OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS AND TRADE AT

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Qatar - International trade
Over the past decade, Qatar has relied more and more on imports. The value oI imports more
than doubled since 1990, peaking to US$3.9 billion in 1999, up Irom US$1.2 billion in 1989.
Imports have traditionally varied Irom basic IoodstuIIs to consumer goods . Since the early
1990s, however, capital purchases Ior gas development projects have accounted Ior
approximately 40 percent oI imports. The volume oI imports is expected to rise by
Trade (expressed in billions of US$): Qatar
Exports Imports
1975 1.805 .413
1980 5.672 1.423
1985 N/A 1.139
1990 N/A 1.695
1995 N/A N/A
1998 N/A N/A
SOURCE: International Monetary Fund. International Financial Statistics Yearbook 1999.
2002, largely because oI revived government spending in the construction business.
Imports oI Ioreign goods are dominated by Organization Ior Economic Development and
Cooperation (OECD) suppliers, namely Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, and
Germany. (The OECD is a 30-member organization that provides governments with a Iorum to
discuss and develop economic and social policy.) In 1998, Japan overtook the United Kingdom
as Qatar's major supplier oI machinery and manuIactures, providing 15.4 percent oI total
imports. Imports Irom the United Kingdom accounted Ior 13.9 percent oI total imports, Iollowed
by France, the United States, and Germany.
Qatar's exports are dominated by crude oil, although its importance has begun to decline in
recent years due to the increase in the export oI LNGs. As a result oI its dependence on crude oil,
which roughly accounts Ior 56 percent oI exports, Qatar's export bill has Iluctuated with world
oil prices. Export revenue surged Irom US$4.36 billion in 1998 to US$6.6 billion in 1999. In
1998, Japan was also Qatar's largest export partner, accounting Ior 58.1 percent oI the total
export bill. South Korea came next at 11.0 percent, Iollowed by Singapore, the United States,
and Thailand.
The substantial oil revenue has allowed Qatar to maintain a trade surplus . However, the
transIer oI large amounts oI money in remittances by the large expatriate workers community
has consistently resulted in a deIicit in the current account Ior most oI the past decade. The
deIicit peaked to US$1.6 billion in 1993, and the government's eIIorts to reduce the number oI
expatriate workers is expected to reverse the trend in the coming years. Similarly, the service
balance has registered a deIicit Ior much oI the past decade, due to the government's heavy
spending on deIense and capital imports related to the LNG development. In 1999, the deIicit in
the service balance reached US$1.5 billion. The income balance also has registered a deIicit as a
result oI the interest on the country's mounting foreign debt .
Exchange rates: Qatar
Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1
2001 3.6400
2000 N/A
1999 N/A
1998 N/A
1997 N/A
1996 N/A
Note: Rate is Iixed.
SOURCE: CIA orld Factbook 2001 ONLINE|.


India-Qatar Relations
India has a long history oI Iriendly relations with Qatar marked by commercial ties
and people to people contacts. The relationship today is rich, close and multidimensional.
The large Indian community acts as a catalyst Ior enhanced ties across
the spectrum oI bilateral relations. There is a growing synergy in the hydrocarbon and
other sectors. More recently, a number oI steps have been taken to Iurther strengthen
and expand bilateral relations. These include exchanges oI high level visits, cooperation
in multilateral institutions, political consultations etc. The Emir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin
KhaliIa al Thani visited India in April 1999 and in May 2005. The Minister oI State Ior
Foreign AIIairs visited India in June 2005. The Prime Minister and Minister Ior Foreign
AIIairs HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani visited India in April 2006. HE Mr.
Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah, Deputy Premier and Minister oI Energy and Industry
visited India in November 2006 and in January 2009. Other important visits Irom Qatar
include these oI the ChieI oI StaII oI Qatar Armed Forces in August 2006 and that oI
Minister oI Civil Services and housing in November 2007. Hon`ble Prime Minister visited
Doha on November 9-10, 2008, marking the Iirst ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister.
Earlier, the then Deputy Prime Minister Shri L.K.Advani had visited Qatar in January,
2003. Other important visits during the last three years include those oI Minister Ior
Overseas Indian AIIairs, Minister oI Petroleum and Natural Gas, Minister oI State Ior
External AIIairs and the Deputy Speaker oI Lok Sabha, Minister oI New and Renewable
Energy, Minister oI State Ior HRD and Minister oI State Ior Civil Aviation.

Visits from India (2005-2011)

S.No. Name of the Dignitary Period of Visit

1. HE Mr. E. Ahamed
Minister oI State Ior External AIIairs
14-16/6/05, 18-19/3/06, 23-24/5/06,
29/10-1/11/06, 13-15/12/2006, 25-
26/4/07,28-29/1/08, 4-5/5/08, 23-
24/9/08, 29-30/12/08, 15-16/3/09,
30/3/09, 15-17/6/2011
2. HE Mr. Manishankar Iyer
Minister oI Petroleum
November 2005
3. HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi
Minister oI Overseas Indian AIIairs
19-22/3/06
4. Shri Murli Deora, Minister oI Commerce 22-24/4/06
5. Shri Charanjit Singh Atwal
Dy.Speaker, Lok Sabha
28/10/06 1/11/06
6. ShriMadhukar Gupta
Asstt Minister oI Youth AIIairs & Sports
30/11-2/12/06
7. HE Mr. Vayalar Ravi
Minister oI Overseas Indian AIIairs
10-13/4/07
8. HE Mr. Murli Deora
Minister oI Petroleum & Natural Gas
28-30/10/07
9. HE Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister oI India
9-10/11/08
10. Shri T.K.A. Nair,
Principal Secretary to Prime Minister
13-15/11/09
11. H.E. Mr. Murli Deora
Minister oI Petroleum & Natural Gas
16/12/09
12. H.E. Dr. Farooq Abdullah
Minister oI New and Renewable Energy
12-14/3/10
13. H.E. Smt. Duggubati Purundeshwari
MOS Ior HRD
13-15/5/2010
14. H.R. Shri PraIul Patel
MOS Ior Civil Aviation
4-5/1/2011

Visits to India (2005-2011)

S.No Name of Dignitary Period of Visit

1. HH Sheikh Hamad bin KhaliIa al
Thani
Emir oI the State oI Qatar
13-15 May 2005
2. HE Mr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al
Mahmoud
Minister oI State Ior Foreign AIIairs
19-21 June 2005
3. HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al
Missned
6-9 February 2006
4. HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al Thani
PM & Minister Ior Foreign AIIairs
18-19 April, 2006
5. HE General Hamad bin Ali al Attiyah
ChieI oI StaII
24 August 2006
6. HE Mr. YousuI Hussain Kamal
Minister oI Finance
5 October, 2006
7. HE Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah
Deputy Premier & Minister oI Energy
& Industry
23-24 November,2006
8. HE Dr. Sultan bin Hassan al Dhabit al
Doosari
Minister oI Civil Service & Housing
20 November 2007
9. Brig General Abdullah Jumaan al Hamad
Head oI Foreign Cooperation
8-9 July 2008
10. HE Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad al Attiyah,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister oI
Energy and Industry
13-15 January 2009
11. H.E. Mr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al
Attiyah, Minister oI State Ior
International Cooperation
February 8-9, 2010
12. H.E Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-
Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister &
March 20-22, 2010
Minister oI Energy and Industry
13. H.E. Mr. Mohammad Al Sada
MOS Ior Energy and Industry
October 27-29, 2010
14. H.E. Mr. Khalid bin Mohamed Al
Attiyah, Minister oI State Ior
International Cooperation
January 13-14, 2011
15. H.E. Mr. YusuI Kamal, Minister oI
Finance and Economy
March 3, 2011

Highlights of major visits

Visit oI Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister oI India in November 2008
The Prime Minister, accompanied by a high level delegation including Minister oI
Petroleum and Natural Gas, Minister oI Overseas Indian AIIairs, Dy Chairman Planning
Commission, MOS (EA) and NSA visited Qatar on November 9-10. During his visit, PM
held wide ranging discussions with the Emir. The delegation level talks headed by the
two PMs covered the entire gamut oI bilateral engagement. Both sides decided to take
appropriate steps to upgrade the relationship to a strategic level. It was agreed that
existing mechanisms such as Ministerial Level Joint Committee and Foreign OIIice
Consultations should be activated and progress in various spheres oI bilateral
cooperation be monitored at high level. Cooperation in the Iield oI Energy, trade and
investment, DeIence and security, Civil Aviation, Human Resource Development was
reviewed with a view to Iurther strengthening the existing levels. Both countries
concluded Agreement in the Iield oI DeIence Cooperation as well as an agreement on
Cooperation in Security and Law EnIorcement Matters. Both sides agreed to set up a
high level monitoring mechanism, which would review, on a regular basis, progress on
decisions taken up during the visit. This Committee is being co-Chaired by HE Khalid al
Attiyah, Minister oI State Ior International Cooperation and Principal Secretary to PM.
There have been three meetings oI the HLMM so Iar.