- Government to enable the private sector to lead and drive economic growth
- The strategy aims to employ more than 20 % of the Qatari workforce in the private and joint sectors
It aims to transform Qatar into an advanced state capable of achieving sustainable development and ensuring the continuation of a decent life for its people for generations to come, through four basic pillars that include human, social, economic, and environmental development.
During a press conference Wednesday, HE Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa al-Hassan al-Mohannadi reviewed the results of the Cabinet's discussion of the NDS3 (2024-2030), which aims to continue readiness to face challenges and guide Qatar toward moving to the ranks of developed countries by 2030, achieve sustainable development, and provide a high-quality life for all its people and future generations.The strategy aims to transform Qatar into an advanced state capable of achieving sustainable development and ensuring the continuation of a decent life for its people through four basic pillars - human, social, economic, and environmental development.
He indicated that the new strategy would give priority to competitiveness, enhancing innovation, and supporting institutional excellence while achieving a balance between sustainable growth and social cohesion according to national results.
HE al-Mohannadi pointed out that Qatar is working to accelerate the pace of economic growth at an average annual growth rate of 4 % until 2030 by expanding gas production and accelerating the growth of activities related to economic diversification, as the economic diversification agenda aims to make Qatar among the top 10 destinations in the world for investors and companies to create specialised economic clusters and to build a vital innovation system that relies on the private sector.
He added that Qatar would also focus on increasing workforce productivity by 2 % annually to enhance economic growth and create jobs that require highly experienced skills and higher wages while maintaining a sustainable rate of population growth that does not create challenges to the social structure or infrastructure.Qatar aspires to achieve global status as a country that provides the best standards of life, especially for families, and this ambition includes major areas such as education, health care, entertainment, culture, environment and public safety.
HE al-Mohannadi explained that one of the significant main elements of the economic development model in the NDS3 is developing the government's role to enable the private sector to lead and drive economic growth and concentrate efforts on highly productive, specialised, and competitive economic clusters instead of developing isolated sectoral policies, in addition to adopting bold and fast reforms in the business environment instead of adopting incremental improvements, as well as encouraging the active participation of leading national companies, as well as the Qatar Investment Authority in developing economic diversification clusters and supporting qualitative innovations that are mainly led by the business sector.
With regard to financial sustainability, HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs said that the third national development strategy (2024-2030) aims to prepare a framework for medium-term public budgets that are more sustainable and able to handle surprises, where it is financed from diverse and stable revenue sources, in addition to access to a flexible balance sheet characterised by healthy levels of debt, as well as an increased contribution of non-hydrocarbon sectors to government revenues.
He pointed out that also seeks to maintain the sustainability of the general budget, reduce the negative effects of economic fluctuations, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending. To achieve this goal, Qatar has adopted a medium-term budget framework based on programmes and will develop the government procurement process and institutionalise harmonisation processes between planning and budget preparation processes, in addition to managing the public debt system, including emergency liabilities, to create sufficient financial space that can be resorted to during periods of economic recession.
As Qatar seeks to build a workforce that is ready for the job market and is competitive in light of the changing pace of global markets, HE al- Mohannadi pointed out that several steps will be implemented that will raise the level of the required workforce, including raising the proportion of skilled workers out of the total workforce to 46 % by improving the recruitment policy to enhance the ability to attract highly skilled people, applying new methods of work, adopting a new performance management system in civil service institutions, and implementing skills-building programmes in government institutions.
Regarding the inclusion of Qatari citizens in future economic sectors, HE al-Mohannadi said that the strategy aims to employ more than 20 % of the Qatari workforce in the private and joint sectors by encouraging the private sector to employ Qataris and implementing programmes to develop skills in cooperation with the private sector and improving the benefits of higher education and its appeal to Qataris, and modernising a governance model to align education with the needs of the job market.
To achieve this, HE al-Mohannadi noted that a better-educated and more motivated competency base will be built through developing the teaching profession journey, reforming the academic supervision model in public and private schools, and developing new curricula.
He also pointed out that the new strategy aims to strengthen the family since it is the basic building block of society's strength and stability. The strategy also affirms the necessity of social and economic integration of the first care category, ensuring that no group of society is left behind.
He added that to build a cohesive society that maintains its authentic values and strong family ties, promote responsible citizenship, and build a harmonious local society to achieve prosperity, Qatar is building and strengthening strong families by expanding family policies that support procreation, supporting the institution of marriage, promoting positive parenting, increasing flexibility in women's work as well as raise the fertility rate to an average of 3 births per woman.
In the same context, HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs affirmed the commitment of Qatar to improving the lives of the most vulnerable groups to ensure that they receive support and opportunities for active participation in society. He explained that Qatar will work through the third national development strategy to unify the service platforms provided to them, launch home social care for the elderly, develop national strategies to prevent domestic violence and expand social centers for people with disabilities.
He added that it is also a priority to increase awareness of and celebrate national identity, enhance the production and consumption of local cultural content, in addition to promoting a culture of responsibility and participation for all segments, including youth, by strengthening the volunteer system and enabling civil society organisations and the private sector to provide social support.
Regarding Qatar's international role, HE the minister affirmed that the country continues to commit to its vital role in the international arena, supporting peace and stability and contributing to the peaceful settlement of conflicts through its approach that emphasises dialogue and mediation as two basic pillars of conflict resolution. It also continues to strengthen its initiatives for humanitarian and development aid, including ensuring that it swiftly and efficiently reaches the people who need it most.
Qatar will also continue to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity, expand global partnerships, actively participate in multilateral efforts sponsored by the UN and relevant regional organisations, and enhance co-operation and dialogue to confront global challenges.
HE Minister of Justice, and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa al-Hassan al-Mohannadi also stressed the importance of providing high-quality life as an essential factor in enhancing the well-being of the people of Qatar and making it an appealing global destination. Qatar aspires to achieve global status as a country that provides the best standards of life, especially for families, and this ambition includes major areas such as education, health care, entertainment, culture, environment and public safety.
