Qatar is a peninsula situated halfway along the West Coast of the Arabian Gulf .  Its topography consists of a rocky flat surface with some limestone outcrops in Dukhan area in the west and Fuwairit area in the north. The surface is full with characteristic depressions called Rawdat, particularly in the north and central parts.  Qatar has a moderate desert climate with long hot summers and short mild winters and little rain in winter. Qatar has a total land area of approximately 11,521 square kilometers, and its capital is Doha . 

The official religion of the country is Islam, and the Shariah (Islamic Law) is the principal source of legislation in the country.  Qatar gained independence on September 3rd 1971.

Qatar ’s flag has 2 colors, white & maroon.  The Meaning of Qatar’s flag is:
A- The white color reflects the internationally recognized symbol of peace.
B- The maroon color symbolizes the bloodshed during the several wars Qatar had undergone, particularly in the second half of the 19th century.
C- The nine-point serrated line indicates that Qatar is the 9th member of the "reconciled Emirates" of the Arabian Gulf in the wake of concluding the Qatari-British treaty in 1916.

 

The State continues to implement its policies aiming to diversify the sources of income; upgrade the infrastructure of the national economy; optimize the utilization of the country's hydrocarbon resources based on petroleum, gas and petrochemicals; develop and promote the gigantic gas projects; liberalize the economy; enhance the role of the private sector and issue the required legislation in order to attract foreign investments and facilitate and simplify investment procedures. The State also continued to intensify its efforts to rationalize public spending and increase non-petroleum revenues. As a result, the national economy has achieved in recent years a significant positive growth trend, which was manifested in decreased budget deficit, improved surplus of balance of payments current account and stable inflation and interest rates.

The Qatari economy underwent major developments that were positively reflected on the general economic performance. Foremost among these developments are the upsurge in oil prices that gained Qatar high revenues, the sizable increase in gas production and exports and the completion of the giant gas projects of the country.

 

General Information:

Public Holidays

Qatar National Day: 18 December.
Eid Al-Fitr : At the 1st of Shawwal for four days.
Eid Al- Adha : starts at 9th of Zilhijjah for five days.

The Usual Work Hours

Government offices: 7 am to 2 pm.
Private establishments: 8 am to 12 noon, and 4 pm to 8 pm.
Friday and Saturday are the weekend holidays.

Local time:

3 hours + Greenwich Mean Time.