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In the Name of God,
The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful
It is with much gratification and confidence that I look forward to our annual meeting
at the beginning of every legislative term of your esteemed Council. This meeting is
no longer confined to presentation of the government performance and its executive
plans for what it intends to achieve in the future; it has become, in addition to
that, a meeting to confirm our collective resolve, our joint efforts and mobilised
energies to go forward on the course we have chosen for Qatar’s progress and high
standing and the realization of prosperity for its people. Thank God, we have achieved
a great deal in this respect in a period of time that is considered short in the
lives of states and peoples.
Honourable Brothers,
Last year I spoke to you about what was accomplished in the field of completing the
organizational and legislative structure of the State to provide the necessary
framework whereby the development efforts could realize their set goals within the
range of the national vision of the State during the next twenty years. Afterwards,
the State took several measures that it deemed necessary for restructuring the
government organ starting with the creation of new ministries, restructuring some
existing ministries and the government public corporations and organs and authorities,
and ending by preparing the law of human resources in the State.
These measures aim at increasing the effectiveness of the executive organ, enhancing
its capability to run the public services and utilities and provide them for the citizens
at the required efficiency and speed, at an economical cost, without waste of time or
money, as well as providing the necessary capabilities for executing the development
plans.
Honourable Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
Endorsement of the State national vision up to the year 2030 is not the end; it will be
followed by the phase of setting the necessary strategies for achieving the desired
goals in various economic, social, educational, environmental and other spheres, as well
as the plans needed for their implementation. This is not an easy job. It is not
confined to the government organs alone but requires consultations and partnership with
the concerned parties, especially the civil society and the private sector, and working
on activating their role in this respect. The realization of our goals in sustained
development is not the responsibility of the State alone, but rather a national
responsibility that must be shared by all. Perhaps it is apt in this respect to set an
organizational framework for that participation, and not to leave it to circumstances and
good will.
Honourable Brothers,
We strongly believe that scientific and technological progress is one of the most important,
it not the most important, prerequisite of the modern State. Being committed to achieve
for Qatar what it aspires to in this domain, we have issued Law No. (24) for the year
2008 on the support and organization of scientific research, which created the Qatar
Institution for Supporting Scientific Research. 2.8% of the revenues of the State public
budget has been allotted for financing this institution to support and finance scientific
research, raise its standard and run, develop and invest the resources allotted for it ,
giving priority to the researches related to the sustained development of the State.
Under this Law, the institution has the powers and the necessary flexibility to enable
it to realize its objectives. The State organs will seek to provide all means of success
for this institution.
Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
Our national economy has achieved high rates of growth during 2007. The gross national
produce grew by about 25% during that year. The role of the non-petroleum sector was
satisfactory, where it grew at a rate higher than that of the oil sector. This was
achieved , in particular, in sectors of the industry, government services, water and
electricity and construction. Moreover, surpluses in the trade balance and balance of
payments have continued to be achieved. Our oil production rose by 5% during last year,
and so, too, that of natural gas where our production capacity reached 9 billion cubic
feet per day with the production of Dolphin project reaching its maximum capacity, and
an additional train for the production of liquefied natural gas was launched, which made
Qatar the 5th producer of natural gas in the world. It also strengthened Qatar’s status
as the biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world, where the present
production reached about 31 million tons per annum.
Regarding other achievements, the international reports on human development, transparency
, competitiveness and business practice, have shown that Qatar occupies an advanced
position in this respect, which confirms that our efforts are bearing fruit. We look
forward to achieving further progress in our projects that are related to the economy
and the citizen who is the axis of development and its main concern, especially that
related to legislations organizing the family and the child affairs.
Dear Brothers,
The State of Qatar has managed to achieve high economic growth in the past years, and to
move with steady steps on the path of sustained development. Despite the many benefits
brought about by this progress, the high speed with which our national economy grew and
the pressures arising from the requirements of completing the building of the
infrastructure and improving the public services, including education and health,
led to a number of forms of exhaustion in our national economy represented by continued
rising of the consumer price indexes, the increase of the cost of projects and the delay
in their completion dates. A number of bottleneck areas have risen in the economy,
caused by the big increase in expatriate labour.
On the other hand, the big increase in all components of the domestic demand and the
unprecedented increase in expatriate labour that accompanied it, and the increase in
prices of food stuffs and raw materials in the world during the last two years made
the combating of inflation a difficult mission. In spite of the intensive efforts by
the State to fight inflation, and the issuing of laws for protection of the consumer
and encouragement of competition, its rates are still high. The government will continue
taking the necessary measures, such as lowering the demand in the economy by curbing the
increase in government spending- while taking the priorities in consideration- and
increasing coordination between the financial and monetary organs to lower the level
of prices and raise the purchasing power of individual income.
Honourable Brothers,
The current world financial crisis and the possibility of its turning into a world
economic crisis will change the nature of economic problems and the order of their
importance for the world, and for us, too. This crisis has proved the fragility of
the world monetary system and its inability to avert world economic crises, though
it is one of its most important causes. It also showed the extent of intricacy and
connection between the national monetary systems and the world order, whether in
the case of the industrially advanced countries or the developing countries.
If the advanced countries are able to protect their financial systems and preventing
their collapse, the developing countries will be exposed to heavy losses due to the
fragility of this system. Therefore, it is necessary to restructure that system and
subjecting it to new regulatory measures that take the interests of the developing
countries into account.
We thank God that the consequences of the world crisis on the State of Qatar will be
less than on many of the other developing countries, because the banks and monetary
institutions in Qatar enjoy a high monetary cover, and our banking system does not
suffer from shortage of liquidity. In addition to that, the increase in the oil and
gas production will compensate the fall in their prices, if that fall continues, and
the monetary reserve of the government will help satisfy the needs of the country, if
necessary.
Therefore, I would like to affirm in this respect that the international crisis did
not prevent us from carrying on with the realization of sustained development according
to the goals set for it, achieving economic and financial stability, establishing a
sound monetary policy and a monetary cover that is efficient and safe of risks,
improve the monetary services of the State, which has been confirmed by the International
Monetary Fund in its latest reports on this crisis with regards to the Middle East
countries – one of which is Qatar – that the rate of growth in it will not retract as
that of the advanced countries.
Nonetheless, we will continue to follow up the developments of the crisis to check any
possible consequences on us. We will take further steps in coordination with the GCC
states to prevent exposure of their economies to any possible negative effects in the
future, and to counter any inflational pressures, especially after the declaration of
the GCC Common Market at the beginning of this year. We also hope for a quick convening
of a meeting in the framework of the Arab League for that purpose, specially since the
establishing of a free zone among its member states has resulted in a relative increase
in the inter-Arab trade.
Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
As regards our foreign policy, it adheres to our firm principles in this field as
reflected basically in peaceful coexistence, international cooperation on the basis
of mutual respect and common interests, adherence to the values of justice, openness
to the other, interaction among peoples, cultures and civilizations and respect of
human rights.
At the top of our foreign policy priorities comes the consolidation of our relations
with the countries of the Cooperation Council of the Arab Gulf States and deepening
the ties of fraternity and integration with them. We look forward to our forthcoming
summit meeting in the sisterly Sultanate of Oman and are fully confident that the
patronage of our brother His Majesty Sultan Qabus Bin Saeed of this summit will contribute
to its reaching positive results that would meet our ambitions and the aspirations of
the peoples of the region in promoting security, stability and development.
Out of our Arab belonging, we always endeavor to upgrade the joint Arab action and
enhance Arab solidarity. While we welcome our brothers the leaders of the sisterly
Arab countries in their summit to be hosted in Doha during next March, we hope this
summit would come out with results up to the level of the challenges facing the Arab
nation at present especially in Palestine, Iraq, Sudan and Lebanon.
In connection with the Palestinian cause which is the pivotal issue in the Middle East,
it is an urgent necessity to reach a peaceful solution based on the resolutions of
international legality in view of the deteriorating situation in the occupied territories.
We call upon the international community to take action to lift the unjust blockade
against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, who are suffering from tragic living
conditions. We also reiterate our backing of the national unity of the Palestinian people,
and call for respecting all the legitimate Palestinian institutions. We express the hope
that our Palestinian brothers would put an end to their internal quarrel through a joint
dialogue that would achieve the higher interests of the Palestinian people.
As regards Iraq, we call upon the major forces there to work together in order to achieve
agreement and uphold the principle of active and balanced participation in the political
process in a way that would protect the rights and interests of the Iraqi people and
maintain the unity, sovereignty and independence of their country.
As for the Sudan, we express our satisfaction that the Republic of the Sudan is committed
to collaborate with the international community to settle the conflict in Darfur
Province, and we commend the efforts exerted by the Arab League in cooperation with the
African Union and the United Nations to address this crisis, hoping that all parties
would react favourably to the Arab African initiative patronized by the State of Qatar
to settle the Darfur crisis. We call upon the international community to support and
back this initiative to reach a peaceful settlement that would maintain the unity and
sovereignty of brotherly Sudan.
Concerning Lebanon, we are deeply satisfied with the steps taken to implement the Doha
Accord which had regional and international support, and the keenness of all Lebanese
parties to adhere to the Accord and put it into force, giving priority to national
interests in order to safeguard Lebanon’s future, prosperity and security.
Honourable Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
Concluding my address, I extend my thanks and appreciation to you for your continuous
and valuable contribution in support of development efforts and enriching the
legislative work, wishing you all success.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you.
Honourable Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
