2024 Edition Primary

Background

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, ushered in wide-sweeping political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investment, and a growing Qatari regional leadership role, in part through the creation of the pan-Arab satellite news network Al-Jazeera and Qatar's mediation of some regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had attained the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar did not experience domestic unrest or violence like that seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2011, due in part to its immense wealth and patronage network. In mid-2013, HAMAD peacefully abdicated, transferring power to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM is popular with the Qatari public for his role in shepherding the country through an economic embargo from some other regional countries, for his efforts to improve the country's healthcare and education systems, and for his expansion of the country's infrastructure in anticipation of hosting international sporting events. Qatar became the first country in the Arab world to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022. Following the outbreak of regional unrest in 2011, Doha prided itself on its support for many popular revolutions, particularly in Libya and Syria. This stance was to the detriment of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily recalled their respective ambassadors from Doha in 2014. TAMIM later oversaw a warming of Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 following Kuwaiti mediation and signing of the Riyadh Agreement. This reconciliation, however, was short-lived. In 2017, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE (the "Quartet") cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar in response to alleged violations of the agreement, among other complaints. They restored ties in 2021 after signing a declaration at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.  

Area

land

11,586 sq km

total

11,586 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

almost twice the size of Delaware; slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Coastline

563 km

Elevation

highest point

Tuwayyir al Hamir 103 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

mean elevation

28 m

Geographic coordinates

25 30 N, 51 15 E

Geography - note

the peninsula occupies a strategic location in the central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Irrigated land

130 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Saudi Arabia 87 km

total

87 km

Land use

agricultural land

5.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

94.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

haze, dust storms, sandstorms common

Natural resources

petroleum, fish, natural gas

Population distribution

most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula

Terrain

mostly flat and barren desert

Age structure

0-14 years

13.1% (male 168,844/female 165,905)

15-64 years

85.4% (male 1,767,294/female 411,977)

65 years and over

1.5% (2024 est.) (male 24,997/female 13,071)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

9.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

37.5% (2012)

Current health expenditure

4.2% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

65.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

1.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

2

potential support ratio

50.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

20.7

youth dependency ratio

16.1

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.94 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

6.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

major-language sample(s)

كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.4 years

male

78.2 years

total population

80.3 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.7% (2017)

male

92.4%

total population

93.5%

Major urban areas - population

798,000 Ar-Rayyan, 658,000 DOHA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

28.1 years

male

35.7 years

total

34.3 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Qatari

noun

Qatari(s)

Net migration rate

-0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

35.1% (2016)

Physician density

2.49 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

590,953 (2024 est.)

male

1,961,135

total

2,552,088

Population distribution

most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula

Population growth rate

0.71% (2024 est.)

Religions

Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2021)

male

12 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

4.29 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.91 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

3.32 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.9% (2020 est.)

male

21.7% (2020 est.)

total

11.8% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.9 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.66% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

99.4% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

8 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Khawr wa adh Dhakhirah, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Ash Shamal, Ash Shihaniyah, Az Za'ayin, Umm Salal

Capital

etymology

derives from the Arabic term "dohat," meaning "roundness," and refers to the small rounded bays along the area's coastline

geographic coordinates

25 17 N, 51 32 E

name

Doha

time difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

the father must be a citizen of Qatar

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

20 years; 15 years if an Arab national

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the Amir or by one third of Advisory Council members; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Advisory Council members and approval and promulgation by the emir; articles pertaining to the rule of state and its inheritance, functions of the emir, and citizen rights and liberties cannot be amended; amended by referendum November 2024; note - among the 19 proposed amendments, a major one was replacing direct elections for 30 of the 45 members of the Shura Council with appointments

history

previous 1972 (provisional); latest drafted 2 July 2002, approved by referendum 29 April 2003, endorsed 8 June 2004, effective 9 June 2005

Country name

conventional long form

State of Qatar

conventional short form

Qatar

etymology

the origin of the name is uncertain, but it dates back at least 2,000 years since a term "Catharrei" was used to describe the inhabitants of the peninsula by Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.), and a "Catara" peninsula is depicted on a map by Ptolemy (2nd century A.D.)

local long form

Dawlat Qatar

local short form

Qatar

note

note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation is gat-tar or cot-tar

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Timmy DAVIS (since 5 September 2022)

email address and website

PasDoha@state.govhttps://qa.usembassy.gov/

embassy

22 February Street, Al Luqta District, P.O. Box 2399, Doha

FAX

[974] 4488-4298

mailing address

6130 Doha Place, Washington DC  20521-6130

telephone

[974] 4496-6000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

chief of mission

Ambassador Meshal bin Hamad AL THANI (since 24 April 2017)

consulate(s) general

Houston, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

info.dc@mofa.gov.qahttps://washington.embassy.qa/en/home

FAX

[1] (202) 237-0682

telephone

[1] (202) 274-1600

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the amir

chief of state

Amir TAMIM bin Hamad Al Thani (since 25 June 2013)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the amir

head of government

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister MUHAMMAD bin Abd al-Rahman Al Thani (since 7 March 2023)

Flag description

maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars, white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the "reconciled emirates" in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916

note

note: the other eight emirates are the seven that compose the UAE and Bahrain; according to some sources, the dominant color was formerly red, but this darkened to maroon upon exposure to the sun and the new shade was eventually adopted

Government type

absolute monarchy

Independence

3 September 1971 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CD, CICA (observer), EITI (implementing country), FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (consists of the court president and several judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of the chief justice and 6 members)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council, a 9-member independent body consisting of judiciary heads appointed by the amir; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members nominated by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the monarch; term of appointment NA

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; Administrative Court; Courts of First Instance; sharia courts; Courts of Justice; Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Center, established in 2009, provides dispute resolution services for institutions and bodies in Qatar, as well as internationally

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic (sharia) law (in family and personal matters)

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (45 seats; members appointed by the monarch to serve until resignation or until relieved; note 1 - legislative drafting authority rests with the Council of Ministers and is reviewed by the Advisory Council; note 2 - a constitutional amendment passed in late 2023, replaced direct elections for 30 of the 45 members of the Shura Council with appointments

election results

30 nonpartisan members elected; composition - men 30, women 0, percentage women 0%15 appointed members; composition men 13, women 2, percentage women 13.3%

elections

last held for 30 elected members on 2 October 2021 (next to be held in 2025); last members appointed - 14 October 2021 (next appointments - NA)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Sheikh MUBARAK bin Saif al-Thani/Abdul Aziz Nasser OBAIDAN

name

"Al-Salam Al-Amiri" (The Amiri Salute)

note

note: adopted 1996; anthem first performed that year at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperative Council hosted by Qatar

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Al Zubarah Archaeological Site

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

National Day, 18 December (1878), anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne; Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

National symbol(s)

a maroon field surmounted by a white serrated band with nine white points; national colors: maroon, white

Political parties

political parties are banned

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

tomatoes, dates, chicken, cucumbers/gherkins, camel milk, eggs, sheep milk, goat milk, pumpkins/squash, milk (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

0.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

12.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$57.258 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$65.922 billion (2019 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2017)

Moody's rating

Aa3 (2017)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA- (2017)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$26.319 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$63.118 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$36.47 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

high-income, oil-and-gas-based Middle Eastern economy; National Vision 2030 government strategy for economic development, diversification, favorable business conditions to grow investment and employment; infrastructure investments; Islamic finance leader; citizenship-based labor force growth

Exchange rates

Currency

Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

3.64 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

3.64 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3.64 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.64 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.64 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$105.549 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$161.693 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$128.726 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, fertilizers, ethylene polymers (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 18%, India 15%, Japan 10%, South Korea 9%, UK 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

68.6% (2022 est.)

government consumption

12.9% (2022 est.)

household consumption

19.5% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-31.6% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

30.7% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.3% (2022 est.)

industry

65.4% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

38.5% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$235.77 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Imports

Imports 2021

$61.204 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$74.52 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$72.174 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

gas turbines, jewelry, cars, garments, aircraft (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

UAE 13%, China 11%, US 10%, UK 8%, India 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

1.69% (2022 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizer, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.3% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.03% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

2.035 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

Public debt 2017

53.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$287.97 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$292.655 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$304.973 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-3.56% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.63% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.21% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$104,300 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$108,900 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$113,200 (2022 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2020

0.45% of GDP (2020 est.)

Remittances 2021

0.48% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.44% of GDP (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$42.213 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$47.389 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$51.539 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

0.14% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

0.13% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

0.13% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

1.5% (2023 est.)

male

0.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

0.6% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

3,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

86.42 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

35.699 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

122.122 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

exports

3,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

4,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

51.079 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

11.414 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.968 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

99.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

767.202 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

41.515 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

126.221 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

169.595 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

23.861 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

25.244 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

297,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

1.851 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

10 (2020 est.)

total

296,126 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

TV and radio broadcast licensing and access to local media markets are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera, which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari government but has evolved to independent corporate status; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; local radio transmissions include state, private, and international broadcasters on FM frequencies in Doha; in August 2013, Qatar's satellite company Es'hailSat launched its first communications satellite Es'hail 1 (manufactured in the US), which entered commercial service in December 2013 to provide improved television broadcasting capability and expand availability of voice and Internet; Es'hailSat launched its second commercial satellite in 2018 with aid of SpaceX (2019)

Internet country code

.qa

Internet users

percent of population

100% (2021 est.)

total

2.7 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 17 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is 144 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Qatar had developed a mature telecom sector which has been able to absorb the additional data demands made on it during the pandemic; mobile services based on LTE are universally available to migrate to 5G; in combination with a strong fiber rollout, the country is aiming to provide gigabit services nationally; 5G services are largely based on 3.5GHz spectrum made available following an auction in early 2019 (2022)

international

country code - 974; landing points for the Qatar-UAE Submarine Cable System, AAE-1, FOG, GBICS/East North Africa MENA and the FALCON submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Southeast Asia; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; retains full ownership of two commercial satellites, Es'hailSat 1 and 2 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

19 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

524,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

174 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

4.693 million (2022 est.)

Airports

8 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

A7

Heliports

12 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 5, container ship 4, general cargo 4, oil tanker 2, other 108

total

123 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

12,666,710,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

29,178,923 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

251

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

288 km condensate, 221 km condensate/gas, 2,383 km gas, 90 km liquid petroleum gas, 745 km oil, 103 km refined products (2013)

Ports

key ports

Al Rayyan Terminal, Al Shaheen Terminal, Doha, Jazirat Halul, Ras Laffan, Umm Said

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

5

small

2

total ports

6 (2024)

very small

3

Roadways

total

7,039 km (2016)

Military - note

Qatar's military is a small and well-equipped force that is responsible for defense against external threats; following the downturn in ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in the mid-2010s, the Qatari Government embarked on an arms acquisition and modernization program to increase the military's capabilities and regional standing; the Air Force's inventory of combat aircraft, for example, grew from 12 older models in 2017 to more than 60 modern multirole fighter aircraft from Europe and the US by the 2020s; it is slated to further increase to about 100 such aircraft; other aircraft acquisitions have included US attack helicopters; the Land Force has re-equipped its armored, mechanized, and artillery units with modern tanks, armored vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, mostly with purchases from Germany and Turkey; meanwhile, the Navy over the same period has received several corvettes and offshore patrol vessels from Italy and TurkeyQatar hosts the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM; established 1983) and several thousand US military forces at various military facilities, including the Al Udeid Air Base; it has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; Qatar also has close security ties with Turkey and hosts Turkish military forces at two bases established in 2014 and 2019 (2024)

Military and security forces

Qatar Armed Forces (QAF): Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF, includes Emiri Guard), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN, includes Coast Guard), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF)Ministry of Interior: General Directorate of Public Security, General Directorate of Coasts and Border Security, Internal Security Forces (includes Mobile Gendarmerie) (2024)

note

note: the national police and Ministry of Interior forces maintain internal security, including preventing terrorism, cyberattacks, and espionage

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 15,000 active-duty personnel (10,000 Land Force, including Emiri Guard; 3,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Qatari military's inventory includes a broad mix of older and modern weapons systems, mostly from the US and Europe; in the 2010s, Qatar embarked on a military expansion and modernization program with large air, ground, and naval equipment purchases; in recent years, major suppliers have included France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US; Qatar is one of the world's largest arms importers (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

3.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

conscription for men aged 18-35 introduced in 2013; compulsory service times range from 4-12 months, depending on educational and professional circumstances; since 2018, women have been permitted to serve as volunteers in the armed forces, including as uniformed officers and pilots (2023)

note

note: the military incorporates about 2,000 conscripts annually and recruits foreign contract soldiers to overcome manpower limitations

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons

1,200 (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

103.26 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

8.34 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

59.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Environment - current issues

air, land, and water pollution are significant environmental issues; limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities; other issues include conservation of oil supplies and preservation of the natural wildlife heritage

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

5.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.3% (2018 est.)

forest

0% (2018 est.)

other

94.4% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Arabian Aquifer System

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

400 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

530 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.66% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

99.4% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,000,990 tons (2012 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

30,030 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

3% (2014 est.)