Qatar
 

Qatar (Arabic: قطر IPA: [ˈqɑ̱.tˁɑ̱r][1]), officially the State of Qatar (Arabic: دولة قطر , Dawlat Qatar), is an emirate in the Middle East and Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state.



Qatar forms one of the newer emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. After domination by Persians for thousands of years and more recently by the Ottoman Turks, and finally by the British, Qatar became an independent state on September 3, 1971. Unlike most nearby emirates, Qatar declined to become part of either the United Arab Emirates or of Saudi Arabia.
Although the peninsular land mass that makes up Qatar has sustained humans for thousands of years, for the bulk of its history the arid climate fostered only short-term settlements by nomadic tribes. Clans such as the Al Khalifa and the Al Saud (which would later ascend the thrones of Bahrain and of Saudi Arabia respectively) swept through the Arabian peninsula and camped on the coasts within small fishing and pearling villages. The clans battled each other for lucrative oyster beds and lands, frequently forming and breaking coalitions with one another in their attempts to establish territorial supremacy.
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Qatari desert.


The British initially sought out Qatar and the Persian Gulf as an intermediary vantage point en route to their colonial interests in India, although the discovery of oil and other hydrocarbons in the early twentieth century would re-invigorate their interest. During the nineteenth century, the time of Britain’s formative ventures into the region, the Al Khalifa clan reigned over the Northern Qatari peninsula from the nearby island of Bahrain to the west. Although Qatar had the legal status of a dependency, resentment festered against the Bahraini Al Khalifas along the eastern seaboard of the Qatari peninsula. In 1867, the Al Khalifas launched a successful effort to quash the Qatari rebels sending a massive naval force to Wakrah. However, the Bahraini aggression was in violation on the 1820 Anglo-Bahraini Treaty. The diplomatic response of the British to this violation set into motion the political forces that would eventuate in the founding of the state of Qatar. In addition to censuring Bahrain for its breach of agreement, the British Protectorate (per Colonel Lewis Pelly) asked to negotiate with a representative from Qatar. The request carried with it a tacit recognition of Qatar’s status as distinct from Bahrain. The Qataris chose as their negotiator the respected entrepreneur and long-time resident of Doha, Muhammed bin Thani. His clan, the Al Thanis, had taken relatively little part in Persian Gulf politics, but the diplomatic foray ensured their participation in the movement towards independence and their dominion as the future ruling family, a dynasty that continues to this day. The results of the negotiations left Qatar with a new-found sense of political selfhood, although it did not gain official standing as a British protectorate until 1916.
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The Emiri Diwan.


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 Persian 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 Persian 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-imarat United Arab Emirates. In 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state.
Since 1995, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has ruled Qatar, seizing control of the country from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while the latter vacationed in Switzerland. Under Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a notable amount of sociopolitical liberalization, including the enfranchisement of women, a new constitution, and the launch of Al Jazeera, the controversial Arabic language satellite television news channel. Qatar ranks as the eleventh richest country in the world per capita [2].
Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq [3] in 2003.
In 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking a country that had not previously experienced acts of terrorism. It is not clear if the bombing was committed by an organized terrorist group, and although the investigation is ongoing there are indications that the attack was the work of an individual, not a group.[citation needed]
The United States Armed Forces Unified Combatant Command unit for the Middle East theater, known as CENTCOM (US Central Command), has its headquarters in Qatar. Qatar also hosts a large United States Air Force base.
Qatar held the 15th Asian Games in December 2006.



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Qatar's great wealth is most visible in its capital, Doha.


Before the discovery of oil the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearling. After the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry faltered. However, the discovery of oil reserves, beginning in the 1940s, completely transformed the nation's economy. Now the country has a high standard of living, with many social services offered to its citizens and all the amenities of any modern nation.
Qatar's national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports. The country has oil estimated at 15 billion barrels (2.4 km³). Qataris' wealth and standard of living compare well with those of Western European nations; Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the developing world. With no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two least-taxed sovereign states in the world.
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. Qatar also established "education city" which consists of international colleges. For the 15th Asian Games in Doha, it established a "sports city"
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The Aspire Tower, built for the Asian Games, is visible across Doha.


consisting of Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres. Qatar also plans to build an "entertainment city" in the future.
Qatar is aiming to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region. Large scale investment in all social and economic sectors will also lead to the development of a strong financial market.
The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides financial institutions with a world class financial services platform situated in an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources. It has been created with a long term perspective to support the development of Qatar and the wider region, develop local and regional markets, and strengthen the links between the energy based economies and global financial markets.
Apart from Qatar itself, which needs to raise the capacity of its financial services to support more than $130 billion worth of projects, the QFC also provides a conduit for financial services providers to access nearly $1 trillion of investment across the GCC as a whole over the next decade.


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Map of Qatar




The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (160 km) into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. Much of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand. To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid ("Inland Sea"), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Gulf.
The highest point in Qatar occurs in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcrops running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border, and reaching about 295 feet (90 m) ASL. This area also contains Qatar's main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.


Nearly all Qataris profess Islam. Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the population migrated from various nations to work in the country's oil industry. Arabic serves as the official language. However English as well as many other languages are spoken in Qatar.
Expatriates form the majority of Qatar's residents. The petrochemical industry has attracted people from all around the world. Most of the expatriates come from South Asia and from surrounding non-oil-rich Arab nations. Because a large percentage of the expatriates are male, Qatar has the most heavily skewed sex ratio in the world, with 1.88 males per female [4].
In 2004, the country had a total population of approximately 744,000, of whom approximately 200,000 were believed to be citizens.[2] Of the citizen population, Shi'a Muslims account for approximately 10 percent and Sunni Muslims comprise the remaining 90 percent. The majority of the estimated 544,000 non-citizens are individuals from South and South East Asian and Arab countries working on temporary employment contracts along with their accompanying family members. They are of the following faiths: Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Baha'is. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Messaeed, and Dukhan.
The Christian community is a diverse mix of Indians, Filipinos, Europeans, Arabs, and Americans. It includes Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican, and other Protestant denominations. The Hindu community is almost exclusively Indian, while Buddhists include South and East Asians. Most Baha'is come from Iran. Religion is not indicated on national identity cards and passports, nor is it a criterion for citizenship in Qatar according to the Nationality Law. However, Qatari citizens are either Sunni or Shi'a Muslims with the exception of a Baha'i and Syrian Christian and their respective families who were granted citizenship. Shi'a both citizens and foreigners, may attend a small number of Shi'a mosques.
No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country.


Qatar explicitly uses Wahhabi law as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow this specific Islamic doctrine. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab founded Wahhabism, a puritanical version of Islam which takes a literal interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In the eighteenth century, Abd Al-Wahhab formed a compact with the al-Saud family, the founders of Saudi Arabia.
In the early twentieth century, when the Al-Thanis realized that converting to the doctrine of their larger neighbor might bode well for the survival of their regime, they imported Wahhabi Islam from Saudi Arabia to Qatar. Perhaps as an effect of the importation, Wahhabism takes a more tolerant form in Qatar than in Saudi Arabia, though it still governs a large portion of Qatari mores and rituals. For example, almost all Qatari women wear the black abaya (also donned in Saudi Arabia); the government, however, does not impose the style universally. The abaya is mainly passed down from generation to generation and is still present because of the traditional values of the country.
Shi'as comprise just over 10% of the Muslim population[citation needed].


When contrasted with other Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, for instance, Qatar has comparatively liberal laws, but is still not as liberal as some of its neighbors like UAE or Bahrain. Women can drive in Qatar, whereas they may not legally drive in Saudi Arabia.
The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernization after the current Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, came to power after becoming Emir in place of his father. For example, women can dress mostly as they please in public (although in practice local Qatari women generally don the black abaya). Before the liberalization, it was taboo for men to wear shorts in public. The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. However, public bars and nightclubs in Qatar operate only in expensive hotels, much like the the emirates and Bahrain, though the number of establishments has yet to equal that of UAE. A further liberalization has been expected by some to take place due to the 15th Asian Games held in Qatar at the end of 2006.


In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Along with the country’s free healthcare to every citizen, every child has free education from kindergarten through to university. The country has one university, the University of Qatar, and a number of higher educational institutions. Additionally, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, some major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. These include Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry. Education City is also home to a fully accredited International Baccalaureate school, Qatar Academy.
In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council. The Council directs and controls education for all ages from the pre-school level through the university level, including the "Education for a New Era" reform initiative.
The Emir's second wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the Qatar Foundation and is on the board of Qatar's Supreme Education Council.


Qatar has a modern Telecommunication system centered in Doha. Tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat. People can call to Qatar using their submarine cable, satellite or using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol); however, Qtel has interfered with VoIP systems in the past, and Skype's website has been blocked before.
Qtel's ISP branch, Internet Qatar, uses SmartFilter to block websites they deem inappropriate to Qatari interests and morality.

The Pearl
 

http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/images/non.gif http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/images/non.gif http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/images/non.gif The Pearl, also refered to as Pearl of The Gulf and described as the Riviera Arabia, is a US$ 2.5 billion man-made island being built off the coast of Doha's (Qatar's capital) prestigious West Bay Lagoon area. The 988 acre (4 million square meter) island is shaped like a string of pearls and diamonds and will be linked to the mainland by an eight-lane, palm-tree lined super highway. The island will provide over 40 km (24.86 miles) of new coastline and will be located 20 km (12.43 miles) from Doha's international airport.
The Pearl-Qatar is being built on a reclaimed pearl diving reef in the Arabian Gulf and will have a Riviera-style theme that will encompass 7,600 freehold residential units that will accomodate 30,000 residents. The residential units will be contained in twenty-one 20-storey towers with 3,116 apartments and 410 town houses/detached villas. The Pearl will also contain 10 themed districts (Porto Arabia, Viva Bahriyah, Costa Malaz, Isola Dana, The Quartiers, La Plage Villas, Bhari Villas, The Grand Cruz), three luxury hotels, four marinas that can accomodate over 700 boats, leisure facilities, and 60,000 square meters of luxury retail and restaurant space.
The Pearl is Qatar's first international real estate venture and the country's first freehold development. Development began on The Pearl on the 5th April 2004 and the first phase of development is scheduled to be completed by late 2006. Property owners of The Pearl will automatically receive Qatari residency visas and will be granted unrestricted freehold titles to their property.
Sabban Towers
Located on The Pearl's largest harbour, Porto Arabia, Sabban Towers will be located near the entrance to the island. It will offer freehold luxury apartments and penthouses with Mediterranean-style with contemporary architecture, each with a harbour or sea view.
Expected Completion Date - Late 2009
Real Estate Developer - United Development Company (UDC)
Location - Doha, Qatar

Qatar Foundation
 

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Our Vision and Mission

Qatar Foundation¹s mission is to prepare the people of Qatar and the region to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world, and to make Qatar a leader in innovative education and research.
To achieve that mission, Qatar Foundation supports network of centers and partnerships with elite institutions, all committed to the principle that a nation¹s greatest natural resource is its people. Education City, Qatar Foundation¹s flagship project, is envisioned as a center of excellence in education and research that will help transform Qatar into a knowledge-based society.



History

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The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development was founded in 1995 by decree of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. Indeed, the creation of Qatar Foundation was among the Emir's early initiatives, a testament to the importance of the Foundation's mission both to him and to its chair, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned.
From the beginning the mission of the Qatar Foundation has been to provide educational opportunities and to improve quality of life for the people of Qatar and the region. Our first projects included the Qatar Diabetes Association and the Social Development Center, founded in 1995 and 1996 respectively. In 1996, the Learning Center began working with students facing academic challenges. Qatar Academy opened its doors the same year. In 1998, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar opened its design school, and the far-reaching vision for an entire Education City began to coalesce.
The Academic Bridge Program began its college preparatory courses in 2001. Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar began offering its medical programs in 2002. Texas A&M University at Qatar and the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute followed in 2003. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar started teaching its first classes in 2004. The newest edition to Education City, Georgetown University, will start its programs in August 2005.
The branch campus concept -- world-class universities bringing their best-regarded programs to Qatar as full-fledged partners with Qatar Foundation -- is unique in the history of education. Education City is, in essence, a university of universities, a community of educational and research institutions that serve the whole citizen, from early childhood education to post-graduate study.
Construction on Education City's 2,500 acres continues apace. Projects currently in the planning or building phases include Qatar Science and Technology Park, an all-digital Specialty Teaching Hospital and a state-of-the-art conference and convention center.



Royal Statements

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"Let us be resolved and look forward to the future with trust and boldness in order to be among the active and influential and to provide our coming generations with the best opportunities to meet their future and overcome its challenges."
His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani




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"The sharing of knowledge, ideas and values is the noblest way to transcend barriers. In this sense, globalization is the architect, which constructs academic bridges across cultural and geographical landscapes."
Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned




The Sidra

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Our symbol is the sidra tree, a beacon of learning and comfort in the desert.
Traditionally the shade of the sidra tree was a retreat for poets and scholars, who gathered beneath its branches to discuss and impart knowledge. The fruit, flowers and leaves of the sidra, whose deep roots allow it to flourish in harsh desert climates, were components in many traditional medicines. All these qualities make the sidra a beloved icon in Qatari history and culture -- and an apt symbol for Qatar Foundation, which seeks to be a haven for learning and a source of comfort to the people of Qatar and the region.

Qatar Foundation
 

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Organization

Qatar Foundation supports a network of centers and partnerships with elite institutions. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned.
Qatar Foundation is administered by a professional staff in a number of departments, which provide shared services to all of Qatar Foundation's projects and partners.



Board of Directors

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The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is made up of internationally recognised leaders and innovators from academia, business and government.
The Board meets several times per year to review Qatar Foundation's progress towards fulfilling its mission and to approve strategic initiatives. Members are expected to apply their knowledge and experience to the benefit of Board discussions, and to champion Qatar Foundation's interests in their outside activities.
Members:

HH Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, Chair
Dr Saif Ali Al-Hajari, Vice-Chair
HE Dr Abdulla Hussain Al-Kubaisi
Professor Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad
HE Dr Sheikh Hamad Bin Nasser Al-Thani
Dr Jordan J. Cohen
Dr Vartan Gregorian
HE Dr Hajar Ahmed Hajar
HE Yousef Hussain Kamal
Sir Charles Masefield
President of Qatar Foundation
Dr Mohammad Fathy Saoud
Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani
Dr Ahmed Zewail

Education City
 

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Education City

Qatar Foundation is headquartered in a unique Education City, a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha which hosts branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, as well as numerous other educational and research institutions.
Supported by abundant residential and recreational facilities, Education City is envisioned as a community of institutions that serve the whole citizen, from early childhood education to post-graduate study. Moreover, Education City is envisioned as a hub for the generation of new knowledge -- a place that provides researchers with world-class facilities, a pool of well-trained graduates, the chance to collaborate with likeminded people and the opportunity to transfer ideas into real-world applications.


The Vision

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Qatar Foundation's flagship project, Education City, is a 2,500-acre campus on the outskirts of Doha that hosts branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, as well as numerous other educational and research institutions.
By forging partnerships with elite institutions, Qatar Foundation aims to make Education City an international leader in progressive education and cutting-edge research. Our institutions are training the region's next generation of leaders and innovators, who will transform Qatar into a knowledge-based society.



Today

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Ten years after its founding, Qatar Foundation's mission has never changed. We remain committed to improving quality of life and providing excellent educational opportunities to the people of Qatar and the region.
Our vision, on the other hand, has become progressively more far-reaching. As we reach out to new partners, both our capabilities and our ambitions expand.
A visit to Education City reveals a burgeoning community of institutions. The master plan, created by renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, is beginning to fill in, as construction on several major facilities -- most recently the College of Engineering and Qatar Science and Technology Park -- gets underway.
Most of our students are citizens or residents of Qatar, but many come from other countries in the Gulf and throughout the Middle East. Some come from as far afield as the United States, New Zealand, South Africa and Bosnia. Our faculty and staff are equally diverse. Education City is a place where bridges are being built, between cultures and to a betterfuture.


The Future

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The next few years will bring remarkable growth in the facilities at Education City. By the end of 2005, new student and staff housing will have been completed, along with a ceremonial court for holding graduation ceremonies and other official functions.
By the end of 2007, the first phase of Qatar Science and Technology Park will be open for business and populated with tenants. A massive, state-of-the-art convention center -- another signature piece of architecture by Arata Isozaki -- will be nearing completion. A shopping center at the north end of Education City will serve the growing number of students, staff and faculty living on site.
Texas A&M University at Qatar will be ready to occupy its purpose-built facility, designed by the Mexican architects Legorreta & Legorreta. And Qatar Foundation staff will be working in a new headquarters building.
By 2007, there will be a central library, a student center, a club for staff and faculty and a ceremonial entrance. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar will be teaching classes and conducting research in its new building, also designed by Legorreta & Legorreta. Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service will have its own building, too.
Further down the road, Education City will welcome a 350-bed, all-digital Specialty Teaching Hospital -- a world-class facility offering general care and specializing in women's and children's health. A golf course and other sports facilties will further enhance Education City's recreational amenities.
And, very soon, Education City will be adding new partners and new programs. Qatar Foundation's immediate targets include a school of communications and journalism, as well as an Islamic studies center. All of these will be provided with purpose-built facilities.

Museums
 

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Re: Qatar
 

Thanks Tawa its nice to learn the hitory and know about other countries thanks again.

Re: Qatar
 

Re: Qatar
 

The Pearl