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QATAR, BACK TO THE FUTURE.... |
A BIT OF HISTORY...
How old is Qatar then you may ask...
- Archeological discoveries, inscriptions and a collection of
exquisite pottery which were found in scattered areas in the
country have proven that the land of Qatar was populated as
early as 4000 BC.
-In the 5th century BC the Greek historian Herodotus
referred to the seafaring Canaanites as the original inhabitants
of Qatar.
Further, the geographer Ptolemy showed in his map of the Arab
World "Qatara" as believed to refer to the Qatari town of "Zubara",
which has acquired the fame of being one of the most important
trading ports in the Gulf region at the time.
-During the 16th century AD, the Qataris aligned with the
Turks to drive out the Portuguese. Subsequently, Qatar alongside
with the whole regions of the Arabian Peninsula came under the
Ottoman Empire rule for about four successive centuries.
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SPOT THE
SHERATON... |
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From this ......
.........to that
it's the same
view, twenty years later. Top one, one
building, it's the Sheraton Hotel.
Cut to 2011, and have a look at the Skyline.... |
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LAST CENTURY...
-In the aftermath of the 1914-18 First World War, the Turkish rule
in Qatar came to an end and Qatar signed a protection treaty
with Britain in 1916. However, the British influence in the
country was limited to supervision of some administrative
matters.
The reach of the British Empire diminished after the Second
World War, especially following Indian independence in 1947.
Pressure for a British withdrawal from the Arab emirates in the
Gulf increased during the 1950s, and the British welcomed
Kuwait's declaration of Independence in 1961.
When Britain officially announced in 1968 that it would
disengage politically, though not economically, from
the Gulf in three years' time, Qatar joined
Bahrain and seven other Trucial States in a federation.
Regional disputes however, quickly compelled Qatar to resign and
declare independence from the coalition that would evolve into
the seven-emirate United Arab Emirates.
On September 3, 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign
state. |
OIL...
The country has oil estimated at 15 billion barrels (2.4 km³)
... while gas reserves in the giant north field (South
Pars for Iran) which straddles the border with Iran and are
almost as large as the peninsula itself are estimated to be
between 800–900tcf (Trillion Cubic Feet - 1tcf is equal to
around 80 million barrels of oil equivalent). |
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ECONOMY...
 Qatar's
national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas
exports. Qataris' wealth and standard of living compare well
with those of Western European states; Qatar has one of the
highest GDP per capita in the Arab World.
With no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two least-taxed
sovereign states in the world (the other is Bahrain).
While oil and gas will probably remain the backbone of Qatar's
economy for some time to come, the country seeks to stimulate
the private sector and develop a "knowledge economy".
 In
2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to
attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs,
from overseas and within Qatar.
For the 15th Asian Games in Doha, it established Sports City,
consisting of Khalifa stadium (where one of the semis of the
World Cup should be played), the
Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition
centres and many other sports related buildings and centres.
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EN
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