Endowed with natural resources, including an abundance of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Qatar is witnessing an economic boom supported by the rising price of petroleum products. In recent years, the small state has used its petro-earned surplus to jumpstart a slew of development projects aimed at diversification. Focusing on education, entertainment, finance, etc., Qatar is revamping opportunities for its citizens through several long-term projects. The evidence of Qatari government spending is found in the country’s expanding budget, which rose from $7.42 billion in 2004 to $13.75 billion in 2006. There seems to be no end in sight for the wealthy nation. An outlook by Global Investment House expects Qatar to “record a strong trade surplus in 2007 as volumes of LNG and oil exports are likely to increase due to the expected increase in production.” The growing energy appetite of developing economies, in particular China, is likely to support Qatar’s
