Qatar: Security AssistanceBureau of Political-Military Affairs
Washington, DC
July 16, 2008
Background: Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. (Source: CIA—The World Factbook)
Security Assistance Funding: (Source: 2009 Congressional Budget Justifications for Foreign Operations)
($ in thousands)
Account
|
FY 2007
|
FY2007
|
FY 2008
|
FY 2008
|
FY2009 |
|
|
Actual
|
Supp
|
Estimate
|
Supp
|
Request |
IMET
|
--
|
--
|
14
|
--
|
15 |
NADR
|
1,120
|
--
|
268
|
--
|
-- |
Direct Commercial Sales: (Source: 2007 Section 655 Report)
In FY 2007, the Department of State authorized the export of defense articles and services valued at $129,124,426.
| 
