Despite the unjust blockade dragging on for two years now, Qatar is marching ahead with its growth story.
From completing World Cup projects much ahead of the schedule to implementing programmes to achieve food security, Qatar is flourishing like never before. The country has implemented several projects to achieve self-sufficiency in vegetables, fruits and dairy products among others.
Qatar’s economy not only withstood the blockade but also emerged as one of the best performing economies in the region.
Given its vast net foreign assets, undisrupted hydrocarbon exports and expanding gas output, Qatar’s economy has weathered the crisis reasonably well.
Qatar is pushing through with its plans to solidify its top spot as the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) player both in terms of liquefaction capacity and exports.
“Economic performance improved in 2018. Qatar’s economy has successfully absorbed the shocks from the 2014-16 drop in hydrocarbon prices and the 2017 diplomatic rift,” the IMF said just before the second anniversary of the Saudi-led embargo. Four countries led by Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Qatar on June 5, 2017.
“Qatar’s real GDP growth is estimated at 2.2 percent, up from 1.6 percent in 2017,” it said.
Similarly, the healthcare sector is flourishing. From being named as one of the best in the world for launching new hospitals and world-class medical services, the country’s healthcare sector saw several developments in the last two years.
Earlier this year, Qatar’s healthcare system was declared the best in Middle East and the fifth best in the world by Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank. Also, Qatar is the only country in the region to feature in the top five-list of the Legatum Prosperity Index, behind Singapore, Luxembourg, Japan and Switzerland.
The sector achieved another milestone when the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) partially opened its new Trauma and Emergency Centre, offering a number of services to patients.
Despite the unjust blockade, the country’s education landscape remains at the highest point of its development marked by opening of new schools and colleges in response to the changing times and needs of the community. Additionally, academic programmes have been expanded to equip young people to be visionary leaders in their countries and beyond.
“The blockade has become a catalyst for growth. It highlighted the importance of self-sufficiency and perseverance,” Qatar University (QU) Vice-President for Academic Affairs Dr Omar al Ansari said.
Share This Post
