Qatar Tourist Guide

Our expert advisors can give you advice and recommendations on which expatriate health insurer to choose. We can advise you on which hospitals in Qatar will accept payment guarantees from your expatriate health insurer, and also advise on general information about Qatar’s history and customs to help make your journey that much easier.

History
Qatar remained a British protectorate until 1971 when Britain decided to withdraw from the Arabian Gulf area. Qatar then adopted a provisional constitution declaring it an independent Arab country with an official religion of Islam, using Shari’ah as the prime source of legislation and Arabic as an official language. The Al Thani family formally became the ruling dynasty. This period witnessed the arrival of a large number of workers particularly from Arab countries.

Politics
Qatar is an emirate with a conventional hereditary system. It is ruled by the Al Thani family whose presence in the peninsula dates from the eighteenth century. The Al Thani are named after the doyen of the family Sheikh Thani bin Mohamed who is the father of Sheikh Mohamed bin Thani, the first ruler of the Qatar peninsula in the mid nineteenth century. Al Thani are a branch of the Arab tribe of Beni Tameem.

The Emir is the head of state. In accordance with the modified provisional constitution, the Emir decrees laws on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers and after consultation with the Advisory Council. The Council of Ministers, appointed by an Emiri decree, is the highest executive authority in the land. However, laws are not enacted until after Emiri consent.

Economy
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. But 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 reserves 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 ($39,607 as of 2005).

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.

Choosing an expatriate health insurer can be a difficult choice. Our consultants can give you a range of independent quotes that will aid you when choosing an expatriate health insurer to buy from.