Qatar Business Directory: Movie

We have created a short movie about our business directory to help explain just what Qatcom does.

Free Qatar Business Listings

Qatcom.com currently lists over 25,000 Qatar based businesses. Businesses have to be based in Qatar to be listed in our directory, and we have turned down listing requests from companies from outside Qatar.

Any Qatar company can register a free listing with us. To register your listing simply call us on (00974) 4217140.

Why register?

Well, what we are offering is quite simply most targeted advertising in the world.

Our site is visited by thousands of people everyday. Unlike other sites, we do not hide our statistics - you can see exactly how many people visited Qatcom.com yesterday by seeing our Google Analytics generated statistics: Qatcom stats.

These people visit our website for only one reason - to search for businesses.

That's why over 70% of these searches result in contact with businesses listed on our site.

While all this exposure is provided free by Qatcom.com, paying businesses can receive even more benefits via advertising with Qatcom.

With our preferential search, businesses can make sure that they show up top of their business category. Businesses are also provided with power pages: a powerful tool allowing businesses to include a link to their website, a description of their business - and to pin their location to an interactive map of Doha.

And our most expensive advertising option? Eight riyals per day.

Qatar Construction Frenzy Continues

The frantic rate of construction is continuing in Qatar despite the global drying up of credit - and despite the forced merger of two of the largest property companies in Qatar, Barwa and Qatar Real Estate: see our earlier post on the subject - Pressure on Qatar Property Firms.

Growth in consumption of key materials such as concrete reached almost 25% in 2007-2008 and is a major factor in the delays plaguing a number of projects. Demand in the rest of the world, on the other hand, saw a fall of 20-30%.

Of course, as the Chairman of the Bank of England once pointed out, relying on statistics from the past to make guesses about the future is like trying to drive a car using the rear-view mirror.

The time lag between the existence of demand, the collation of statistics and the publishing of those statistics only exaceberates the situation.

However, the very scale of projects planned or under-way mean that the scale of building and the demand for building materials is likely to continue for the mean time.

Some private projects may fall by the wayside, but with the the massive plans the government has for the country - including a bridge which will span the sea between Bahrain and Qatar - construction is not going to come to a halt for some time.

We leave you with a movie of how Qatar sees its future:

Find Construction Companies on Qatar.
Qatar Property Articles

America and Qatar: A Special Relationship

As Qatar Airway's latest flight route is launched - taking Qatar's National Airline to another destination in America - Qatar can reflect on its special relationship with the US.

Qatar has often partnered with a foreign country. Throughout history, Qatar was involved in numerous wars and feuds, from having its villages bombed by the Portuguese to seeing Doha and Al Wakra destroyed by Bahrain. Being a small country, alliances were essential for survival in the region.

Both the UK and Qatar saw the advantages of an alliance between the two countries, with Qatar becoming a protectorate of the UK in the early 20th century.

With an assertive Saudi Arabia on its border, the move made sense - and indeed shortly after Qatar's independence from the UK the strip of land connecting the UAE and Qatar was annexed by Saudi.

With the UK no longer protecting its borders, it made sense for Qatar to invite America into the country, and the base the US maintains in the country is of immense value to the state's security in a volatile region. In return, the US has secured a base in a region often hostile to American interests.

However, the relationship has gone beyond a military one.

Huge American investment has flowed into the country, and Qatar Natural Gas will turn America into the largest importer of LNG in the world.

And when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, it was Qatar which came running to help, supplying money, aid - and moral support.

Related Posts

Qatar Airways Racks Up the Pressure

Links and Resources

Qatar-US Ties Have Taken Off
Qatar Airways

UK to Meet 20% of Gas Needs from Qatar

In an increasing sign that Qatar's relatively stable political climate and warm relations with the West is leading to a business pay-off, a British Trade Delegation currently in Qatar pointed out that Qatar will supply 20% of its future gas needs in the UK.

Qatar holds a huge percentage of the world's Natural Gas reserves; estimates vary from 14 - 19% of the world's gas lie beneath Qatar's land and seas. In addition, much of the rest of the world's gas lies with countries often at odds at the West: Iran and Russia. Iran is currently subject to sanctions while Russia is not averse to switching off gas supplies during regional disputes.

In contrast, Qatar is not only relatively peaceful but has also overhauled its legal system to encourage foreign investment in the country. While often criticising the West, and allowing its home-grown TV station Al Jazeera to do the same, it has also been a friend in time of need, and has allowed America to build a huge airbase here - a move that also guarantees security against other more aggressive countries in the area.

Qatar Companies

A new section has been added to our website: Qatar Companies. In addition to listing the contact details of over 25,000 Qatar companies, we now provide an overview of companies in Qatar including permitted company structures in Qatar, the issue of foreign ownership in the Gulf state, profit share, company taxation and a look at some of the major Qatar Companies.

ICT Business Connect - A Disappointment

After the excellent ICT Media Connect, I found the ICT E-Marketing conference a bit of a disappointment.

In the Keynote address, the speaker, who was supposed to be promoting the concept of e-marketing to the audience, failed to mention:

• Google/Yahoo advertising
• You Tube
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Qatar Living
• Any other form of social media/bookmarking
• Search Engine Optimisation

The main point of his address urged businessmen to set up a website, without any information on how to promote a website, and then cautioned them that they would be unlikely to get many visitors without promotion. However, no information was given about how to promote a website.

It was interesting that they mentioned our site Qatcom, although they said you could only find minimal details on the site.

Again they did not mention our interactive map, enabling businesses to show customers their exact location. They did not mention our power pages, company profile, website links, email marketing or any of our other services.

They obviously have no idea about the thousands of hits we get - or that 70% of those hits results in the user connecting with a business.

The reason for the conference, and for the negative feedback on our service, was to market a business directory. How disappointing that they could not provide other information on e-marketing other than listing on their own business directory.

Diversification Bearing Fruit

With the price of oil heading steadily downwards, Qatar can be glad that its future lies not in one natural resource but in two.

In the past Qatar has suffered in the wake of falling oil prices, and many government teachers can still remember their wages suddenly being slashed in half due to plunging government revenues.

Qatar has not been resting on its laurels. They have seen Saudi Arabia's income plunge in the past due to its booming population and poor use of its oil revenues, and have no intention of following in their larger neighbour's path.

Additional streams of revenue lie in dividends from the huge investments it has been making overseas, and in nurturing alternative industries.

With the development of a huge new airport, the expansion of the country's national airline and the huge growth in hotel rooms tourism is one obvious target - although, in contrast to Dubai, the country is more focussed on providing short breaks and stop-overs than on traditional holidays.

Economic liberalisation and the rewriting of a number of laws since the accession of the current Emir - including one allowing foreign ownership in a number of designated areas - have also helped foreign investment in the country explode. Between 1990 and 1999 foreign direct investment averaged 150 million per annum - in 2007 this hit 1.14 billion.

While much of this investment has been in the petrochemical areas, Qatar has been keen to encourage investment in other areas, as well as the essential services needed to maintain a growing expatriate population in Qatar.

Many of the new industries being encouraged by Qatar are under the umbrella of Industries Qatar. These include Qatar Steel and Qatar Fertiliser company.

Aided by cheap supplies of Natural Gas, these diversification efforts are now starting to bear fruit, with Industries Qatar's profits increasing to 18 billion dollars in 2007 (Menafm.com).

How these profits will withstand the pressure of the downturn remain to be seen. Yet in the long term Qatar looks set to consolidate its position as one of the richest countries of the world.

Fancy a First Class Flight - Free?

Well, not quite free - first you will need to book and purchase a business class ticket. 

Then, providing your ticket is booked on or before February 28th, you can upgrade to first class for free. 

You can then enjoy a flight which, according to Skytrax, is the best in the world, and you can gorge yourself on a ten course meal which includes champagne, caviar, lobster and chococolate. 

If you are flying on Qatar Airways newest aircraft, the A340-600, you may also enjoy a pre-dinner drink at the stand-up bar, or hold a business meeting at the dedicated on-board lounge.

Don't eat and drink too much, though, or you might not enjoy being able to enjoy your fully flat bed with its feather duvet!

Find Qatar Airways on Qatcom

Pressure on Property Firms

Two Qatar property firms are merging to withstand the economic pressures of the credit crunch.

The latest firms are Barwa Real Estate BRES.QA, an affiliate of state-owned Qatari Diar, and Qatar Real Estate Investment Co QREC.QA.

It is not the first merger to take place in Qatar, where property prices are plunging - with some prices falling by 50% in some outlying areas.

The two companies have a combined worth of $2.5 billion, and are conducting projects across the globe. Barwa has said, however, that while it will finish all current projects it will not be taking on any new projects.

The merger, which has been ordered by the government, is the fourth to take place since the start of the Credit Crunch.

Earlier mergers that took place were between:

• Qatar Meat & Livestock Co (Mawashi) and Al Meera Consumer Goods Co
  
• Qatar Navigation and Qatar Shipping
• Gulf Warehousing said it was merging with Agility Qatar, a logistics firm

Qatar's Media Connected Conference

Techies, journalists and techie journalists got to enjoy the Media Connected conference at the Sharq Village and Spa yesterday, which featured an array of speakers from the Economist, The BBC, Al Jazeera, The Arab Advisory and Now Public.

The talk that grabbed everyone's attention was by Leonard Brody, the co-founder and CEO of Now Public. Now Public is pioneering the use of citizen journalism: the aggregation of news from the public.

Crowd reporting, argued Cody, was a better term for what they were doing: journalism being a craft which required skill and analysis which the average amateur was unable to provide. What they did provide, however, was the ability to cover more places and in more depth than ever before.

Gaza was on everybody's mind, and one journalist from the audience asked why there was no mention of Gaza on the front page of Now Public today. The front page was utterly unimportant, replied Cody, with only 1.1% of users coming to stories via the front page. Nevertheless, it was interesting that Gaza featured heavily on the front page of Now Public today.

Crowd reporting was not limited to Now Public. Al Jazeera were making extensive use of amateur reporters in Gaza and were also providing training for these volunteers.

All the speakers were making use of social bookmarking services, although Al Jazeera, with their dedicated Twitter and You Tube channels, were the most proactive here. In addition, Al Jazeera are experimenting with the use of a Creative Commons licence for their broadcasting materials from Gaza, although this is currently so new they were unable to provide any statistics for it.

The Arab Advisor group also made a short presentation, providing some statistics on internet penetration in the Middle East. Qatar had one of the highest penetration in the regions, with 70% of its population using the internet compared to just 30% in Saudi Arabia.

What was clear from several of the talks, however, is that mobile phone penetration is far higher than internet penetration throughout the world. More and more mobile phones are capable of connecting to the internet, and the next generation of phones are likely to have faster connections than computer. As a result, making websites more mobile-phone friendly is going to have to be a priority for webmasters in the future.

Search for IT solutions on Qatcom.com

Qatar Airways Racks Up the Pressure

Qatar Airways has no plans to halt its growth despite the economic conditions. 

While regional competitor Emirates reports an 88% drop in profits, Qatar's national airline is showing no voluntary signs of slowing down its expansion, with new flights to Houston starting next month. Their expansion plans may, however, be hindered by delays in the delivery of 30 Boeing Dreamlines. 

With plunging real incomes and currencies in one of the Gulf States' core markets for tourism abroad, Britain, with the number of flights being made falling and with a huge growth in the number of hotel rooms taking place in Qatar, Qatar's neighbour Dubai may have real cause to worry. 

Their economy has a far greater reliance than Qatar on tourism, and much of the retail and hotel development that is taking place is based on predictions of further growth. 

According to the Bitter Half, the UAE, which received 7.7 million visitors in 2007, is planning to double the number of visitors it receives by 2015. 

It current trends continue and Qatar manages to manufacture itself as a viable alternative to Dubai, they may be lucky to just maintain current numbers.    

Search for Airlines with Qatcom

Qatar's Green Energy Charge

There can be little doubt that Qatar is a major polluter.

City lights blaze out from high rise buildings 24 hours a day 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, electricity and water for Qataris is free and  petrol costs 20 cents a litre. Qataris favourite hobby is charging up and down sand dunes in giant SUVs that people in other parts of the world are increasingly unable to afford. 

Yet, at the same time, the rulers of Qatar are very aware that they are living off the back of a finite resource.

Qatar has watched its neighbour Saudi Arabia's GDP per person plunge as its population increases. It has for years been focussing on trying to diversify its industries: tourism - see our recent post on hotels - is just one of the industries it is encouraging.  

Now, along with other Gulf States, it is also investing heavily into green energy. 

According to a recent New York Times article on the topic, Gulf Oil States Seeking a Lead in Clean Energy, Qatar has invested $220 in a low carbon fund in the UK - an amount that dwarfed money raised in Britain. 

This, however, is just the start. Plans, both large and small, in Qatar also include:

• a solar power complex with a capacity of 3,500 megawatts
  
• an experimental wind turbine
  
• a waste plant which will produce enough electricity (40 mega watts) to power all the plant's need
• the establishment of  a camel farm that will be powered purely by solar and wind power
  
• a possible nuclear power station
• a desert greenhouse to utilise solar power and salt water to produce crops with a fraction of the energy currently used

Countries like the UK frittered away their natural resources. If current trends contine, they may find they have been left lagging behind when it comes to clean energy production too. 

Qatar Hotel Rooms

Hotel rooms in Qatar could grow by 400% by 2012 if Qatar Tourism and Exhibition Authority plans come to fruition.

Current plans see 29,000 hotel rooms available by 2012 with a total investment of seventeen billion dollars over a five year period. The number of hotel rooms is then seen as rising to 80,000 in 2016.

According to the Peninsula and Zawya.com, which ran the story today, the authority is targeting a 20% increase in visitors in that time. They aim to do this by persuading 5% of those passing through Doha International Airport to stay in the country for an extra 24 hours.

They could also increase the numbers by persuading the immigration authorities in Qatar to stop blocking previous residents returning to Qatar for a holiday. We have heard of numerous incidents of ex-residents coming to the country to visit friends and families and being denied entrance at the airport - not an experience that encourages word of mouth recommendations of Qatar as a tourist destination!

Search for Hotels

Qatar Internet Advertising: The Future

The full effect of the credit crunch on internet advertising in Qatar has yet to be gauged.

Broadly speaking, though, there are two predictions of how internet advertising will be affected. One is that in a downturn online advertising will be adversely affected in line with standard advertising.

The other argues that, as internet advertising offers better reach, value and targeting, spend on internet advertising could actually increase during a down turn.

That's because internet advertising has certain huge advantages:

Reach

While a newspaper or magazine is limited to the people who buy that magazine, internet advertising can reach every internet surfer on the planet. That is over a billion people.

Measurability

Unlike newspapers and magazines, internet advertisers can know exactly how many impressions they are receiving for their money. (Google Analytics can't be manipulated.)

Targeting

When an advert is placed in a newspaper or magazine, there is no guarantee that the person reading the newspaper will be interested in the advert.

When an internet user searches for a product, they are actively looking to buy that product. When they are searching for a company, they are actively looking to contact that company. (That's why over 70% of internet searches on Qatcom result in contact with the advertising company.)

Value

Internet advertising continues to beat print advertising hands down in terms of value: which is why so many newspapers in America are in danger of going bankrupt. In Qatar advertising in print is expensive: a full page advert for one day in a newspaper costs QAR27,000. In contrast, the most expensive advertisement on Qatcom.com, the largest online business directory in Qatar , comes in at just QAR8/day!

So what's the future?

One industry report by Zenith Optimedia (reported in Arabian Business) is now forecasting that, while the rest of the global economy contracts, internet advertising will double during 2002.

Given the advantages of internet advertising, and the added pressure on businesses to seek out the most effective way of promoting their business in a downturn, we think that's a fair prediction!

Vodafone's Coming!

Vodafone is setting a new date for its Qatar IPO in February after being told to delay its launch last year because of market conditions.

The company, which aims to compete with existing operator Qtel in terms of quality and service rather than on price, aims to sell 40% of the company with another 15% going to local institutions.

The company’s arrival in Qatar is eagerly awaited by many consumers despite efforts by Qtel to both improve customer satisfaction and the range of services on offer.

Nigel Gourlay, writing in the Peninsula, believed that consumers have already benefited from the looming competition as the state monopoly struggles to get in shape for competition for the first time in its history.

Like Vodafone, Qtel is an acquisition hungry company and is currently attempting to takeover Indonesian telecommunications company Indosat, although Indonesian government plans to limit Qtel’s stake to 49% may scupper the plans.

Qtel might well be advised to focus on the upcoming competition in its home country rather than taking its eye off the ball at this critical moment. Insiders tell us that despite training to introduce the idea of competition to staff, Qtel workers are still ill-prepared for going head to head with Vodafone.

Qatar Telecommunications Companies

Setting Up a Business in Qatar

Companies can take a number of different options if they wish to set up a business in Qatar. However, for those looking to invest in Qatar for the long term, with the exceptions of certain industries, it will be difficult to avoid the 51-49% rule. 

This refers to the establishment of a local joint-venture company, in which a Qatar partner must own a minimum of 51% of the share capital of the company. 

In practice, this does not normally mean that the Qatar partner receives 51% of the profit, although obviously the amount he does receive will depend on whether he makes any direct investment in the company or takes an active role in supporting the company. 

The choice of a partner can be a make or break decision for a company and should not be taken lightly. Good sources of advice are the business section of your embassy, law firms such as Simmons and Simmons, and of course other businesses already doing business in Qatar. 

Rather than choose an individual, some firms prefer to nominate a company that specialises in providing the necessary partnership along with other services: one such firm is Links. 

Certain industries are exempt from the 49-51% requirement. This industries include agriculture, health and education. However, companies in certain other industries, such as banking, may not be established at all. 

Other options include starting a branch of a foreign company in Qatar. These, however, are usually set up for a specific purpose and then wound up at the end of a project. Companies can also choose to appoint a local agent in Qatar to carry out business on their behalf. However, when doing this companies should be aware that the agent will gain a commission on goods and services sold even if they do not result from the agents actions. 

Further information and Resources

Setting Up a Business in Qatar: 10 Key Points: Simmons and Simmons

Investment in Qatar: Qatar Invesment Promotion Deparment

Establishing a Business in Qatar: Article by David Chaddock

Qatar Property Sector

Despite falls of up to 50% in property prices in some areas of Doha, massive developments currently coming online, predicted falls in rents and a global drying up of credit, property developers in Qatar are upbeat, at least according to an article in the Peninsula today. 

Company director of The Land, Hussain Fakhri, at the launch of luxury tower Porto Vista, stated that Qatar's 'fast growing economy' continues to offer unique investment opportunities for investor. He also claimed that, despite a slowdown in sales in 2008, the company was continuing to see interest from investors abroad looking to invest in Qatar.

His statements were echoed by general manager of Sotheby's sales and marketing Qatar division, who stated that real estate in Qatar remained unaffected by the global credit crunch - and that in contrast to other companies who were laying off staff their team actually planned to expand next year. 

Qatar does seem to remain relatively unaffected by the credit crunch, at least for the moment. However, I still plan to put off my purchase of a luxury villa in the Pearl Qatar for at least another year!

Search for Qatar real estate companies with Qatcom

Guide to Buying Property in Qatar

Who to connect with in Qatar

In many countries you need to get to know the locals with the local power and influence - with, as they say here, Wasta.

Wasta refers to having the power, relations, connections, influence or clout to get things done. Knowing people with Wasta can help in all areas of life, from getting a traffic accident dealt with quickly to pulling off a business deal or leaving the country after an exit permit has been refused.

However, as was pointed out to me recently by a friend here, it is often important to get to know the expats with power as well as the Qataris.

It is hard to appreciate prior to coming to Qatar just how few Qataris there are. The Qatari population forms just 200,000 out of over 1,500,000 residents. A majority of these Qataris are youths still in school or training and yet to fill senior positions.

As a result many senor positions are filled by expats. While the very top positions in major companies are held by Qataris, these Qataris are often moved to different positions. The expats directly below them, on the other hand, may have been in the same position for fifteen or more years: in effect, they run the business.

So, after moving to Qatar, you may find yourself wining and dining your own countrymen in order to find your wasta.

Qatar Princess Leads Fraud Action

A sharp smart head on a Qatar princess's shoulders lead to a Sheikh regaining some of the millions of euros he lost to a former employee.

The employee had been withdrawing €4m a month from the sheik's personal bank account - a fact that wasn't noticed until the Sheikhs wife, Princess Kasia Al-Thani, noticed some suspicious papers lying on her husband's desk.

The employee had set up a bank account in Barclays' Marbella branch: a joint account using his own and his employer's names. The signature, according to the Sheikh, was forged.

The Sheikh's wife spearheaded an action against the bank, accusing it of gross negligence. Barclay's then found itself in the unenviable position of fighting a Qatar Sheikh in court while courting his country for billions of pounds of capital it needed for a bailout.

A settlement has now been reached between the bank and the Sheikh, although the exact amount paid to the Sheikh has not been disclosed.

The Princess has no plans to return to a quiet life after the hectic legal battle. Instead, and ignoring advice to wait for less turbulent times, she has set up her own online company selling luxury goods entitled savoir-faire.com .

Qatar, Gas and the Credit Crunch

Oil prices have fallen over a hundred dollars, credit has dried up and neighbor Dubai is already experiencing severe problems.

Yet one small gulf country is hoping that its huge gas reserves will mean that it will escape the worst of the credit crunch.

Huge Gas Reserves

Qatar has the third largest gas reserves in the world, and for years it has been investing heavily in its infrastructure and gas production.

Now it is hoping that its Natural Gas, which is often sold on a long term contract basis which can help minimize long term fluctuations in price, will help it not just survive the recession but actually grow.

Predicted Growth

Saudi bank Samba Financial Group have predicted that the Qatar economy will grow 10% in 2009. After inflation has been factored in, that's not a huge amount compared to the growth of the past.

However, it certainly beats growth in the UAE which is predicted to fall below 3%. And it is likely to be looked at with envy by much of the rest of the world.

A Safe Haven

As a job market, Qatar is currently getting a lot of attention. Some expats who planned to move back to the UK have cancelled their return.

We know of one expert with over 20 years of experience in his field who had decided to return home. After six months of looking for work he gave up, and returned to his old job in Qatar.

Dangers ahead?

However, there is no consensus on whether Qatar is clear yet. Some fear that the construction boom here has been built on cheap credit that is now drying up. The price of property and land is also falling dramatically - up to 50% in some areas!

Yet at New Years parties, most expats were still thanking their stars that they were in Qatar, and not back in their home countries.