History of the richest country in the world
The country of the richest people
Thinking about tomorrow is a natural care of a normal person. It is the sacred duty of a normal state to take care of its future. Qatar, the richest country in the world, does not think about the future - it creates it in the present.
- The desert - this is what happened here quite recently. And now there are so many giants towering over the Persian Gulf. In Doha now there are about 40 skyscrapers.
On the outskirts of the capital near the artificial bulk island are moored expensive yachts. This area is one of the most prestigious in the city. In four years, a new city Lusail will grow next to it. It will be "smart" - equipped with high technologies, which will allow controlling the congestion of roads and the work of public services. The city is being built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first in the Middle East. In Lusaile will build the largest stadium in the country, designed by the bureau of Norman Foster. It will host the main matches of the uniform - the opening and closing.
In 1971, the gas field was discovered in Qatar. By its reserves, the country is the third largest in the world after Russia and Iran. In some 50 years, one of the poorest regions in the world has become the richest. Now the country invests oil money in its development.
The country, which is an absolute monarchy, cannot move away from the stunningness of the golden rain that has spilled on it completely. Qatar, together with Saudi Arabia, occupies the lowest positions in the world rating of efficiency of public funds use. And the fall in oil prices has led to a state budget deficit of 4.9% of GDP in 2016 and 3.7% in 2017.
But to get rid of gas and oil dependence, the national program "Vision for Qatar - 2030" is already being implemented step by step. This can be seen in the example of Doha, whose urban agglomeration is home to 90% of the country's desert.
For a foreigner, the first sign of Doha is not its futuristic landscape with dozens of skyscrapers, but the wild heat, by European standards. Of course, it is hot both in Singapore and Hong Kong. However, there is no such thing that in May-October the average temperature maximum kept at the level of 40 degrees Celsius, and the thermometer column sometimes climbed into the shade of 50 degrees. Having experienced this, a foreign tourist in Doha understands why there are almost no sidewalks: passers-by simply risk getting heatstroke.
Native Qataris spend the day in air-conditioned houses, cars (95th gasoline costs 27 US cents per liter) and shopping centers.
Visitors also work - in Doha, even permanent foreigners make up the majority of the population, not to mention temporary immigrants. Largely because of these immigrants, the average salary in the richest country of the world is at least high, but comparable with the best European level - $3.3 thousand. However, this figure is more like the average temperature in a hospital - office workers' salary starts from $1.1 thousand per month, and waiters and hostesses do not exceed $800.
Milk costs $1.4 per liter, cucumbers, tomatoes and greens - $1.1 per kilogram. But meat costs on average $11 per kilogram. Qatar's agriculture gives only 10% of food consumed by the population, the rest is imported.
In general, life in Doha, except for the heat, lack of alcohol and certain restrictions on clothing for women, is traditional for rich cities of the world. Another interesting thing is how Doha spends hydrocarbon money on a national scale and tries to reduce its dependence on it.
First and foremost, it is creating infrastructure. It is noteworthy that the only Qatari billionaire from the Forbes list, Sheikh Faisal bin Kassim, has no raw material assets. He earned his $2 billion from construction. And we are talking not only about an office or housing construction boom.
Many infrastructure projects in the capital of Qatar are tied to large-scale international events and trends, for the main role in which the country is actively fighting.
The construction of the subway is timed to coincide with the World Football Championship in Doha. The first stage (37 stations and 80 km of tracks, which will cost $ 40 billion) is already in operation. The project is planned to be completed by 2026, when 98 stations will be opened on tracks length of about 300 km.
Only mosques in the capital of Qatar - 120, and one of the main museums in Doha - Museum of Islamic Art. So by the time gas and oil flows begin to dry up, Doha will still remain one of the capitals of Islamic tourism, the potential volume of the world market which is estimated today at $ 300 billion.
For ten years now, other countries' economies have been operating for the future of Qatar: the government is actively pouring petrodollars into foreign companies and real estate. All the money will return to Qatar. After all, no one here throws it away.
Thanks for enlightening me about this city.