Overview

The State of Qatar occupies an 11,600 square kilometre peninsula on the northeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south and a narrow strait separates Qatar from Bahrain to the west.

Qatar was a British Protectorate from 1914 until its independence in 1971. Prior to the First World War, it was considered part of the Ottoman Empire.

Qatar has an estimated population of 2.9 million, with around 10% Qatari nationals. The population is mostly Muslim (68%), with Christian (14%) and Hindu (14%) minorities. The official language is Arabic, but English is widely spoken.

Political overview

Qatar has been ruled by the Al-Thani family since 1868. His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the Amir of Qatar in 2013, after ten years as Crown Prince and Heir Apparent.

The Amir exercises executive power and appoints the Council of Ministers. The Majlis al-Shura (Advisory Council), consisting of 30 elected members and 15 members appointed by the Amir, exercises some legislative functions.

The judiciary includes a three-level system comprised of the Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal and Court of Cassation; and the Public Prosecution Office, headed by the Attorney-General, operating autonomously of executive government.

Qatar is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It joined the UN in 1971 and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1996. It withdrew from OPEC in January 2019.

Qatar is active in the United Nations, currently serving on the International Civil Aviation Organization Council (2022-25), International Maritime Organization Council (2024-25), UNESCO World Heritage Committee (2021-25) and as Deputy Members of the International Labour Organisation (ILO; 2024-27).

Since 2018, in partnership with the ILO, Qatar has undertaken significant labour reforms – including abolishing the Kafala system by allowing workers to change jobs, establishing a basic minimum wage and banning work outside during summer days.

Economic overview

Qatar has one of the highest GDP per capita rates in the world on both a purchasing power parity and nominal basis. It has the world's third largest natural gas reserves and is one of the largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) globally.

The hydrocarbon sector represents nearly 60% of GDP. State-owned Qatar Energy has commenced projects to increase its LNG liquefaction and export capacity from 77 to 126 million tonnes per annum by 2026.

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is one of the world's top-ten largest sovereign wealth funds, with an estimated US$526 billion under management (2024). Strong growth in QIA acquisitions is expected to accompany growth in Qatari LNG export volumes.

Qatar is a major aviation hub, with state-owned Qatar Airways flying to over 170 destinations and operating over 200 aircraft. Hamad International Airport received over 50 million passengers in 2024.

Qatar continues to diversify its economy, growing services industries and establishing itself as a financial, education and sports hub. Qatar has attracted major international institutions to its Education City and was host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Asian Football Cup. 765,000 visitors travelled to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup in 2022, including around 7,000 Australians.
 

Bilateral relations

Australia enjoys a friendly bilateral relationship with Qatar marked by strong commercial links, notably in food exports and engineering services. Qatar opened an Embassy in Canberra in 2012, and Australia opened its Embassy in Doha in 2016. Qatar has hosted Australia's Interim Mission on Afghanistan since September 2021.

In August 2024, the Prime Minister of Qatar visited Australia and met with Prime Minister Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Marles and Foreign Minister Wong. This was a historic visit – the first by a Head of Government from the Gulf to Australia in over 50 years.

Aviation links are strong, with Qatar Airways operating daily direct flights from Doha to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Around 3,000 Australians reside in Qatar (2022) and nearly 40,000 Australians visit Qatar annually.

Qatar has provided repeated assistance to Australia with assisted departures from regional conflicts. This includes Qatar Airways’ assistance to 405 Australians and vulnerable Afghans from Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. In response to the Hamas-Israel crisis in 2023, Qatar Airways supported the assisted departure  of Australians and their families. Qatar Airways also assisted with the departure of Australians and their families from Lebanon in October 2024.

Research links are also healthy, with over 20 Australian universities undertaking collaborative projects with Qatari institutions. Australia and Qatar signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Higher Education, Research and Vocational Training in 2016.

Australian agencies including Safe Work Australia and Fair Work Australia have contributed technical expertise to support implementation of Qatar's labour reforms, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Trade and Investment

Qatar is a top-three trading partner for Australia in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with two-way goods and services trade worth A$3.4 billion (2023) and showing growth of 10.2% from 2022.

Many Australian companies are registered and active in Qatar. Australian exports to Qatar are led by alumina, meat, and engineering services. Qatar's exports to Australia are primarily aviation services, fertiliser and aluminium.

Sovereign wealth fund QIA and other Qatari state-owned investment vehicles Hassad Food and Nebras Power, collectively have around A$4 billion (2022) invested in Australia's property, logistics, energy and agriculture sectors.

The Qatar Chamber and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) signed an MOU in 2024, formalising a shared commitment to improve the trade and investment opportunities between Australia and Qatar.

High-level visits

• August 2024: Visit to Australia by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
• December 2023: Visit to Qatar by the Hon Tim Watts MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs
• November 2022: Visit to Qatar by the Hon Anika Wells MP, Minister for Aged Care and Sport and Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister for Aged Care and Sport
• July 2022: Visit to Qatar by the Hon Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia