PPC Participates in Population & Development Conference in Cairo

A delegation from the Permanent Population Committee (PPC) has participated in the( 37th Annual Conference on Population and Development), organized by the Institute of National Planning– The Demographic Centre, in Cairo- Egypt, on December 11 – 13 2007.

Experts from Egypt and most of Arab and African countries as well as delegations from East Europe states participated in the three day conference.

 Senior official at the PPC in Qatar said that 22 sessions have been held during the conference, last in 33 hours, covering many topics listed in the conference agenda and categorized in five majors issued, namely the following:

• Population and Sustainable Development
• Family and Women Issues
• Population Growth, Structure and Distribution
• Reproductive Health
• Security Consequences

The PPC delegation provided a presentation on Thursday, December 13, on the population growth in the State of Qatar and its impact on the natural environment.
 

The PPC study focuses on the rapid population growth in the State of Qatar and its impact on different environmental components, as following:

A constantly increasing population, associated with its economic and social activities, has diverse impacts on the environment. The population growth and human activities in Qatar were historically of a slow nature as Qatar's environment was not conducive to population growth. Prior to the 50's, the country was inhabited by only a few thousands of people, however, the country attracted a increasing number of foreign workers when the oil started to flow..

The inflow of foreign workers took place in the 70s due the oil price boom at that time which resulted in a sharp increase in the flow of foreign labor needed to build the country’s new infrastructure.

In parallel, the natural population growth rate continued at a high pace which contributed to a rapid population increase within a short period of time. Experts branded the momentum a ‘population explosion’. Such overpopulation has contributed to increase the problems associated with demographic transition where rapid population trends have resulted in environmental degradation on a huge scale.

Undoubtedly, any high rates of population growth within a short period can have a negative effect on the environment and natural resources including the air, soil and water, and causing other problems. This is particularly noticeable if such growth is connected to the comprehensive social and economic development as witnessed by the State of Qatar known for his desert area and its fragile natural environment.

The environmental situation in the State of Qatar is currently under control. However the situation is not strong enough or immune from environmental degradation or deterioration in air, land or marine ecosystems. The quantity and quality of the groundwater resources have been seriously deteriorated and the closeness of cities has led to desertification.

Due to human activities, the quality of the sea water has been changed. This has been aggravated by an increase in volume of catch and new techniques of fishing which is causing damage to coral reefs.

We should also mention a number of problems which threaten the biodiversity through the damage to coastal resources, coral reefs and mangroves.

The information on the air quality is still limited and not consistent with the status of a modern country. The major cities in Qatar are still unable to avoid the negative features of the modern life style with its various types of pollution, such as noise pollution, visual and electro-magnetic pollution. It is important to mention here that tremendous efforts are being made by the concerned authorities in the conservation of endangered species of wild flora and fauna, and have met with considerable success.

The current environmental situation in the Qatari cities and villages areas is so far stable and not yet considered serious or reaching crisis levels. However, some environmental problems need to be addressed directly before reaching a critical level by seeking immediate solutions which go right to the cause of the problem. In particular, some natural resources are vulnerable and could be seriously depleted, while others are difficult to maintain in the short-term as they are declining significantly.
For the purpose of achieving sustainable development in the State of Qatar, the study suggests a number of potential actions with the following priorities:
 

1) Developing a general strategy for environmental protection, where all concerned organisations shall be involved.
2) Examining the life style of different population categories and nationalities as an initial step in the course of preparing adequate conditions to curb the negative impact on the environment and halt environmental degradation.
3) Taking the environmental impact assessment into consideration when planning for projects.
4) Supporting the efforts made for conducting research concerned with detecting environmental problems and proposing solutions.
5) Activating the environmental laws and strictly enforcing them.
6) Providing information on the status of different environmental components.
 

Following a thorough discussion in a scientific session, the panel moderator expressed appreciation over the efforts made by the PPC researcher and the consistent correlation between the environmental issues and the population growth. Later, the session discussed the optimum methods for curbing the negative impact of the rapid population growth on the environment.

The PPC paper attracted a scientific consensus in the conference, and the participants agree to include its contents in the conference book, which is expected to be published in early 2008.

Qatar GDP reaches QR 51 billion during the third quarter, 2007

Qatar Statistics Authority released preliminary estimates of Qatar Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices by economic activity for the third quarter, July/September 2007. Estimates indicated that GDP reached QR 54.0 Billion, compared to QR 48.0 Billion during corresponding quarter, July/September 2006, with a growth rate of 12.45 % while it reached QR 50.7 Billion during the preceding quarter, April /June 2007, with a growth rate of 6.49 %.

The increase in growth rate due to the increase in oil prices during this quarter (July/ September 2007) with the increase in growth rates of most other economic activities. The contribution of Mining and Quarrying sector (which comprises extraction of oil and gas ) grew from 61.2 % during preceding quarter, April /June 2007, with a value of QR 31.8 Billion, to 61.8 % in second quarter, July/ September 2007, with a value of QR 33.4 Billion.

 The majority of other non-oil activities achieved increases in growth rates during the same period as a result of the increase in their value added. Government Services, came on top in terms of relative importance among non-oil sectors, where its contribution was 9.2 % with a value of QR 4.9 Billion, followed by Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services, with a contribution of 8.2 % and a value of QR 4.4 Billion. In third place comes Manufacturing Industries with a contribution of 7.2 % and a value of QR 3.9 Billion.

Stakeholder workshop on the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics was held

Under the sponsorship of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) organized the stakeholder workshop to discuss the draft project of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) in Qatar.

The workshop brought together local producers and users of data representing various ministries, government departments, universities, research centers, and interested private sector institutions, as well as representatives of the United Nations and the GCC statistical offices.

Addressing the stakeholders, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, President of QSA, said that the NSDS was an advanced step for the development of statistical work. It is to enhance national and international confidence in the official statistics, create databases to facilitate access, and mobilize efforts to provide data and satisfy the needs of users.

HE Sheikh Hamad further commented that the workshop comes at a time when the 2006/07 United Nations Human Development Index was released showing Qatar as jumping 11 points in 1 year, making it the 35th most advanced country in the world in terms of human development.

This achievement emphasizes the importance of developing good national statistics to monitor development, bringing to life the workshop’s motto of “Better Statistics, Better Policies, Better Development Outcomes, Better Quality of Life.”

 He highlighted that QSA followed a general roadmap to develop the strategy. This roadmap entailed an assessment of the current state of the NSS, definition of a vision, mission and quality framework, strategic goals, and action plan, to be followed by actual implementation. The NSDS will be completed with the feedback of the NSS agencies and other stakeholders, and the final version of the NSDS will be published soon after.

This workshop marks the completion of the design phase of the NSDS. The implementation phase will now begin to execute the action plan outlined in the NSDS. In addition, each key producer agency will develop its own strategy in coordination with QSA to implement NSDS goals.

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud Alloush, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the United Arab Emirates also addressed the workshop.

He added that the recent released 2006/07 United Nations Human Development Index showed Qatar as jumping 11 points in 1 year, making it the 35th most advanced country in the world in terms of human development.

Dr. Alloush further said that the 2006/07 United Nations Human Development Index reported that life expectancy in Qatar has increased by 2 years, from 73 to 75 years.

The event witnessed a number of presentations including Presentation of Results from November 2006 NSDS Workshop by Mr. Mansoor Al Malki and Presentation of National Strategy for the Development of Statistics by Dr. Ahmad Hussein, while Mrs. Marjorie Corlett discussed the implementation plan and coordinated the comments from the working groups.

The Press Release about new National Strategy for the Development Of the Statistics in Qatar

The Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) is in the midst of an important transformation that includes a new statistics law, a new organizational structure, and a new national strategy for the development of statistics in the country.

This was disclosed by HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, QSA President in a press meeting held to brief members of the press on the QSA's latest developments. The press briefing was held at QSA premises.

During the meeting, HE Sheikh Hamad said that QSA was established by Emiri Decision in June 2007 as a new independent agency, replacing the Planning Council’s Statistics Department. It is the national statistics bureau and the official source of all statistical data and information in the State of Qatar. The QSA reports directly to the Heir Apparent.

"Our mission is to produce high-quality statistical information to support evidence-based decision making and to monitor social and economic development in the State," He stressed.

Commenting on the new National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS), he said: "NSDS represents an important milestone for our national development agenda. The NSDS is an ambitious development project that aims to improve the availability and quality of statistics in Qatar. It will strengthen our country’s national capacity to deliver the quality statistics necessary to design, monitor and evaluate national development plans."

He added that, through strategic planning, QSA could achieve its own vision and define ways to realize it, and address customer needs and organizational needs. Furthermore, it could diagnose hindrances and mobilize resources, and encourage stakeholder involvement.

Regarding improvements that the public and the data user community could expect, HE Sheikh Hamad explained: "In the coming years, the public can expect to see an improved institutional framework with better coordination among the various data producers, a more harmonized and integrated national statistical system."

 Data users will see significant progress in reducing data gaps. Work programs are being expanded to include new data activities, publications, and analytical studies on economic and social topics. In addition, improvements are targeted in quality and in customer service. Important strides toward advancing methodology and technology, and enhancing access to statistical information will be made, he said.

On the development of the statistical system, he said that the NSDS was aligned with the Qatar national vision and was consistent with the global trend for countries to develop national strategies for the statistics sector in parallel with other government strategies.

Asked about recruitment efforts, he highlighted: "We are offering excellent opportunities for professionals in statistics-related fields." The QSA wants to develop a professional cadre of nationals committed to strengthening our country’s national capacity to deliver quality statistics, and we are inviting qualified Qatari professionals to join us in this exciting endeavor.

Regarding the changes related to organizational structure and institutional framework, he said a new committee, the National Statistics Consultative Committee (NSCC), is being formed. The NSCC is intended to act as a knowledgeable but impartial body to support the QSA and the national statistical system in the accomplishment of strategic goals. Elaborating, HE Sheikh Hamad explained: "The national statistical system includes all the statistical programs of government agencies collectively.

Commenting on the new Statistics Act, HE Sheikh Hamad said that a new law has been drafted to replace the 1980 statistical law. The new Statistics Act establishes QSA’s authority to collect and disseminate official statistics. The Statistics Act also identifies the duty of all government entities, private establishments, households and individuals to cooperate in furnishing statistical information. The Statistics Act strongly protects the confidentiality of all statistical data and provides penalties for the misuse of such data.

PPC Chairman Opens Population Training Course

The Chairman of the Permanent Population Committee (PPC), HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani, opened the second training course held, 19th – 22nd November at the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) premises.
 
Some 20 senior officials from the PPC Technical Bureau, GSDP officials and other government agencies concerned with population policies, participate in the training course titled (Determinants of Population Change), which will last on November 22nd.

 The four-day training programme aims at diagnosing social, economic, cultural and political determinants and factors that affect the population growth pace and structure.

This will include high lighting significant trends of human future, in general, and the Qatari community in particular. The impact of humanity on Earth's life support systems is not just determined by the number of people alive on the planet, but also depends on how those people behave.

The training course also aims at developing the professional and technical capabilities and skills of the Technical Bureau staff, the resources engaged in the population areas and partner agencies involved in the development of population policies of the State of Qatar.
 
Also empowering them with the tools and techniques necessary to effectively understand the trends of population change, its aspects and growth rates.
The session comes as part of a series of training programs designed by the PPC Technical Bureau to adopt analytical methodology.

Particular, the scientific research methods applied in social science, which incorporate theoretical and applied research techniques through specific studies specially conducted on Qatari context.

Such methodology tackles the concepts and measurements related to the social changes, including population growth, marital status, births, death and fertility.

The PPC Technical Bureau is currently working on the initial draft of "Qatar's Population Policy", which is expected to be finalised shortly. Once completed, the draft will be presented in a major workshop to be attended by senior officials concerned with population issues.

GCC Labour Market Symposium- Symposium Recommendation Report

The General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) hosted the GCC Labour Market Symposium in Doha on 29 – 31 October 2007.
Participants included representatives from regional and international institutions and organizations, including:
World Bank Institute; International Labour Organization (ILO); Arab Planning Institute; Statistic, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries; Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); GCC General Secretariat; General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), Qatar; Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs; Ministries of Interior; Supreme Education Council - Higher Education Institute, Qatar; Qatar Petroleum; Qatar University; Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar; Qatar Science and Technology Park; Institute of Administrative Development, Qatar; Qatar Statistics Authority; Al Jazeera Training and Development Centre, Qatar;
The set of recommendations agreed at the GCC Labour Market Symposium 2007 are grouped into four main areas:

A. Education and Training
B. Expatriate Labour Force and Nationalization of Jobs
C. Labour Legislation
D. Labour Market Information Systems

A. Education and Training

• Develop and implement a national vocational competency framework in accordance with local and international standards;
• Support the training of citizens by improved access to education and training
• Extend support particularly to vocational and technical training institutes;
• Education and training policies designed to be responsive to GCC Labour Market requirements;
• Establish a GCC vocational public authority to develop and implement vocational training programmers as part of a common GCC system for sector skills and standards;
• Use lessons from European best-practice in vocational training systems;
• Focus on enhancing work/labour values and creating appropriate opportunities, by developing and implementing an educational strategy;
• Support women’s training programs;
• Provide consultation services for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
• Improve the link training between training, education and nationalization strategies;
• Focus on vocational orientation and guidance;
• Create a culture of entrepreneurship in the minds of young businessmen/women, by supporting the establishment of small projects, encouraging youth to establish their own businesses and enhance the skills that will support this trend;
• Launch a national awareness campaign in the region on the importance and significance of work and discipline, in cooperation with different media establishments in each country;

B. Expatriate Labour Force and Nationalization of Jobs

• Control the process of expatriate workforce employment, define their numbers , and proficiencies according to the GCC Labour Market requirements, expected economic growth rates, and nationalization programs and plans;
• Coordinate the employment of expatriate workforce between concerned Government agencies;
• Benefit from the State of Qatar and Sultanate of Oman’s experience in modelling labour markets, where they identified future expectations on quantitative and qualitative supply and demand, as well as designed job nationalization plans in the private sector and sectoral committees – for example the nationalization plans of Qatar Petroleum, QP;
• Job nationalization plans and programs need to be realistic, they should be continuously modified in accordance with latest development in education and labour market demands;
• Bridge the gap between private and public sector incentives and benefits.

C. Labour Legislation

• Develop a legislative framework responsive to labour market developments in compliance with trends in international law;
• Review the labour legislation system in the GCC States, particularly those related to:
- supporting the role of women,
- streamlining the relationship between recruitment agencies job seekers, and employers,
- foreign workforce rights;
• Facilitate a culture of peaceful dispute settlement in the GCC judicial system;

D. Labour Market information systems

• Agree common terms and concepts related to surveys, data, studies related to labour market issues;
• Enhance efforts for conducting studies and research related to manpower in the private sector;
• Identify and address impediments to continuous development and progress of the GCC labour market;
• Provide periodical bulletins and publications related to labour market indices and facts for researchers;
• Coordinate efforts between different government agencies concerned with labour market issues to facilitate the flow of information.

Stakeholders to Discuss National Strategy for Statistics

Under the sponsorship of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) will organize a one-day workshop on November 28, 2007 to discuss the draft project of the National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) in Qatar.

Titled as "Stakeholder Workshop on the NSDS in Qatar", the workshop will bring together local producers and users of data representing various ministries, government departments, universities, research centers, and interested private sector institutions. The purpose of the workshop is to consult and seek the opinion of these stakeholders about the draft NSDS. The final version of the NSDS will include feedback from the meeting and will be published soon after.

The NSDS, which has been developed by the QSA with input from the stakeholders, aims at strengthening statistical capacity across the entire Qatari National Statistical System (NSS). Its objectives are aligned with the State of Qatar’s national development policy and goals. It follows international standards and addresses all statistical aspects, including data collection, analysis, dissemination and use, from censuses, surveys and administrative systems, as well as mechanisms for coordination and consultation.

The workshop will consist of presentations by QSA officials and experts, followed by group discussions designed to generate specific comments. To maximize the impact of the meeting, QSA also will invite international and regional experts.

It is worth a mention here that the QSA was established under Emiri Decision No (25) of the year 2007, as a new independent agency, replacing the Planning Council’s Statistics Department. The QSA is the national statistics bureau and the official source of all statistical data and information in the State of Qatar. The QSA reports directly to the Heir Apparent.

To view the Agenda  Click here
To view the National Strategy for Statistics file Click here , If you don't have Acrobat Reader , just Click here

Experts gather for GCC Labour Market Symposium

Solutions to enhance the development of the region’s labour market and upgrade its human capabilities are being sought amongst GCC experts this week.

The 2007 GCC Labour Market Symposium, being hosted in Qatar by the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), will provide a forum for experts and policy makers to agree these workable solutions as part of the regions’ overall socio-economic development.

The 3 day Symposium will take place from 29 to 31 October at the Millennium Hotel in Doha. Academics and labour-market experts from around the region will be speaking at the event, including representatives from the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation.

The agenda will focus on effective analysis and policy best-practice and one of the main considerations will be about how to improve skills and competencies, and generate new job opportunities for GCC nationals. Education and knowledge-transfer will therefore be a key theme at the Symposium.

The Director General of the GSDP, Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani, says that this Symposium will be an excellent learning opportunity for Qatar, where policy makers are continuing to explore how to enhance labour market participation through the development of a ‘knowledge-based economy’.

“In Qatar, we have realised that our most important asset for our country’s sustainable development is human resources – in whom knowledge is the best investment. Developing an economy which is knowledge-based is something we are championing as a mechanism for providing stability and direction to the region’s Labour Market,” says Sheikh Hamad.

There are limited spaces for members of the public interested in attending the Symposium. Please contact Ahmad Menne (GSDP) on + 974 495 8862 amenne@planning.gov.qa for information.

30/09/2007

LMS Project Managers Hold Second Meeting

Doha- In response to the directives issued by the Chairman of the Labour Market Strategy (LMS) Oversight Committee, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, the LMS project managers held their second meeting scheduled to focus on the measures adopted for further enhancement of the strategy. The meeting was headed by the General Coordinator of the LMS Development Project, Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi.

 Some twenty senior officials representing several government ministries and private institutions, including GSDP, Qatar Petroleum (QP), Ministry of Labour, Supreme Education Council (SEC), Supreme Council for Communication and Information Technology (ict-Qatar), Shell Global Group of Energy and Petrochemical Companies and the Institute of Administrative Development (IAD) attended the meting held at the GSDP premises.

 The meeting was held as part of the LMS Project Management Office (PMO) activities that aim at achieving quick and effective implementation of the targeted objectives, prominent of which are correcting the unbalanced situation witnessed in the LM by establishing an automated information system on to the supply and demand and bridging the existing gap between education curricula and work conditions by linking education and training to the job market needs.

The prevalence of isolated and unbalanced development policies and lack of a coordination body are among other contributing factors for this situation. "The existing training system is not convenient to the labour market requirement. The linkage between education and labour market is very weak." Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi said.

After welcoming the participants' attendance and praising their role in the previous achievements, the General Coordinator said their presence in the meeting reflects explicit evidence that their organizations are commitment to fulfilling their obligations and providing continuous support to this vital strategic project.

Dr. Al Mohannadi said the major goal of the meeting is to examine the reasons behind the existing duplication of efforts and projects, in terms of objectives, major activities and equipment required for these projects.

 The meeting agenda also includes brief presentations on the project objectives, activities, expected deliverables, physical requirements, budget cost and the steps necessary to be adopted following this meting.

The participants have enriched the meeting discussion through their constructive remarks that led to the final recommendation on the importance of reviewing different project documents. In later stage the project documents will be compiled in a final draft that would pave the way to the implementation phase.

 

20/09/2007

PPC launches its website

August 13, 2007
 DOHA: The General Director of the General Secretariat for Developmental Planning (GSDP), H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani, who is also Chairman of Permanent Population Committee (PPC), yesterday launched the e-website of the PPC on the Internet.
 The website, which hosts a wealth of new information about the PPC activities and initiatives, aims at disseminating its recent news, activities, and the population-related studies and research and the possible implications on social and economic developments in Qatar. The PPC intends to make the valuable information generated by the committee more accessible to the public and organisations.

H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani said, in the launch ceremony, that the website launch is a significant step toward moving ahead with our efforts in the field of disseminating the population strategy of the State of Qatar. The new portal offers rich contents including the PPC basic issues, introduction of the committee members, its competences, responsibilities and achievements, the technical bureau at the committee, population policies in brief and detailed description on population policies' areas of concern. The website visitors can easily obtain valuable information on various areas of population studies and their role in developing vigorous population policy.

The website also provides a forum for sharing the information that the PPC regularly publishes and the latest population policy publications.
The website launch falls within the PPC plan aiming at promoting its services rendered to the public and introducing its latest news on the activities carried out by the committee and its technical bureau. The service would enable the working parties including ministries, corporations, institutions and the general public to get access into the PPC various issues on population policy in general.

The PPC is striving to demonstrate, enhance and coordinate all activities related to the development of national population policies and programs based on Qatar's constitution and social values and traditions within the GCC population strategy, in order to create conformity with the population requirements and economic and social potentials according to Qatar's Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to which it is committed as a UN Member State. The launch was attended by senior officials and technical team at the GSDP.
The website address is:

 http://www.planning.gov.qa/arabic/ppc/ar/Index.htm
 

20/09/2007

The GSDP Participates in the 29th (SESRTCIC) Board Meeting

The General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) has recently represented the State of Qatar in the 29th Board Meeting of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for the Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC), held in Ankara, Republic of Turkey. The SESRTCIC is the statistical arm of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

 Representatives from several OIC member states including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Senegal , Republic of Tunisia, People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Republic of Senegal and the State of Qatar attended the SESRTCIC Board of Directors meeting held on September 10 and 11 this year..

 The SESRTCIC members of board of directors recommended various measures to be taken by the member states, including the expansion and increase of available national data. They also prompted the member states to create new sectoral data, such as labour market and intellectual property rights database.

 The members have also recommended that the centre shall enhance and expand its training activities in the statistical field across the region. The meeting has also recommended the dissemination of the SESRTCIC technical reports and study findings as well as providing broader access to widely diversified information on the internet.

 The board meeting has also recommended that the OIC may examine a proposal on holding extensive training courses on the regional level, such as training programmes for Arab or African countries, members of the OIC. The meeting has also recommended, among other things, ways to adopt a common methodology and uniform use of terminology and concepts used by the statistical agencies in the member states.

 The SESRTCIC has approved a recommendation that the GSDP shall be considered the official coordinator between the centre's activities and the State of Qatar and to organise complex training programs in statistics, financed by the centre, to be hosted by Qatar. The concerned authorities in Qatar shall then forward to the SESRTCIC the required training programs and define the priorities and training needs. The meeting also approved Qatar's proposal on the electronic database linkage among all member states.

The centre agreed to participate in the forthcoming "GCC Labour Market" forum, scheduled to be hosted by the GCC Secretariat General in Riyadh, in October this year and the Arab Statistical Conference to be organised by Qatar Statistics Authority late this year.

11/09/2007

Labor Force Survey 2007

Specialists in Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) started preparatory works for the Labor Force Sample Survey 2007, paving the way for the execution of the filed works in October 2007 , and in association with the concerned State agencies in identifying their requirements from the survey.

This survey shall fulfill the requirements of QSA, concerned agencies, decision makers, researchers and other data users. The survey will provide an integrated base of data useful for planning harmonizing policies between education outputs and labor market through the projects of Labor Market Strategy and the Permanent Population Committee.

The survey aims at estimating the size of the labor force in terms of:

 1. Distribution of the labor force according to the different characteristics (age, sex, educational status, marital status, employment status, economic activity, occupation, sector …etc)
 2. measuring the size of employment and unemployment as well as recognizing characteristics and attitudes of the unemployed, inasmuch as to achieve the following objectives:

 • Observing changes in employment and unemployment rates especially among Qatari citizens influenced by factors of supply and demand in the labor market.
 • Studying social and economic characteristics of the labor force, focusing on unemployed specially these never worked before.
• Drawing policies and setting up programs essential for employment to encounter growing unemployment phenomenon.
 • Verifying and checking up the success of any policies and programs currently implemented to cure unemployment phenomenon.
 • Verifying and checking the validity of certain wildly spread suppositions regarding reasons behind unemployment phenomenon e.g. youth refrainment with respect to certain jobs or working in the private sector …etc.
 • Reviewing social and economical conditions of the households specially these of the unemployed to identify the influence of these conditions (number of households members, number of employed and the unemployed among them …etc.)

3. Studying the relation between occupation and educational specialization.
4. To look into the reasons for the refrainment of young people to work in the private sector and to take handicraft occupations.
5. building up to date data base and the provide all information and statistics needed for carrying out research, studies, comparisons and monitoring indicators at the level of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as the international level.

According to the setup plan, the survey will be executed according to the following stages:- click here

Labor Force Sample Survey 2006: click here.

13/08/2007

Qatar University holds lectures on LM in Qatar

Qatar University (QU) has recently organized two lectures on "the Labour Market (LM) in the State of Qatar", as part of its summer program activities. The lectures were delivered by the General Coordinator of the Labour Market Strategy Development Project, Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Al Mohannadi. The QU summer program aims at introducing the latest university activities to the high school students in the country.

The two lectures marked the ongoing event of QU's summer program through inviting speakers of interest in order to promote knowledge among high school students.

In his motivating lectures, Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi focused on LMS objectives in the State of Qatar, which, he said, is based on the nature of the labour market with special emphasis on its significance in supporting Qatari citizen and proposing recommendations on market offers on the light of the factors that drive and activate the market for achieving more diversified employment of Qataris and more effective and efficient private sector, in consistency with building blocks of a diversified economy.

Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi highlighted, in his address, the following major LM-related remarks:

1. The Qatari population is not large.
2. The importance of filling the existing gap between education curricula and work conditions by linking education to the job market needs.
3. Dispersion of the labour market information.
4. Prevalence of isolated and unbalanced development policies and lack of coordination body providing and fostering strategic direction or harnessing resources.
5. Contradictory performance in productivity of public sector employees.
6. The majority of the Qatari citizens are reluctant to take up jobs in the private sector. They look for cushy government jobs where they have access to a lot of incentives and ideal working conditions.
7. Conditions set for employment of Qataris are not compatible with the enforcement of Qatarisation policy.
8. The increasing demand for professional skills in wide spread investments and its impact on weakening nationalization policy.
9. Qatari nationals are attracted by the monetary incentives offered in the job market only by the public sector, which is one of the most formidable challenges the planners in the country face in their drive to push nationals into private employment.
10. The existing training system is not convenient to the LM requirements. Overall, the linkages between education and the labour market are weak.
11. There is a large male deficit in pre-high secondary education in Qatar.
12. A common criterion is not adopted by the concerned authorities when issuing entry visas.
13. Substantive steps taking Qatar down the path of economic progress that generates specific professional qualifications which was not existed among Qataris.

The lecturer later outlined the recommendations, being activated by the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) in collaboration with several ministries and government agencies. Dr. Hassan pointed out that priority shall be given to the following:

o The importance of establishing an institutional body responsible for LM development.
o Creation of a national framework for educational qualifications required by the LM.
o Reviewing the existing entry visa system, under which foreign workers flow into the country.
o The importance of developing the existing performance-based employment within the private sector.

In his In his presentations, Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi has focused on the role of learning and education as tools to improve the labour market, stressing the importance of linking the educational curricula and complex subjects to the future LM as well as developing a vision that facilitates the method of empowering the students with the knowledge and culture required by the labour market in Qatar.

He focused on Qatar's labour market, its trends and issues, developing the skills and responsiveness of Qataris so they can be a part of the workforce, coordinate the development and implementation of more effective labour market policies across all sectors and upgrade the productivity of the public service workforce.

Dr. Hassan Al Mohannadi also stressed the need to the development of various training programs. "The training programs is required to be developed and diversified by professional centres or through adopting on-job training", Dr. Hassan said.

He added that the universities and high training institutions in the country are strongly recommended to be supported so that these institutions could play a greater role in creating qualified graduates specialized in specific areas required by the industrial sector, and the petrochemical industries in particular.

" Qatar's economic growth already has huge momentum, however, to enhance this and our global competitiveness, we need to carefully create strong private sector that meets the development requirements", Dr. Hassan remarked.

He noted that the LMS is keen to examine some methods that encourage students to join technical studies in universities, such as engineering, economy, advanced computer science and latest technologies.

He also stressed the importance of addressing the issue of male deficit in different educational levels and finding a solution to enhance their low education qualifications.

He explained, to the high school students, the Qatar LM model stressing its significance in predicting the future supply and demand in the labour market.

Dr. Hassan concluded his lectures by encouraging the students to join areas of specializations that are currently witnessing high demand and expected to continue to be attractive in the Qatari job market, in view of the increasingly more strident demand. He also focused on the importance of creativity and excellence in appropriate profession that accommodates fresh graduates entering the job market.

09/08/2007

Qatar GDP Reaches QR 51 Billion During Second Quarter, 2007

The Bureau of Statistics released preliminary estimates of Qatar Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices by kind of economic activity for the second quarter, April/June 2007. Estimates indicate that the GDP reached QR 50.7 Billion, compared with QR 48.0 Billion during corresponding quarter, April/June 2006, with a growth rate of 5.59 %, while it reached QR 44.7 Billion during the preceding quarter, January/March 2007, with a growth rate of 13.38 %.

The increase in the growth rates was due to the increase in the oil prices during this quarter ( April/June ) together with the increase in the growth rates of the majority of other economic activities. The contribution of Mining and Quarrying sector (which comprises extraction of oil and gas ) grew from 54 % during preceding quarter, January/March 2007, with a value of QR 24.2 Billion, to 61 % in second quarter, April/June 2007, with a value of QR 31.1 Billion.

The majority of other non-oil activities achieved increases in their growth rates during the same period as a result of the increase in their value added. Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services came on top in terms of relative importance among non-oil sectors, where its contribution was 8.6 %, with a value of QR 4.3 Billion, followed by Government Services, with a contribution of 8.6 %, with a value of QR 4.3 Billion. In third place comes Manufacturing Industries with a contribution of 7.6 %, and a value of QR 3.8 Billion.

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30/07/2007

1.67% Increase in CPI During Second Quarter, 2007

Bureau of Statistic released Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for the second quarter of 2007 where it reached 147.86, related to 2001 prices, compared to 145.42 during the first quarter of the same year i.e. an increase of 1.67 % .

The increase concentrated mainly on garments and footwear group, where the growth was 3.95% , while it reach 2.08 % for the group of rent , fuel and energy compared to first quarter of 2007

A relative stability was observed in the rent market during second quarter compared to the proceeding one, where the increase in this group reached 9.24%.

This is followed by an increase of 1.71% for the group of entertainment, recreation, culture and likewise 1.51% for the group of food, beverages and tobacco.

The remaining groups witnessed slight increases .

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29/07/2007

Qatar organizes a forum on "Labour Market in the GCC Countries"

Based on the approval of the Ministerial Committee for Planning and Development in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during its the 15th meeting held recently, and the directives of HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani, General Director of the General Secretariat for Developmental Planning (GSDP), the GSDP will organize a forum under the title ( The Forum on the Labour Market in the GCC Countries) on October 29 – 31, this year.

HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor Al Thani stressed the importance of the prominent role Qatar plays in designing a national plan for the labour market development on the GCC level. He said Qatar has finalized the first phase of its Labour Market Strategy (LMS) and is currently implementing the second phase, which involves the designing of effective policies for the LM development. " Qatar is currently implementing the second phase of its LMS which focuses on creating effective policies for the development of labour market as it represents a key element for establishing sustainable and vigorous economy for Qatar", Sheikh Hamad said.

High-ranking government representatives, academics and decision makers from GCC countries, as well as international and regional experts in population and labour issues, will came together to discuss a common way forward on issues relating to the LM components as well as demographic, social and economic issues and methods of connecting these components to their social and economic causes that could be managed and monitored.

The modern trends are built on the knowledge-based economy (KBE), needs to establish an implementation mechanism, which considers the human assets as valuable resources for economic growth, while the KBE is mainly built on efforts that required developing the LM and its evolution capabilities. Furthermore, the KBE is able to set a balance between the supply and demand in the LM according to the increased high demand on skilled labourers, created by the information and communication technology.

The Forum aims at promoting appropriate tools that result in developing the LM and enhance national human capabilities through the following two major strategies:

1. On the long term; enhance the decision-making process through reliable information and knowledge dissemination.
2. On the medium and short term; improve the KBE and develop the LM.

The three day forum will consider the above strategies; explore possible and viable solutions and overall environment that enables the creation of job opportunities for the GCC nationals and enhance their capabilities.

Proposed issues:

1. The significance of the LM in social and economic development in the GCC states.
2. Characteristics of labour force in the GCC states.
3. National labour and job opportunities in the private sector.
4. Skills of foreign labour force in the GCC countries.
5. The mobility of manpower within the GCC states.
6. The Labour Laws in the GCC states.
7. The role of women's productivity in the GCC LM.
8. Transfer of technology and its impact on job localization.
9. The existing training curricula and their compliance with the LM requirements in the GCC region.
10. Decentralization of education curricula as a tool for improving capabilities of manpower in the LM.
11. LM Information System (LMIS).
12. KBE as an assessment for the recruitment of non-national labour force.

26/07/2007

Workshop in Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing projects

The Qatar Information Exchange project (QIX) hosted a two days workshop on 16th-17th July, in collaboration with Rittman Mead Consulting with the aim to progress towards the best available IT solutions concerning Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing projects.

The objective of the workshop was to explorer more about Oracle-based business intelligence & data warehousing projects, especially Oracle Warehouse Builder, Oracle BI Discoverer, Siebel Analytics, Oracle BI Standard and Enterprise Edition, Oracle BI Publisher and the Oracle Database and to assess current obstacles and challenges, as well as opportunities for QIX project.

Representatives from QIX technical team, QIX management team and some of the end users from SCFA and QSB highlighted their experience each in their area of expertise.

The workshop had sessions discussing technical issues, work plan and an open discussion to discuss end-user requirements.

24/07/2007

GSDP and PPC participate in Global Migration Forum

The General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) and Permanent Population Committee (PPC), represented by Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Al Muhannadi, participated in the " Global Forum on Migration and Development – GFMD " held in Brussels – Belgium on July 9, 10 and 11 2007.

Themes addressed at the round table-based forum are:

Round Table 1: Human capital development and labor mobility: maximizing opportunities and minimizing risks.

Round Table 2: Remittances and other diaspora resources: increasing their net volume and development value.

Round Table 2: Enhancing policy and institutional coherence, and promoting partnerships.

The forum marked the start of a new global process designed to enhance the positive impact of migration on development by adopting a more consistent policy approach, identifying new instruments and best practices, exchanging know-how and experience about innovative tactics and methods and, finally, establishing cooperative links between the various actors involved.
The Forum's closing session reviewed and discussed the round table reports, where several positive aspects emerged from the forum.

The key added value and the positive aspects of the Forum are consistent with Qatar's trend concerning addressing expatriate issues, which considered as temporary workforce that contributes in the community development in Qatar, and consequently economic development of communities in countries of origin by remittance transfer, which results in establishing productive projects in these countries.

The GSDP Director General, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, has addressed the issue during the meeting of planning Under-Secretaries in GCC states held in may 2007 in Riyadh- KSA, and stressed the importance of initiating effective coordination between the member states. The meeting assigned the State of Qatar to prepare a paper on the global forum's activities and the proposed common action to be adopted by the GCC countries.
 

10/07/2007

New Qatari Success at International Forum - Qatar National Atlas Ranks Second in the World

The State of Qatar has achieved a new success in the Geographical Information System (GIS) field. The Qatar National Atlas, produced by the GIS section in the Bureau of Statistics, has ranked second among atlases of countries participating in the 27th International Conference on Geographical Information System organized by the World's topmost GIS vendor, the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) held in San Diego, USA, during 18-22 June 2007.

This conference is one of the major international conferences specialized in Geographical Information Systems. A record number of more than 14,000 participants from 113 countries attended the conference at which the latest technology of programs, applications and projects in various fields were on display. The Qatari National Atlas was appreciated by the participants for its professional manner of presentation, smooth flow of the topics addressed and accuracy in presenting statistical data in a comprehensible manner.

It is worth-mentioning here that the Qatar National Atlas portrays an overall geographic, socio-cultural and economic picture of the country. The geographic distribution and the interrelationship of socio-economic data generated through the General Population and Houses Census carried out in 2004 and a spatio-temporal analysis based on the previous censuses conducted by the department in 1986 and 1997 has been the main focus of the study.

This issue in 421 A3 pages is the second of its type since the Qatari Social and Economic Atlas issued in 2000, which was the first of its kind in the State of Qatar reflecting a new concept in presenting statistical data.

The Atlas is in two major parts. Part One contains 83 maps covering administrative setup, physiographic and environmental conditions, infrastructure, housing and population characteristics, agriculture, industry and trade & commerce including tourism. Each theme is supported with brief explanatory notes, tables, diagrams and photos related to the topic addressed.

Part Two contains important and useful geographical information represented by 234 topographical maps showing major populated areas in Qatar. These ortho-photo maps also contain names of the main streets in Arabic and English and location of important landmarks shown through different symbols.

Two A1 size maps (Arabic/English) are also included in the side pockets of the Atlas showing geographic information including Doha and Al Rayyan streets in detail and general statistics of the country for tourist purpose and use of general public.

26/06/2007

 Workshop: Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Development in Qatar

The General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) hosted a one day workshop on 27 June in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with the aim to progress towards a comprehensive national strategy for SME development in Qatar.

This workshop followed a fact-finding mission conducted in Qatar by the UNDP during late April 2007, at the request of the Secretary General of the former Planning Council, and now Director General of the new GSDP, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

The objective of the mission was to assess current obstacles and challenges, as well as opportunities for SME development in Qatar, taking into particular account the potential contribution of SMEs to economic development, as well as their contribution towards ‘Qatarisation’.

At the workshop, UNDP representatives presented the mission findings, which include the information that was gathered from Government, public and private organisations. They presented their preliminary recommendations which were discussed amongst the government and private sector workshop participants.

Representatives from Qatar Development Bank, Total E&P, the Qatar Ministry of Energy & Industry, and the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, highlighted their experiences of their SME initiatives, and shared learnings that can be usefully related to Qatar’s SME development strategy.

For more information please contact Clare Peacock (+974 667 9601

17/06/2007

Qatar’s Labour Market Strategy managers trained to highest standard

The Managers for Qatar’s Labour Market Strategy projects have undergone training to raise their project management techniques to the highest standard.

Under the auspices of His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabor Al-Thani, General Director of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), Qatar National Project Management (QNPM) facilitated a second tailored workshop to the Labour Market Strategy project teams on 12 and 13 June. This workshop follows an initial workshop held in late January this year.

The Labour Market Strategy is a Cabinet-approved national strategy for integrating Qatar’s labour market and enhancing the workforce participation of Qataris.

QNPM was initiated to address the development of professional project-management skills within the public service. It has provided customized support to the teams working to implement the 10 initial projects of the Labour Market Strategy and its National Action Plan.

The General Coordinator of the Labour Market Strategy, Dr Hassan Al-Mohannadi, stated that using QNPM to develop the professional skills of these managers actually complements one of the outcomes that the projects themselves hope to achieve.

“One of the objectives the Labour Market Strategy is to improve the efficiency of the Public Service workforce. With the help of QNPM, our own project managers will be trained to the highest standards to ensure that these projects themselves are managed and implemented efficiently and effectively,” said Al-Mohannadi.

The project teams that will be implementing these 10 projects of the Labour Market Strategy are made up of a range of organizations. The Strategy as a whole is overseen by a multi-party Oversight Committee of nine agencies, including the General Secretariat for Developmental Planning (formerly the Planning Council), Ministry of Education, Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Interior, Qatar University, Qatar Foundation, Supreme Education Council/ Higher Education Institute, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Qatar Petroleum.

For further information please contact Clare Peacock (+974) 667 9601

14/06/2007

Senior Officials recognise progress and potential of Qatar’s Labour Market Strategy

The Cabinet-approved National Action Plan for integrating Qatar’s labour market and enhancing the workforce participation of Qataris is making encouraging progress according to Senior Officials.

Plans for 10 initial projects that have been developed under Qatar’s Labour Market Strategy and its National Action Plan were reviewed positively by the Strategy’s multi-agency Oversight Committee at a meeting on 10 June.

The meeting was chaired by the General Director of the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), HE Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabor Al Thani. The officials in attendance included the Vice President – Education of Qatar Foundation, Dr. Abdullah Bin Saoud Al-Thani, the Manager of Public Security at the Ministry of Interior, Major-General Saad Bin Jassim Al-Khoulaifi, and Manager of Capital Security, Brigadier Mubarak Dawi, Director of Human Resources at Qatar University, Dr. Hind Jolo, Communications Manager for the Supreme Council for Education, Dr. Nawal Al-Sheikh, Member of the Board of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Mohammed Al-Ahbabi, Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Education, Mr. Abdullaziz Al-Kaabi, and the Director of Administration at Qatar Petroleum, Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Jassim Al-Thani. Also in attendance was the Labour Market Strategy General Project Coordinator, Dr. Hassan Al-Mohannadi, as well as the project coordinators and Chairpersons of each project’s Steering Committee.

Sheikh Hamad pointed out that the objectives of this Strategy, and the progress so far with its 10 project plans, are being enthusiastically received amongst Senior Officials.

“We all recognise how this Strategy is working to underpin the ‘bigger picture’ vision for Qatar. Its objectives directly contribute to our human development drive, and its progress will be an important step as we plan how to build a knowledge-based economy in Qatar,” said Sheikh Hamad.

Dr Hassan Al Mohannadi, went on to describe the engagement process being undertaken to continue to inform and involve stakeholders as the Strategy and National Action Plan progress.

One example of this was the early-June workshop with the oil and gas sector, jointly hosted by the Planning Council (now GSDP) and Qatar Petroleum, where the sector’s involvement in the projects was explored.

These 10 initial projects fall under four specific areas: ‘Education, Training and Work Support’; ‘Labour Information Collection and Management’; ‘Labour Market Policy and Institutional Development’; and ‘Public Service Employment and Productivity’.

The projects will aim to achieve four key outcomes: enhance what we know about Qatar’s labour market, its trends and issues; develop the skills and responsiveness of Qataris, so that they can better participate in the workforce; coordinate the development and implementation of more effective labour market policies, across all sectors; and upgrade the productivity of the Public Service workforce.

For any related queries please contact Clare Peacock on (+974) 667 9601.