14 Qatar at a glance Population Qatar has a population of approximately 2.3 million. Capital City Qatar’s capital city is Doha (in Arabic, ad-Dawḥ a, which means ‘the big tree’) Major Cities Doha (capital), Al-Wakrah, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Al-Shamal, Msaieed, Ras Lafan and others. Religion Islam is the official religion of the State of Qatar, and the Islamic Law (Sharia) shall be the principal source of its legislation. Economy Since the mid-1800s, Qatar has grown from a poor British protectorate known for pearling into one of the world’s most important oil and gas producing countries. While there is increasing investment in non-energy sectors, oil and gas still account for more than half of the Gross Domestic Product. Due to its substantial reserves of oil and gas, the country has one of the highest incomes per capita in the world. Climate Qatar has a desert climate with hot summers, warm winters and scarce rainfall. Currency Qatari Riyal (1 Riyal = 100 Dirhams). The Riyal is pegged to the US Dollar ($US 1 = QAR 3.65). National Day Qatar National Day is held on 18th December every year in celebration and commemoration of Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammad Al-Thani, the founder of the State of Qatar. Official Working Hours Ministries and Government Entities: from 7am to 2 pm Private Companies and Organisations: from 8am to 12pm and from 4pm to 8pm Banks: from 7:30am to 1pm Official Holidays Fridays and Saturdays are official days off in Qatar Qatar National Day: December 18 (annually) National Sport Day on Tuesday of the second week of February (annually) The holy Eid Al-Fitr The holy Eid Al-Adha
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