The Prince Of The State Of Qatar ,H.H. Sh. Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani

&

The President of the USA

THE STATE OF QATAR - a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Gulf Arab States (GCC) - is situated halfway along the western coast of the Arabian Gulf. It is a peninsula projecting northwards about 160 kilometers into the Gulf.

At its widest point, the land is about 80 kilometers between coasts and covers an area of 11,437 square kilometers. It has a population of about 550,000. Arabic is the official language although English is widely spoken by Arab, European and Asian communities who reside and work in Qatar.

Doha - where 80% of the population live - is the capital and administrative center of the country. It lies on the eastern coast and houses the ministries, government departments and financial and commercial institutions. Other major towns in Qatar are Umm Said (the industrial town), Dukhan, Al-Khor and Al-Shamal.

The Qatari economy is, to a very large extent, dependent on income derived from the exploitation of oil, natural gas and subsidiary industry. The Government encourages diversification in the economy through the setting up of growth projects such as the steel complex, and it encourages private enterprise to follow this lead.

State of Qatar is a sovereign independent country situated half-way along the west coast of the Arabian Gulf. It is a peninsula covering an area of approximately 11,500 sq.km. The territory of The State of Qatar includes a number of islands in the waters around the peninsula.

The population of the State of Qatar is around 500,000. Islam is the official religion of the state and Arabic is the official language although English is widely spoken.

Doha , the capital, used to be a quiet fishing village but now is a dazzling concoction of ultra modern buildings and exquisite palaces.

Weather , Qatar has a moderate desert climate. The weather in the month of March is very pleasant with an average temperature of around 21°C (73°F) and little or no rain.

Shopping, The Souq area is a hive of activity, it's maze of narrow streets packed with shops and stalls selling everything from ancient coins to state-of-the-art electronic equipment. It is here you find goldsmiths continuing to work many beautiful antique designs.