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Economy

Qatar’s strong economy is well-positioned for the future. Qatar is advancing efforts in economic diversification and accelerating the pace of economic growth by continuously creating new opportunities for businesses and investors through a diverse range of initiatives and incentives.
Global Ratings

Various global agencies have affirmed the strength of Qatar’s economy in recent years. Moody’s upgraded Qatar’s credit rating to Aa2, highlighting the country’s resilience to economic shocks thanks to the country’s robust sovereign balance sheet. Similarly, Fitch Ratings upgraded Qatar’s rating to AA in 2024 as revenues from LNG are expected to lead to budget surpluses until the next decade, with a further boost from investments from the increase of LNG production.

In the past three decades, Qatar’s economy benefitted from tremendous growth, having grown 38-fold in that time span. Qatar's GDP experienced a growth of 1.7% in 2024, with growth in the non-hydrocarbon sector at 1.9%. Looking ahead, the World Bank has projected that Qatar's real GDP growth will increase to 3.2% in 2025, with the non-hydrocarbon sector expected to achieve an annual growth rate of 4% by 2030.

 

Economic Incentives for Investment

Qatar continues to implement business-friendly measures to drive sustainable economic growth and develop its entrepreneurial environment. Qatar has adopted significant measures to attract foreign direct investment and foreign investors enjoy competitive benefits, including:

  • A legal environment based on English common law
  • Transfers that can be made in any convertible currency
  • Up to 100% foreign ownership
  • Repatriation of profits
The Investment Promotion Agency (Invest Qatar) is the national brand showcasing Qatar as an exceptional investment destination, helping to connect international investors to lucrative business opportunities to support their long-term success, while simultaneously complimenting Qatar’s economic development and diversification goals. Invest Qatar can help investors with sector specific information, introductions between investors and government entities, connections to business service providers, business setup support and more.
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Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) was established in 2018 and manages two free zones which offer a number of services and benefits for businesses, including quality infrastructure, a skilled workforce, 100% foreign ownership, access to investment funds, tax exemptions and partnership opportunities with Qatari entities.
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The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) is a leading onshore business hub, offering a unique legal, regulatory, and tax environment that allows 100% foreign ownership, full profit repatriation, and a 10% corporate tax on local profits. QFC’s unique platform has drawn over 1,500 local and global firms across various sectors.
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Global Investments

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) invests, diversifies, and grows the State of Qatar’s sovereign reserves to create value for future generations of Qataris.

QIA has a diversified approach toward investing in terms of both sectors and geographies. It invests across the globe in various sectors such as technology, media & telecommunications, healthcare, retail, real estate, infrastructure, finance, and industrials & materials. QIA also invests across the value chain in companies and technologies focused on the transition to a clean-tech, low-carbon emission future – from renewable energy projects to energy storage solutions.

QIA also supports the development of a competitive Qatari economy by investing in local companies.

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Qatari Diar Real Estate Company was established in 2005 by QIA, and now has 50 investment projects under development across 20 countries. These include, but are not limited to, the flagship project of Lusail City (Qatar), the St. Regis Cairo (Egypt), Al Houara Resort (Morocco), Southbank Place and Chelsea Barracks (UK), as well as the Conrad Hotel (US).
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Katara Hospitality continues to expand its global footprint, contributing to Qatar’s diversified investment strategy in the tourism and real estate sectors, with a portfolio of over 50 iconic properties across the world. It plays a key role in shaping Qatar’s hospitality sector while reinforcing its international presence in luxury and heritage hospitality. Notable investments include, the Peninsula Paris (France), Excelsior Hotel Gallia (Italy), The Savoy (UK), and Raffles (Singapore).
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