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With its small population base and high per capita income, Qatar will continue to represent a modest but useful market for New Zealand exports, principally lamb, beef and dairy products. In the year ending December 2006 New Zealand exported NZ $14.8 million worth of products to Qatar, which consisted mainly of meat and dairy products. Imports from Qatar for the same period amounted to NZ $389 million, made up of mostly crude oil, with some nitrate fertilisers. In the last few years, Qatar has become a significant energy supplier to New Zealand.
There are prospects, however, to cultivate the economic relationship in new areas, such as education, health and tourism sectors. A further area of opportunity may lie in technical advice on how best to utilise Qatar’s natural gas reserves. top of page
Land Area - 11,437 sq km - Population - 600,000 (of which only 160,000 are Qatari nationals) - Capital City - Doha - Religion - Islam (95%) - Language - Arabic (but English widely used)
Political system - Hereditary emirate - National government - Cabinet, headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the emir. - National legislature - No elected legislature. The Emir appoints a Consultative Council (Majlis al-Shura) of 35 members, which is empowered to debate legislation and make recommendations to the Cabinet. - Head of State - Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who acceded to the throne in June 1995. - Head of Government - Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani
GDP - US $52.7 billion (2006 EIU estimate) - Real GDP growth - 7.1% (2006 EIU estimate) - Exports - US $30.6 billion (2006 EIU estimate) - Imports - US $12.36 billion (2006 EIU estimate) - Main exports - Crude oil and natural gas (61.9%); - Current account - US $9.971 billion (2006 EIU estimate) - Inflation - 11.8% (2006 EIU) - Gross external debt - US $25.7 billion (2006 EIU estimate)
NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ $14.779 (to December 2006) - Main Exports - Chilled beef (22%); meat of sheep or goats (20%); cheese and curd (16%); butter (8%) - NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ $389.2 (for year to December 2006) - Main Imports - Crude oil (90%); fertilisers (7%)
Three Government Ministers have visited Qatar in the past two decades: the Minister of Health, Hon Aussie Malcolm in 1983, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Warren Cooper in 1984 and the Associate Minister of Energy, Hon Harry Duynhoven, who attended the 10th International Energy Forum ministerial conference in Doha in April 2006..
A delegation from the Qatari Public Authority for Youth and Sports visited New Zealand in July 1999.
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Qatar [external link].
