Qatar, the world’s fastest-growing economy, has announced plans to establish a new financial centre based on a different model to other regional financial centres in neighbouring Bahrain and Dubai.

Qatar has attracted a record 36-strong underwriting group for its latest gas scheme, in what is being hailed as the largest project financing scheme on record, write Kevin Godier and Jon Marks.

Qatar is on the verge of becoming the richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita as it sees the fruits of its investments in extraction of huge liquefied natural gas reserves. By Stephen Timewell in Doha.

Abdulla bin Khalid Al-Attiya, governor of the Qatar Central Bank, talks about Qatar’s financial future.
Q The Qatar economy is seen to be booming; how do you see its prospects and the years ahead?
A The economy has been growing strongly, reaching 8.8% growth in 2003 and a GDP total of Qr70.8bn ($19.5bn). Other factors have been positive, too, with the balance of payments surplus rising 34.2% to Qr10.9bn in 2003 and inflation, although rising, kept at 2.3% last year. Clearly the economy is influenced by developments in the oil and gas sectors, and the growth in gas revenues has and will be significant, with gas revenues expected to be higher than oil revenues by 2010.

Huge hydrocarbon reserves and modern infrastructure are creating a gold-rush mentality among bankers, with local banks’ profits rising and foreign institutions trying to get a look in. By Stephen Timewell in Doha.
Qatar’s booming economy is proving to be a bonanza for banks. Well-established local institutions have boosted profits and new regional players are buying in to get a slice of the huge opportunities available. Despite events in Iraq, investors and bankers are seeing the massive potential offered by Qatar’s unique hydrocarbon reserves and the modern infrastructure put in place in recent years.

Banks in the Gulf have rarely taken minority stakes in banks elsewhere in the region but in recent weeks two prime players, Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank and National Bank of Kuwait, have been drawn to the attractions of the Qatar banking market.

With more than three-quarters of Qatar’s population come from overseas, Doha Bank is focusing on expatriate customers, says Parveen Bansal.
With energy needs expanding worldwide and oil prices remaining high, the Qatari economy is booming. Under the prudent leadership of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani, the state’s development strategy is focusing on diversification of the economy away from oil, toward extensive gas reserves and industrial expansion. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries in western Europe.