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Qatar’s public spending is expected to pick up this year, while elevated energy prices support its revenue, Oxford Economics has said in its latest country report.The rise in the Brent oil price to above $85 per barrel supports the researcher’s projection that the budget surplus will average above 5.5% of GDP in 2024-2026.Oxford Economics forecasts the 2024 Brent oil price at $82.1 per barrel, much higher than the $60/barrel assumed in Qatar’s latest budget.“We still project a 2024 budget surplus at QR47.9bn (5.8% of GDP), similar to last year. This is a significantly better outcome than what is pencilled into Qatar's 2024 budget,” Oxford Economics noted.According to Oxford Economics, Qatar's oil output has been "relatively flat" in recent years at around 600,000 barrels per day (bpd).“As the country is not involved in the Opec+ pact on production quotas, we expect production to rise modestly this year,” Oxford Economics noted.A recovery in oil production will boost the energy sector to 1.7% growth this year, up from an estimated 1.5% expansion in 2023. Commodity prices have eased but are still elevated, supporting the macroeconomic environment.The North Field gas expansion project will have a "positive medium-term impact" on the economy. The target liquefied natural gas (LNG) capacity was raised to 142mn tonnes per year (mtpy) by the end of 2030, up nearly 85% from 77 mtpy currently and 13% on the intermediate target of 126mtpy by 2027.The new North Field West project is in the early stages.Last year, Qatar awarded a $10bn contract for the second phase of the project, North Field South, which will include the delivery of two LNG trains.Qatar is also "making progress" in contracting future gas output, Oxford Economics noted. In early June, the government signed a long-term supply contract with Taiwan for 4mn tonnes of LNG annually.It followed similar deals with India, China, France, Germany, and Hungary, with more likely in the coming months.Oxford Economics estimates the non-energy economy will grow by 2.5% this year, up from an estimated 0.8% in 2023.Available data showed a weak performance in the non-energy sector at just 0.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in the first three quarters of 2023, with Q4-2023 data pending.

QNB and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) have announced a partnership to deliver “best in class” marketing training to QNB’s Marketing and Communications team, developing the firm's marketing capabilities and responding to the global challenges faced by leading brands around the world.The partnership is the first between CIM and a Middle Eastern headquartered financial institution. CIM has helped QNB’s team to develop best practice global marketing skills, driving forward their marketing output and supporting career development.This partnership bolsters the firm's marketing functionality and supports QNB’s aim to drive business at both domestic and global levels.The programme was delivered by a team of highly experienced CIM course directors, individually selected for their unique skills and experience across six-half day sessions.The programme was designed to provide the QNB marketing team with everything they need to know about the key marketing models and the techniques vital for developing their own future marketing programmes.This partnership will enable the team to deliver value across the business, with a focus on developing commercially viable marketing strategies, leveraging customer insights, and maximising digital capabilities.Discussing the partnership, James Sutton, strategy and commercial director at CIM said: “It is a testament to CIM’s reputation as a standard-bearer for marketing that QNB has chosen us to deliver its training programme. We deliver the definitive marketing course, setting the standard for best marketing practice and professional development.“I am confident the knowledge and insight delivered by our course directors will enable QNB’s marketing team to operate competitively at a global level. Best-in-class marketing practices are vital for all firms pursuing global growth and we are proud of this new partnership in what hopes to be a long-standing working relationship for both parties,” he added.Heba Ali al-Tamimi, senior executive vice-president, QNB Group Communications, said: “The demands of the banking sector are constantly changing. That’s why we are always assessing the market and have chosen to invest in CIM’s flagship marketing training programme to enable our team to navigate the exceptional challenges faced by brands across the world.”‘’We are proud of this partnership and its announcement exhibits our continuous commitment to investment in our staff, providing them with the tools for their own personal career development and to achieve CIM Chartered Status.” she added.

The World Cup has accelerated Qatar’s economic diversification into non-hydrocarbon sectors and the newly created infrastructure can be leveraged to chart a new path for diversification in sectors beyond the oil and gas industries for further economic growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.The public investment programme helped drive most of Qatar’s economic diversification over the past decade, contributing on average 5–6 percentage points annually to non-hydrocarbon real GDP (gross domestic product) growth, Ran Bi and Ken Miyajima, who are in the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, said in a report."Going forward, the newly created infrastructure can be leveraged to generate new jobs, businesses, and opportunities in sectors beyond the oil and gas industries for further economic growth," the authors said.Qatar continues to enjoy economic gains after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which boosted its global profile, IMF said, adding visitor arrivals in 2023 were nearly twice pre-pandemic levels, and tourism this year reached new heights.Hosting the World Cup has accelerated Qatar’s economic diversification into non-hydrocarbon sectors as its massive public infrastructure investment programme since 2011 built out everything from ports and roads to metro and airports, they said, adding the cost of stadiums represented only about 5% of the total infrastructure investment, by some estimates.The IMF analysis suggests that reforms to attract more skilled foreign workers, ease access to financing for small and medium enterprises, and encourage competition and trade could generate the most significant growth gains.Simulations suggest that a comprehensive package of labour market and business environment reforms could boost annual non-hydrocarbon growth by close to three percentage points over the medium term.To maximise gains, the authorities should ensure that complementary reforms are properly sequenced and consistent with the country’s capacity for implementation. Continuing progress with digitalisation and climate actions can generate new sources of growth and enhance sustainability, it added.Highlighting that structural reforms have also accelerated; the report said Qatar has enhanced labour protection for foreign workers, who account for about 95% of the labour force.Qatar was the first Gulf Cooperation Council country to abolish Kafala, a sponsorship system for foreign workers that limits their mobility. The government also implemented initiatives to improve business efficiency and attract foreign direct investment, according to the report.Furthermore, Qatar has advanced digitalization efforts significantly, ranking 16th among 198 countries in the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index.Looking ahead, Qatar’s key challenge remains transitioning from public sector-led growth to a more diversified, private sector-driven model, as envisioned by Qatar National Vision 2030, it said.Achieving this transformation requires bold reforms to boost productivity, foster a more conducive business environment, and leverage progress in digitalisation and climate actions, according to the IMF’s latest annual economic review.Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy (2024-30) was launched in January 2024 and has set the strategic priorities in line with IMF advice.

Qatar Chamber has recently held a workshop on ‘International Expert on Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) Applications’, in co-operation with the Regional Network Consultancy (RNC), a member of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility.The five-day workshop, a first of its kind in Qatar, was attended by 41 trainees, who learned topics related to sustainable development, including its definition, determinants, and causes, as well as its economic, environmental, and social objectives and applications.The workshop highlighted models and applications of sustainable societies and proposed methods for applying SDGs in institutions and companies. It further discussed the role of sustainable development globally and the concept of green society and its tools for implementing SDGs. Furthermore, it reviewed reports for professional documentation of the practices and activities of institutions with international standards.Maryam Ali al-Srour, assistant director of Administrative and Financial Affairs at Qatar Chamber, said the workshop highlighted the chamber’s commitment to raising awareness about SDGs among companies and institutions.Al-Srour also emphasised that the workshop was part of an MoU signed between the chamber and the RNC, which aims to implement several training courses in the field of CSR.At the end of the workshop, the trainees received a certificate of attendance and an international expert card in SDG applications from the Regional Network for Social Responsibility.

Organisers of Friday's opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics - the first time it will be held outside a stadium - have provided teasers for their spectacular plans but refused to give specifics.Here is what we know about the concept, the artists and music based on public statements over the last few months and press leaks:What's the concept? - Instead of using the main athletics stadium for the opening parade, as is customary, organisers have moved the event outside and into the heart of the capital - in keeping with their motto "Games Wide Open".Around 6,000-7,000 athletes are set to sail down a six-kilometre (four-mile) stretch of the river Seine from the Austerlitz bridge in the east to the Eiffel Tower, on 85 barges and boats.Up to 500,000 people are set to watch in person from specially built stands, where tickets have sold for up to 2,700 euros ($2,900), on the river banks for free and from the overlooking balconies and apartments."Organising a ceremony on the Seine is not easier than doing it in a stadium... but it has more punch," chief organiser Tony Estanguet told AFP earlier this month.Because of the size and complexity of the parade, it has never been rehearsed in full.What about the entertainment? -The show has been designed by prodigious theatre director Thomas Jolly, a 42-year-old known for hit rock-opera musical "Starmania".He brought on board a creative team that includes the writer of French TV series "Call My Agent", Fanny Herrero, as well as best-selling author Leila Slimani and renowned historian Patrick Boucheron.The show has been split into 12 different sections, with around 3,000 dancers, singers and entertainers positioned on both banks of the river, the bridges and nearby monuments.A tribute to Notre-Dame cathedral, in the process of being renovated after a devastating fire in 2019, is guaranteed, possibly with dancers on its scaffolding.Starting at 07:30pm (1730 GMT), two thirds of the ceremony will take place in daylight, then dusk - Jolly is hoping for one of Paris's stunning summer sunsets - and will end with a light show.The music will be a mix of classical, traditional 'chanson francaise', as well as rap and electro.Franco-Malian R&B star Aya Nakamura is widely tipped to perform despite criticism from far-right politicians, including Marine Le Pen who suggested an appearance by her would "humiliate" France.French electro superstars Daft Punk said they had turned down an invitation to play, while globe-trotting French DJ David Guetta has been overlooked - much to his irritation.What's the message? -Asked to sum up his message last week, Jolly said it was "love."Despite the risk of irking conservatives, he said his work would be a celebration of cultural, linguistic, religious and sexual diversity in France and around the world."I think the people who want to live together in this diversity, this otherness, are much more numerous, but we make less noise," he told AFP.It is fair to assume it will be nothing like the widely panned retro-styled opening ceremony of last year's rugby World Cup, which featured a succession of French cliches from baguettes to berets and the Eiffel Tower.Jolly's team is also wary of over-emphasising France's historic contribution to the development of democracy and the concept of universal human rights thanks to its Enlightenment philosophers and 1789 Revolution."We wanted to avoid our natural tendency to lecture people," Herrero told Le Monde newspaper recently.And don't expect a three-hour tribute to French greatness to rival the nationalistic pageantry seen at the Beijing Games in 2008."The opening ceremony in Beijing in 2008 was exactly what we did not want to do," Boucheron told Le Monde.What will be the big moments? -With so much still under wraps, it's hard to predict.A performance by Aya Nakamura, after so much controversy about her role, would be a major moment so soon after parliamentary elections that saw the anti-immigration far-right gain a historic 143 seats in the national parliament.Jolly has strongly hinted that a submersible or submarine could emerge from the waters of the Seine at some point."You have the sky, you have bridges, you have water, you have banks, you have so much space to make poetry," Jolly told reporters last week. "So why not under the river also?"The biggest moment of all might simply be the end if everyone gets home safely.The ceremony has given French police cold sweats ever since it was unveiled in 2021 because of the difficulty of securing so many people over such a vast urban area.Around 45,000 members of the security forces will be on duty.

On a vast farm in Kenya's Rift Valley, a veterinarian carefully takes aim before shooting a tranquiliser dart and sending another giraffe sinking slowly to the ground before it is roped and blindfolded.It is the first stage of a delicate operation by the Kenya Wildlife Service to move a group of the endangered animals to a conservancy around 140 kilometres to the east.The subdued giraffe is kept at the farm in Sergoit along with seven others for an acclimatisation period of about 10 days, before being transported to their new home.The Rothschild's giraffes, a distinct subspecies, are being resettled in the Ruko Conservancy in Baringo County as part of a long-running initiative to ease communal tensions there.While the East African nation is renowned for its spectacular wildlife, its northern counties such as Baringo are more often in the news for banditry and ethnic clashes.The rival Pokot and Ilchamus communities in Baringo had been at odds for decades, their feuds sometimes escalating into armed clashes.In the mid-2000s, Pokot and Ilchamus elders took matters into their own hands, launching an initiative to resettle the Rothschild's, or Nubian, giraffes into the Ruko conservancy around 280 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi.The goal was twofold: reintroduce an endangered species to a region it had previously deserted, and restore peace to the two communities.The elders hoped the world's tallest mammals would attract tourists and income, quelling tensions in the neglected region by providing employment in an area where many young people — like elsewhere in Kenya — struggle to find jobs.And, said 34-year-old reserve manager Rebby Sebei, it seems to have worked."Back 20 years before, Pokot and Ilchamus had a conflict that erupted because of livestock theft and resulted in loss of life, loss of livestock and pushing people to move away from their homeland," she told AFP."This place became deserted, where we are now today was a battleground for the bandits." But now, she said, the gentle creatures are helping to "ensure that there is peace between the two communities".Giraffes have seen a dramatic decline in numbers in Kenya in recent decades, as a result of poaching and human encroachment on their habitats.As the Sergoit giraffes — securely trussed in the back of trucks — made their way slowly towards the reserve, people from the Pokot and Ilchamus communities held welcome celebrations.Sixteen hours after their departure from Sergoit, having navigated hazardous bridges and low-hanging electrical wires, the giraffes finally arrived at their new home.The group was to be acclimatised in a small pen before being released into the Ruko reserve, now home to nearly 20 giraffes, both Rothschild's and Masai.As people sang and danced in celebration while awaiting the new arrivals, Douglas Longomo, a 27-year-old farmer, said he believed that his Pokot community had changed."It took time to understand that the conservancy is important to bring people together," Longomo said.Many could not see the point of ending the clashes that have scarred the Rift Valley area for decades, he added."Now we are seeing we are living as one community, we can move freely without any fear." Longomo's views were echoed by 28-year-old James Parkitore from the Ilchamus community."I think (the conflict) is over now because we are interacting," he said."I hope those giraffes will (create) great jobs for the communities," said Parkitore, a view shared by Longomo.Sebei added a note of caution, however, saying that while an increase in tourism had helped, there were still some lingering disputes between the two ethnic groups.But, she said, "there is peace, and we need to bring more giraffes".

Iraqi authorities seized record quantities of the potent stimulant captagon last year, at an estimated value of up to $144mn, with the country increasingly a critical drug conduit, a UN report said yesterday."Iraq has been experiencing a dramatic surge in drug trafficking and consumption for the past five years," according to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report.In 2023 alone, authorities "seized a record-high 24mn captagon tablets", the equivalent of over 4.1 tonnes, with an estimated "retail value" of between $84mn and $144mn, it said."Iraq appears to be at the nexus of regional trafficking routes for both methamphetamine and captagon", UNODC said, adding that it is "becoming a critical juncture in the complex trafficking dynamics observed in the Near and Middle East region." Captagon seizures in Iraq "reportedly tripled between 2022 and 2023, and overall amounts seized in 2023 are 34 times higher than in 2019."An amphetamine derived from a once-legal treatment for narcolepsy and attention disorder, captagon today is trafficked through several Middle Eastern countries, with Syria the main country of origin.Authorities in conflict-scarred Iraq regularly announce large seizures of captagon, much of it moved across the porous 600-kilometre border with war-torn Syria.According to UNODC, 82% of the captagon seized in the region between 2019 and 2023 originated in Syria, followed by neighbouring Lebanon, at 17 %.Iraq is also becoming a conduit for the flow of highly addictive methamphetamine stimulants produced mostly in Afghanistan and headed to the Gulf and Europe, with seizures in Iraq increasing almost sixfold in 2023 compared to 2019.The country faces an explosion in domestic drug use, with the repeated crises that have gripped the conflict-ridden country of 43mn people driving up usage.Governments in the region have recently stepped up their efforts to crack down on drug trafficking under pressure from the Gulf states.During an anti-drug conference attended by regional officials, Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani called for regional co-operation."Co-ordinating and co-operating to pursue and dismantle drug gangs will serve regional and international security," he said, adding that "Iraq is open to all co-operation" to fight "cross-border crime"."We will support any effort aiming to eliminate drug hubs, manufacturing stations, and cutting off their supply chains."

HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met today with Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hamza Abdi Barre, who id visiting Qatar.During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them, in addition to the latest developments in Somalia.HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar's unwavering support for Somalia, as well as its support for state institutions and all efforts aimed at achieving security and stability, and ensuring the country's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Asian markets fell yesterday as Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the US presidential race fuelled fresh uncertainty, while traders appeared unmoved by China's decision to cut interest rates in a bid to boost its stuttering economy.In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 closed down 1.2% to 39,599.00 points; Hong Kong — Hang Seng Index ended up 1.3% to 17,635.88 points and Shanghai — Composite closed down 0.6% to 2,964.22 points yesterday.After last weekend's assassination attempt on Donald Trump — and the following Republican convention — boosted bets he would win November's election, investors were trying to work out the ramifications of the latest news out of the White House.Biden on Sunday gave in to weeks of calls for him to step aside in the wake of a poor debate performance that amplified questions about his health, and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to succeed him.The news has left traders wondering who will go head to head with Trump, whose expected victory had lifted equities and the dollar on expectations of tax cuts and deregulation.Analysts said markets would likely be volatile in the near term."While market instinct will be to say that the news adds a degree of uncertainty to the outcome of the November 5 election that wasn't present last week, it will be many weeks... before anyone can reasonably determine if the race for the White House is significantly narrower than looked to be case previously," said National Australia Bank's Ray Attrill."In short, there'll be more noise than signal on US politics for markets to contend with in the coming few weeks at least." Stocks in Asia fell Monday following losses on Wall Street and in Europe, where trade was dominated by a crash in global computer systems — the result of a faulty update to an antivirus program — that hit airports, airlines, trains, banks, shops and even doctors' appointments.Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai, Wellington and Manila all fell, though Hong Kong rallied thanks to healthy gains in Chinese tech firms.Stephen Innes said in his Dark Side Of The Boom commentary: "It's as if the political game of chess has flipped its board, and investors are left picking up the pieces."This unexpected twist has injected a hefty dose of political uncertainty into the market, leaving everyone scrambling to determine their next move." The developments out of Washington have overshadowed optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates as soon as September and possibly again before January.There was little reaction to news that China's central bank had cut borrowing costs as leaders look to kick start the world's number two economy, which has been hammered by a huge property crisis and weak consumer demand.The Bank of China lowered the one-year and five-year loan prime rates in a bid to encourage commercial banks to grant more credit.The decision comes after a closely watched meeting last week of leaders concluded with few major announcements, bar vows to tackle "risks" in the economy.However, officials pledged Friday to help ease debt pressure on local governments through reforms to the tax system.Worries about local government finances have been growing for years and have been made worse by a chronic real estate debt crisis, and in April ratings agency Fitch lowered its outlook on China's sovereign credit.

Local authorities on a tourist island in the Guangxi region in southern China evacuated more than 26,000 tourists as the fourth typhoon of the year approaches.The Maritime Safety Administration of Beihai City, which manages the island, said that the last group of tourists boarded a ferry to leave Weizhou Island yesterday, Sunday, and the ferry service linking the city to the island will be halted Monday and Tuesday, Chinese Xinhua news agency reported.The city increased ferry services two days ago, to transport tourists from the island as a precaution ahead of the approaching Prapiroon, which is currently classified as a severe tropical storm in the southeast of Hainan Island.Chinese meteorological authorities said that Prapiroon was expected to make landfall in Hainan on Sunday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to the island province and the Beibu Gulf.Hainan's transport and port authorities suspended high-speed rail services circling the island and ferry operations, across the Qiongzhou Strait, and advised sailing ships to take shelter.

The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) has signed a financing agreement with Teach For Qatar to support the 2024 Summer Institute.Under the agreement, DAAM will provide funding to support the six-week Summer Institute training and activities, empowering participants to enter the education field as full-time teachers.This agreement reflects the developmental role and sustainable impact played by both DAAM and the joint stock companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange in supporting social activities in the country, in accordance with established plans and in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.This year's Summer Institute involves a new batch of 120 Fellows and 60 Fellows from the 2023 Cohort. They will receive exceptional training by experts in leadership and education, in addition to attending various workshops and individual support sessions. The Summer Institute also includes training at Camp Qatar, where participants will practice teaching by implementing what they learned during the first couple of weeks.Teach For Qatar is a local non-governmental organization (NGO) founded by HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al-Thani in 2014. Its mission is to work as part of the solution to help solve the challenges faced by Qatar's students, by reinvesting exceptionally talented leaders into the government school system to create positive change in classrooms, schools, and society. To date, it has attracted 317 Fellows who have taught Arabic, English, mathematics, and science to more than 40,800 students in the primary and preparatory stages.Since its establishment in 2010, the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (DAAM) has laid the groundwork for numerous vital projects and initiatives spanning the cultural, sports, and social domains. The contributions from joint stock companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange are considered one of the most important financial resources of the Fund, making them a key partner in achieving community development.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education launched a student support program, which will continue until the end of August and aims to facilitate scholarship procedures, familiarize students with them, and resolve any issues they encounter during the application for the government scholarship program.Director of the Scholarships Department at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Noora Mohammed Al Ansari stated that by launching and implementing the government scholarship plan for the academic year 2024/2025, the department aims to apply new visions to facilitate student application procedures. So far, the number of scholarship applications has reached 2200 across various disciplines offered for domestic and international scholarships, she noted.Al Ansari emphasized the importance of student attendance at the interviews as a fundamental requirement to complete the scholarship procedures, as it aims to achieve the desired benefit of linking scholarship students with future employers they will join after university studies.She noted that public service is available daily throughout the registration period through dedicated committees to support students and follow up on services provided to them. These services include registration procedures, activating new application services, uploading required documents, and responding to scholarship-related inquiries.External Scholarship Officer at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Samia Nasser Al Ansari, highlighted students' and parents' significant interest in public service, with the daily number of beneficiaries of the services ranging between 70 to 75 students and parents.She assured that the Scholarship Department effectively addressed students' inquiries about university registration procedures, primary election, and scholarship conditions, providing technical support to resolve electronic issues, thereby facilitating and expediting the registration process.