--- title: Qatar — English Wikipedia · full text with trees · page 4 description: Wikipedia's «Qatar», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/4/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Qatar # Qatar · page 4 From Wikipedia, [«Qatar»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/3/) **4** [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/5/) [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/6/) ### Human rights Main article: [Human rights in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Qatar) Qatar's [human rights record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Qatar) has been regarded by academics and [non-governmental organisations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organisation) as being generally poor, with restrictions on civil liberties such as the freedoms of [association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_association), [expression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech) and the [press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Press_Freedom_Index), as well as its [treatment of migrant workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treatment_of_South_Asian_labourers_in_the_Gulf_Cooperation_Council_region) amounting to [forced labour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_labour) for projects in the country.[\[244\]](../../page/6/#ref-244 "note 244")[\[245\]](../../page/6/#ref-245 "note 245")[257](../../257/ "tree and pragmatics") Women and LGBTQ+ people face legal and social discrimination.[258](../../258/ "tree and pragmatics") The UN has issued hundreds of human rights recommendations to Qatar.[\[246\]](../../page/6/#ref-246 "note 246")[\[247\]](../../page/6/#ref-247 "note 247")[\[248\]](../../page/6/#ref-248 "note 248")[259](../../259/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Rights of foreign labourers Further information: [Human rights in Qatar § Labour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Qatar#Labour) As of 2025, [foreign workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_worker) make up around 91% of Qatar's population, constituting around 95% of its labour force,[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[\[250\]](../../page/6/#ref-250 "note 250") and according to the [International Labour Organization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Labour_Organization), Qatar does not consider this population as "[migrant workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_worker)", but rather as "guests" or "non-Qataris".[\[250\]](../../page/6/#ref-250 "note 250")[260](../../260/ "tree and pragmatics") This population is subject to a [kafala system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafala_system), whereby they are heavily dependent on the Qatari citizens sponsoring their work visas, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[\[251\]](../../page/6/#ref-251 "note 251")[261](../../261/ "tree and pragmatics") Following a massive increase in scrutiny after Qatar's controversial election to host the [2022 FIFA World Cup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup) in 2010,[\[252\]](../../page/6/#ref-252 "note 252")[\[253\]](../../page/6/#ref-253 "note 253") the government has announced many steps of reform, including announcing multiple times that the Kafala system has been effectively abolished.[\[254\]](../../page/6/#ref-254 "note 254")[\[255\]](../../page/6/#ref-255 "note 255")[\[256\]](../../page/6/#ref-256 "note 256")[\[257\]](../../page/6/#ref-257 "note 257")[\[258\]](../../page/6/#ref-258 "note 258")[\[259\]](../../page/6/#ref-259 "note 259")[\[260\]](../../page/6/#ref-260 "note 260")[\[261\]](../../page/6/#ref-261 "note 261")[\[262\]](../../page/6/#ref-262 "note 262")[\[263\]](../../page/6/#ref-263 "note 263")[\[264\]](../../page/6/#ref-264 "note 264")[\[265\]](../../page/6/#ref-265 "note 265")[\[266\]](../../page/6/#ref-266 "note 266")[\[267\]](../../page/6/#ref-267 "note 267")[\[268\]](../../page/6/#ref-268 "note 268")[262](../../262/ "tree and pragmatics") Despite these steps, in their reports for the year 2025 both [Human Rights Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Watch) and [Amnesty International](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty_International) have found that foreign labourers in Qatar continue to face widespread abuses under a "restrictive" and "exploitative" Kafala system.[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[\[269\]](../../page/6/#ref-269 "note 269")[263](../../263/ "tree and pragmatics") Human Rights Watch\*\*s report said that the reforms have had "limited impact", and that the country has failed to address serious violations against workers, who still "face [wage theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft), unexplained deaths, dangerous working conditions and continued exploitation after the tournament."[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[264](../../264/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Women's rights Main article: [Women in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Qatar) #### Male guardianship system As of 2026, [women and girls in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Qatar) are still subject to extensive legal and social discrimination under a [male guardianship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wali_%28Islamic_legal_guardian%29) system.[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[265](../../265/ "tree and pragmatics") They must receive permission from male guardians "to marry, travel abroad, work in many government jobs, study on scholarships, and access some reproductive health services".[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[266](../../266/ "tree and pragmatics") Married women can by default travel without permission, but a male guardian can petition a court to issue a travel ban.[\[249\]](../../page/6/#ref-249 "note 249")[267](../../267/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Gender wage gap Both Qatari and non-Qatari women are affected by a widening wage gap.[268](../../268/ "tree and pragmatics") They are paid 25% to 50% less than men, despite the fact that their working hours are comparable.[269](../../269/ "tree and pragmatics") The difference is due in part to the social allowances by government afforded to men as household heads, such as housing and travel allotments, which female employees are less likely to receive.[\[270\]](../../page/6/#ref-270 "note 270")[270](../../270/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Sex outside marriage and reproductive rights See also: [Abortion in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Qatar) Women in Qatar convicted for "illicit relations" (sex outside marriage) may be imprisoned for up to seven years, although usually the courts decide on one year.[271](../../271/ "tree and pragmatics") It is often poor domestic workers from Southeast Asian countries who are convicted, even when they have been raped, if the judge thinks they are lying.[\[271\]](../../page/6/#ref-271 "note 271")[272](../../272/ "tree and pragmatics") Many women who get pregnant with an [illegitimate child](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegitimate_child) are jailed.[273](../../273/ "tree and pragmatics") Non-citizens who are forced to have sponsors are usually denied the right to leave Qatar and are therefore forced to seek refuge and counsel from their embassy.[274](../../274/ "tree and pragmatics") Despite the effort of embassies, many still land in jail.[275](../../275/ "tree and pragmatics") According to [Najeeb al-Nuaimi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najeeb_al-Nuaimi), a criminal lawyer and former justice minister of Qatar, many women are able to avoid prison or be released from it by marrying the father of their baby, at which point the woman is allowed to leave the country with her new husband.[\[272\]](../../page/6/#ref-272 "note 272")[276](../../276/ "tree and pragmatics") #### LGBTQ rights Main article: [LGBTQ rights in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_rights_in_Qatar) [Homosexual acts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Qatar) are illegal and can be [punished by death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_penalty_for_homosexuality).[\[273\]](../../page/6/#ref-273 "note 273")[277](../../277/ "tree and pragmatics") However, there is no such evidence that the death penalty has been given for same-sex relations in practice.[\[274\]](../../page/6/#ref-274 "note 274")[278](../../278/ "tree and pragmatics") According to [Human Rights Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Rights_Watch) in 2026, [LGBTQ people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBTQ_people) in Qatar "face [arbitrary arrest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbitrary_arrest_and_detention) under vague and broad morality laws, harsh treatment in detention, including beatings, verbal abuse, [sexual harassment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_harassment), and denial of legal or medical access, and [forced conversion therapy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_therapy) for [transgender women](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_woman)."[279](../../279/ "tree and pragmatics") A senior researcher for HRW told [The Guardian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian) in 2022 of a transgender woman who was detained underground in solitary confinement for two months underground, had her long hair forcibly shaved in detention, was severely beaten her until she bled, and was denied access to medical care.[\[275\]](../../page/6/#ref-275 "note 275")[280](../../280/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2022, [Naser Mohamed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naser_Mohamed), a prominent Qatari doctor and gay rights activist living in the United States, told The Guardian that LGBTQ people in Qatar are held and physically abused by authorities, then are promised safety from further torture if they agree to work as agents and help authorities find other LGBTQ+ people.[\[275\]](../../page/6/#ref-275 "note 275")[281](../../281/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2024, Manuel Guerrero Aviña, a Mexican-British citizen working for [Qatar Airways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Airways), was arrested in Qatar after police officers impersonated a gay man on [Grindr](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindr) and arranged a "date" with him.[\[276\]](../../page/6/#ref-276 "note 276")[282](../../282/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatari officials claimed that he was arrested on drug charges, and that they did not even know about his sexuality until after the arrest, but his family retorted that he was not a drug user, that he was forced to sign documents that he did not understand in Arabic, and that he was interrogated about other gay men after the fake Grindr "date" arranged by the police.[\[276\]](../../page/6/#ref-276 "note 276")[283](../../283/ "tree and pragmatics") Aviña was released to await trial after 44 days in detention, and The UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention expressed deep concerns about his treatment, including reported denial of access to life-saving HIV medication.[\[276\]](../../page/6/#ref-276 "note 276")[284](../../284/ "tree and pragmatics") [Amnesty International](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty_International) called the case "nothing short of horrific", and expressed fears that he was coerced into providing information to authorities that could be used to hurt other LGBTQ people.[\[276\]](../../page/6/#ref-276 "note 276")[285](../../285/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Corporal punishment The [UN Committee Against Torture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Committee_Against_Torture) found that the provisions for flogging and stoning within the Qatari criminal code constituted a breach of the obligations imposed by the [UN Convention Against Torture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Convention_Against_Torture).[\[277\]](../../page/6/#ref-277 "note 277")[\[278\]](../../page/6/#ref-278 "note 278")[286](../../286/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Economy Main article: [Economy of Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Qatar) Before the discovery of oil, the economy focused on fishing and [pearl hunting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_hunting).[287](../../287/ "tree and pragmatics") A report prepared by local governors of the Ottoman Empire in 1892 states that income from pearl hunting in 1892 is 2,450,000 kran.[\[78\]](../../page/6/#ref-78 "note 78")[288](../../288/ "tree and pragmatics") After the introduction of the Japanese [cultured pearl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultured_pearl) onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry crashed.[289](../../289/ "tree and pragmatics") Oil was discovered in Qatar in 1940, in [Dukhan Field](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukhan_Field).[\[279\]](../../page/6/#ref-279 "note 279")[290](../../290/ "tree and pragmatics") The discovery transformed the state's economy.[291](../../291/ "tree and pragmatics") Now, the country has a high [standard of living](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_living) for its legal citizens.[292](../../292/ "tree and pragmatics") With no [income tax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax), Qatar has one of the lowest tax rates in the world.[293](../../293/ "tree and pragmatics") The unemployment rate in June 2013 was 0.1%.[\[280\]](../../page/6/#ref-280 "note 280")[294](../../294/ "tree and pragmatics") Corporate law mandates that Qatari nationals must hold 51% of any venture in the emirate.[\[167\]](../../page/6/#ref-167 "note 167")[295](../../295/ "tree and pragmatics") Trade and industry is overseen by the [Ministry of Business and Trade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Business_and_Trade_%28Qatar%29).[\[281\]](../../page/6/#ref-281 "note 281")[296](../../296/ "tree and pragmatics") as of 2016, Qatar has the fourth highest GDP per capita in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund.[\[282\]](../../page/6/#ref-282 "note 282")[297](../../297/ "tree and pragmatics") It relies heavily on foreign labour to grow its economy, to the extent that [migrant workers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migrant_worker) compose 86% of the population and 94% of the workforce.[\[283\]](../../page/6/#ref-283 "note 283")[\[284\]](../../page/6/#ref-284 "note 284")[298](../../298/ "tree and pragmatics") Economic growth has been almost exclusively based on its petroleum and natural gas industries, which began in 1940.[\[285\]](../../page/6/#ref-285 "note 285")[299](../../299/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar is the leading exporter of [liquefied natural gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_natural_gas).[\[286\]](../../page/6/#ref-286 "note 286")[300](../../300/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, it was estimated that Qatar would invest over US$120 billion in the energy sector in the next 10 years.[\[287\]](../../page/6/#ref-287 "note 287")[301](../../301/ "tree and pragmatics") The country was a member state of the [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC) (OPEC), having joined in 1961, and having left in January 2019.[\[288\]](../../page/6/#ref-288 "note 288")[302](../../302/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, Qatar retained its title of richest country in the world (according to per capita income) for the third time in a row, having first overtaken [Luxembourg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourg) [corpus](../../../Luxembourg/ "in our corpus") in 2010.[303](../../303/ "tree and pragmatics") According to the study published by the [Washington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.) [corpus](../../../Washington,_D.C./ "in our corpus")-based [Institute of International Finance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_International_Finance), the per capita GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) was US$106,000 (QR387,000) in 2012, helping the country retain its ranking as the world's wealthiest nation.[304](../../304/ "tree and pragmatics") Luxembourg came a distant second with nearly US$80,000 and Singapore third with per capita income of about US$61,000.[305](../../305/ "tree and pragmatics") The research put Qatar's GDP at US$182bn in 2012 and said it had climbed to an all-time high due to soaring [gas exports](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas_in_Qatar) and high oil prices.[306](../../306/ "tree and pragmatics") Its population stood at 1.8 million in 2012.[307](../../307/ "tree and pragmatics") Established in 2005, [Qatar Investment Authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Investment_Authority) is the country's [sovereign wealth fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_wealth_fund), specialising in foreign investment.[\[289\]](../../page/6/#ref-289 "note 289")[308](../../308/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2012, with assets of US$115bn, QIA was ranked 12th among the richest sovereign wealth funds in the world.[\[290\]](../../page/6/#ref-290 "note 290")[309](../../309/ "tree and pragmatics") With billions of USdollars in surpluses from the oil and gas industry, the Qatari government has directed investments into US, Europe, and [Asia Pacific](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Pacific).[310](../../310/ "tree and pragmatics") [Qatar Holding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Holding) is the international investment arm of QIA.[311](../../311/ "tree and pragmatics") Since 2009, Qatar Holding has received US$30–40bn per year from the state. as of 2014, it has investments around the world in [Valentino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentino_SpA), [Siemens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens), [Printemps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printemps), [Harrods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrods), [The Shard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard), [Barclays Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barclays_Bank), [Heathrow Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathrow_Airport), [Paris Saint-Germain F.C.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C.), [Volkswagen Group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group), [Royal Dutch Shell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Dutch_Shell), [Bank of America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_America), [Tiffany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_&_Co.), [Agricultural Bank of China](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_Bank_of_China), [Sainsbury's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainsbury%27s), [BlackBerry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry),[\[291\]](../../page/6/#ref-291 "note 291") and [Santander Brasil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santander_Brasil).[\[292\]](../../page/6/#ref-292 "note 292")[\[293\]](../../page/6/#ref-293 "note 293")[312](../../312/ "tree and pragmatics") The country has no taxes on non-companies,[\[294\]](../../page/6/#ref-294 "note 294") but authorities have announced plans to levy taxes on junk food and luxury items.[313](../../313/ "tree and pragmatics") The taxes would be implemented on goods that harm the human body—for example, fast food, tobacco products, and soft drinks.[314](../../314/ "tree and pragmatics") The rollout of these initial taxes is believed to be the result of the fall in oil prices and a deficit that the country faced in 2016.[315](../../315/ "tree and pragmatics") Additionally, the country saw job cuts in 2016 from its petroleum companies and other sectors in the government.[\[295\]](../../page/6/#ref-295 "note 295")[\[296\]](../../page/6/#ref-296 "note 296")[316](../../316/ "tree and pragmatics") As part of Qatar National Vision 2030, the country is making its economy less dependent on oil and gas by expanding its range of industries.[317](../../317/ "tree and pragmatics") Funds are being put into projects related to schooling, tourism, and green energy.[318](../../318/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar is putting a lot of effort into green energy.[319](../../319/ "tree and pragmatics") By 2030, they want 20% of their energy to come from solar power.[320](../../320/ "tree and pragmatics") As part of the economic transformation, the tourist industry is growing, which helps the GDP grow and makes the country less reliant on oil exports.[\[297\]](../../page/6/#ref-297 "note 297")[\[134\]](../../page/6/#ref-134 "note 134")[321](../../321/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Energy Main article: [Energy in Qatar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Qatar) As of 2016, Qatar's proven [oil reserves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_proven_oil_reserves) were estimated at 25.2 billion barrels, positioning it as the 13th largest globally, accounting for approximately 1.53% of the world's total reserves.[\[298\]](../../page/6/#ref-298 "note 298")[322](../../322/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar's proven [reserves of gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas_in_Qatar) are the third-largest in the world, exceeding 250 trillion cubic feet (7,000 km3).[323](../../323/ "tree and pragmatics") The economy was boosted in 1991 by completion of the US$1.5B Phase I of North Field gas development.[324](../../324/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1996, the Qatargas project began exporting [liquefied natural gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_natural_gas) to Japan.[325](../../325/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar's heavy industrial projects, all based in [Umm Said](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_Said), include a refinery with a 50,000 barrels (8,000 m3) per day capacity, a fertiliser plant for urea and ammonia, a steel plant, and a petrochemical plant.[326](../../326/ "tree and pragmatics") All these industries use gas for fuel.[327](../../327/ "tree and pragmatics") Most are joint ventures between European and Japanese firms and the state-owned [QatarEnergy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QatarEnergy).[328](../../328/ "tree and pragmatics") The US is the major equipment supplier for Qatar's oil and gas industry, and US companies are playing a major role in North Field gas development.[\[299\]](../../page/6/#ref-299 "note 299")[329](../../329/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2008 Qatar launched its [National Vision 2030](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_National_Vision_2030) which highlights environmental development as one of the four main goals for Qatar over the next two decades.[\[300\]](../../page/6/#ref-300 "note 300")[330](../../330/ "tree and pragmatics") The National Vision pledges to develop sustainable alternatives to oil-based energy to preserve the local and global environment.[\[300\]](../../page/6/#ref-300 "note 300")[331](../../331/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar has made investment in renewable resources a major goal for the country over the next two decades.[332](../../332/ "tree and pragmatics") By 2030, Qatar has set the goal of attaining 20% of its energy from solar power.[\[301\]](../../page/6/#ref-301 "note 301")[333](../../333/ "tree and pragmatics") The country is well-positioned to capitalise on [photovoltaic systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system), as it has a global horizontal irradiance value of approximately 2,140 kWh per square metre annually.[334](../../334/ "tree and pragmatics") Furthermore, the direct irradiance parameter is roughly 2,008 kWh/m2 annually, implying that it would be able to benefit from [concentrated solar power](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentrated_solar_power) as well.[\[302\]](../../page/6/#ref-302 "note 302")[335](../../335/ "tree and pragmatics") [Qatar Foundation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Foundation) has been active in helping the solar power goals.[336](../../336/ "tree and pragmatics") It established Qatar Solar, which, together with [Qatar Development Bank](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Development_Bank) and German company [SolarWorld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SolarWorld), embarked on a joint venture resulting in the creation of Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec).[337](../../337/ "tree and pragmatics") In 2017, QSTec commissioned its polysilicon plant in [Ras Laffan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_Laffan).[338](../../338/ "tree and pragmatics") This plant has a capacity of 1.1 MW of solar power.[\[301\]](../../page/6/#ref-301 "note 301")[339](../../339/ "tree and pragmatics") Qatar pursues a vigorous programme of "[Qatarisation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatarization)", under which all joint venture industries and government departments strive to move Qatari nationals into positions of greater authority.[340](../../340/ "tree and pragmatics") Growing numbers of foreign-educated Qataris, including many educated in the US, are returning home to assume key positions formerly occupied by expatriates.[341](../../341/ "tree and pragmatics") To control the influx of expatriate workers, Qatar has tightened the administration of its foreign manpower programmes over the past several years.[342](../../342/ "tree and pragmatics") Security is the principal basis for Qatar's strict entry and immigration rules and regulations.[\[299\]](../../page/6/#ref-299 "note 299")[343](../../343/ "tree and pragmatics") On 2 March 2026, on the third day of the [Iran war](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war), the Qatari Ministry of Defence announced that [Ras Laffan Industrial City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ras_Laffan_Industrial_City) and [Mesaieed Industrial Area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesaieed_Industrial_Area) were struck by two Iranian drones.[344](../../344/ "tree and pragmatics") [QatarEnergy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QatarEnergy) soon announced that it has ceased all production of natural gas and its associated products, reportedly on order by Energy Minister [Saad Sherida al-Kaabi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saad_Sherida_al-Kaabi).[\[303\]](../../page/6/#ref-303 "note 303")[345](../../345/ "tree and pragmatics") It later announced that it was declaring [Force Majeure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_Majeure) on its contracts with buyers, and internal sources speaking to [Reuters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuters) said that it would soon be shutting down gas liquefication, and that restarting it would take weeks.[\[304\]](../../page/6/#ref-304 "note 304")[346](../../346/ "tree and pragmatics") These announcements caused increases in world gas prices, which analysts said was a part of the Iranian government's plan to apply pressure on the world to stop the war.[\[305\]](../../page/6/#ref-305 "note 305")[347](../../347/ "tree and pragmatics") On 6 March, al-Kaabi warned that if the war continues other Gulf energy producers may be forced to halt exports and declare Force Majeure, and that "this will bring down economies of the world".[\[306\]](../../page/6/#ref-306 "note 306")[348](../../348/ "tree and pragmatics") This announcement caused a jump in global oil prices.[\[307\]](../../page/6/#ref-307 "note 307")[349](../../349/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/) [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/3/) **4** [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/5/) [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/6/) - ← previous: [page 3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/3/) - next →: [page 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Qatar/page/5/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)