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DOHA: Qatar is one of the smallest Arab states with a population of 2.4 million, 90 percent of whom are foreigners, and a total area of 11,437 square kilometers.
The country was a British protectorate for 55 years until 1971, when it refused to join the UAE and emerged as an independent kingdom.
Qatar has been ruled by Al-Thani family since the mid-19th century. The current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, rose to power in 2013 after his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani abdicated the throne.
Qatar’s constitution has been in place since 2005. The constitution does not authorize political parties.
An as yet unimplemented article in its constitution stipulates that two-thirds of the country’s 45-seat consultative council be elected by popular vote.
Gas-rich Qatar has an annual per capita income of $138,480, one of the highest in the world, according to the World Bank.
The kingdom since last year has posted a budget deficit, as the state adapts to lower hydrocarbon prices.
Qatar’s economy is now projected to grow at a slower pace and it posted 2.7 percent growth in 2016, down from 4.4 percent three years ago.
Qatar is the top producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas and holds the world’s third-largest reserves. It is also a prime investor in international stocks, with a 17 percent share in Volkswagen and 10 percent of the Empire State Building in New York City.
Qatar has invested nearly $51 billion in the UK in recent years, including the purchase of high-end retailer Harrods and Sainsbury, the country’s second-largest supermarket chain.
The state owns France’s Paris Saint-Germain football club and sports channel beIN, a subsidiary of Al-Jazeera satellite television.
It is also the main shareholder of top French media group Lagardere, and Qatari investors own France’s Printemps department store.
Qatar is to host the 2022 World Cup and has invested in massive infrastructure construction estimated to top $200 billion in costs.
The controversial 2010 decision by world football’s governing body FIFA to grant Doha the honor sparked corruption investigations by Swiss and US courts.
International rights groups have also raised concern around working conditions for laborers building Qatar’s World Cup facilities.