Executive
Summary
Qatar
is a Middle Eastern peninsula jutting north into
the Persian Gulf. The country shares a border
with Saudi Arabia, and is located between Bahrain
to the northwest and the United Arab Emirates
to the southeast; Iran lies north across the water.
The terrain is largely flat, rocky desert with
shifting sands, and with salt flats around the
coast. The capital city is Doha; the city is one
of five ports, the others being Umm Said, Al Khor,
Al Wakrah, and Ras Laffan.
Qatar
has a population of 1.6m (as at August 2009, including
expatriates). It is estimated that 40% are Arab,
20% Indian, 13% Nepali; 10% Filipino; 7% Pakistani,
and 5% Sri Lankan, with 5% making up other ethnic
groups. The principal religion is Islam.
Until
October 2004, Qatari laws operated on a two-tier
system: Sharia law was administered at the local
level, while the civil courts operated on the
English model, a hangover from a period during
which Qatar was a British protectorate. A new
unifying law has since come into force, and the
Qatari Constitution came into effect in June 2005;
Islamic Sharia is the principal source of legislation.
The
government of Qatar is based on a traditional
monarchy, whereby the Emir (presently Sheikh Hamad
bin Khalifa Al-Thani) is both head of state and
head of government. His cousin, Sheikh Hamad bin
Jassim Al-Thani, is deputy leader and prime minister.
The
economy is largely centered on Qatar’s gas
and oil reserves, with oil production accounting
for around two-thirds of total government revenues;
Qatar’s proven gas reserves are the world’s
third largest. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports
exceed 31m tonnes per year. Per capita GDP is
also among the world’s highest, at USD67,000
in 2007 (US Department of State figures).
Further information
on Qatar:
|
Lowtax Network Portal
Front Page
Tax Jurisdictions
Featured Content
