The World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with the Qatari Businessmen Association and the Social Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University will be conducting an Executive Opinion Survey of businesses and industry in Qatar.The survey, “The Voice of the Business Community”, is a major component of the Global Competitiveness Report and provides the key ingredient that turns the report into a representative annual measure of a nation’s economic environment and its ability to achieve sustained growth. The survey gathers valuable information on a broad range of variables for which hard data sources are scarce or non-existent. High level business executives operating in Qatar will be surveyed to take their opinion on the business environment in which they operate.The Global Competitiveness Report has been the World Economic Forum’s flagship publication since 1979 and is widely recognised as the world’s leading cross-country comparison of factors affecting economic competitiveness and growth.A sample of company executives in Qatar will be asked to complete this important and confidential survey. The Qatari Businessmen Association and SESRI note that it is vitally important that each executive sampled complete the survey to ensure that Qatar has accurate and reliable data in the report.At a press conference announcing the launch of the survey, Sheikha al-Misnad, president, Qatar University, said: “The Global Competitiveness Report, along with other important reports such as the Global Information Technology Report, are important vehicles for showcasing the great strides that Qatar has been making in creating an environment that is conducive to business entrepreneurship and IT innovations and for making cross-country comparisons. Ensuring the success of the Executive Opinion Survey thus becomes a national responsibility.”Al-Misnad added: “This year, Qatar University’s Social and Economic Survey Research Institute has been invited by the World Economic Forum to co-partner with the Qatar Businessmen Association in executing this important survey. The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute will bring to bear its academic experience and expertise to support the work that has been done by QBA, thus ensuring a representative sample and reliable data that will accurately portray Qatar’s performance in the industrial and IT realms.”According to last year’s Global Competitiveness Report, Qatar is currently ranked 14th worldwide, which is three places higher than in the 2010-2011 reporting period, and is the most competitive country in the Middle East. Qatar has also taken the top spot in the Middle East and is fourth among 142 countries around the world for the quality of its educational system. Qatar is ranked 12th in quality of basic education, 13th in the quality of teaching mathematics and science, seventh in the quality of school administration, seventh in the availability of Internet in schools and 24th in staff training.