A networking event for businesses Wednesday, 04 May 2011 04:55

In its 8th consecutive year, Project Qatar 2011 is one of the leading event in the region. This highly anticipated show has become an annual networking event for companies and individuals operating across all construction sectors, including architects, engineers, interior designers, project owners, contractors, manufacturers, planners and distributors.
With more than 1,000 leading exhibitors from all around the world, Project Qatar provides a unique opportunity to conduct business and gain access to a competitive market with the industry’s top companies and professional visitors in one convenient location.
Also, held concurrently with Project Qatar, is an exclusive dedicated green pavilion offering eco-solutions and Qatar Sustainability Conference 2011, proving Project Qatar’s commitment to environmental consciousness in the construction industry for the third year running.
Qatar boasts the second highest GDP per capita in the world. Today, it’s proved reserves of natural gas account for about 14 percent of the global total, with oil and gas making up more than 50 percent of the country’s GDP, approximately 85 percent of export earnings, and 70 percent of government revenues. These energy revenues resulted in tremendous and rapid economic growth over the last decade, making Qatar one of the world’s fastest growing countries.
The construction and real estate sectors demonstrate increasing potential. When the financial crisis resonated globally in late 2008, Qatar proved its resilience. Becoming a leading trading hub in the region with billions of dollars being poured into intensive infrastructure and construction development, the on-going mega projects are set to rapidly establish the country as the most promising and significant business area in the Middle East.

Key construction projects:
• The man-made Pearl-Qatar island is being developed with a budget of $9bn
• Qatar Science & Technology Park was built for technology companies and start-ups with a first-phase budget of $600m
• Education City, an initiative of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, consists of an expanding list of international universities
• The $300m-plus Museum of Islamic Art opened in 2008 to address cultural preservation
• The first half of Lusail’s Entertainment City cost $1.5bn and is expected to open within the next 6 years
• An estimated 25,000 new housing units were required in Qatar at the beginning of 2010
Qatar’s economy has recently been one of the world’s fastest growing, despite difficult economic conditions globally.  The strength of the economy is derived in large part from its massive oil and gas reserves, but economic diversification remains a top concern. Non-hydrocarbons growth is now exceeding oil and gas sector growth as Qatar aims to make the non-energy sector account for 80 percent of the economy by 2015.

About Qatar:
• A multicultural population growing at 10 percent annually
• $32bn budgeted for development in 2010/2011
• $12bn allocated for capital spending in 2010/2011
• Growth across all industries: energy, transport, construction, IT and telecom, insurance, tourism, food, retail, etc.
• Newly issued construction permits were up 33 percent in 2010

The Qatar sustainability Conference (QSC) 2011
The Qatari government is dedicated to supporting a sustainable construction sector in the state. To that end, the third Qatar Sustainability Conference (QSC) will be held a t the Doha Exhibition Center on May 3 to 4, 2011 in conjunction with Project Qatar 2011.
Using targeted sessions, the two-day conference will feature green building techniques and how they can be applied t o structures under construction. Qatar Sustainability Conference’s main objective remains to increase the awareness, knowledge and action on the topic of sustainability in the construction industry.
QSC 2011 aims together experts and key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, from all over the world to tackle the issue of g reen building from a new angle t o complement the discussions of QSC 2010.

The organisers
For more than 30 years, IFP has been staging the Middle East’s most successful exhibitions, trade shows and events across all practices in seven markets. With more than 400 events under its belt, IFP is equipped with the necessary expertise and resources, making it the reference in the industry.
www.ipfqatar.com