Qatar - A Country Full of Vision

Lately, Qatar has been working hard to become a distinct country with a refreshed vision. As a matter of fact, its leadership has begun implementing a plan which will help the country arrive at significant goals and transform by the year 2030. In a conversation between Doug Barry, a U.S.-based International Trade Specialist at the Commercial Service and Dao Le, a Qatar-based U.S. diplomat, some of the opportunities for United States Businesses were outlined.

So what makes Qatar different? Paramount to some of Dao Le’s comments described Qatar as an Arab country that strives to be modern, while still preserving its cultural roots. This is reflected in the present-day actions being taken by the government to develop the country and create competitive advantages. One of the more powerful examples of this comes from “Education City”. This is characterized by a large campus filled with a variety of different American schools including Cornell Medical School, Texas A&M Engineering, and Carnegie Mellon School of Business and Engineering.

Given the vision that is now being implemented in Qatar, how can businesses capitalize on new opportunities? With projects in the range of billions of dollars, there are significant export opportunities ranging across many industries. Some of those highlighted in the interview were medical, construction, and water treatment. Resources provided through the U.S. Commercial Service are often a starting point for small to medium-sized businesses that are looking for international expansion.

Lastly, what is the market potential? Qatar has grown exponentially over the last 6 years. The population went from about 800,000 people to around 2 million people. The market is ripe with both vision and scale which enables companies with the right product to strike new deals with receptive customers.