunities
will propel Qataris to increase their role
in all sectors of their country’s economy.
Such a system, which will equip citizens
to achieve their aspirations and meet the
needs of Qatar’s society, includes educational curricula and training programmes
responding to the current and future
needs of the labour market, high-quality
educational and training opportunities
appropriate to each individual’s aspirations and abilities, accessible educational
programmes for life-long learning, and
an effective system for funding scientific
research shared by the public and private
sectors and conducted in cooperation with
specialized international organisations and
leading international research centres.
Gold: And in terms of healthcare?
A.R.A.A.: We want to have a comprehensive world-class healthcare system whose
services are accessible to the whole population, including effective and affordable
services in both preventive and curative
healthcare, high-quality research directed
at improving the effectiveness and quality of healthcare, an integrated system
offering high-quality services through
public and private institutions operating
under the direction of a national health
policy that sets and monitors standards
for social, economic, administrative and
technical aspects of healthcare. The state
has a continuing commitment to provide
sufficient funds for maintaining the health
of Qatar’s population, in accordance with
the principle of partnership in bearing the
costs of healthcare.
46 Gold the international investment, finance & professional services magazine of cyprus
Qatar
• Qatar is a peninsula bordering the
Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia,
strategically located near major
petroleum deposits.
• Since 2007, oil and natural gas
revenues have enabled it to attain
the hi