Qatar’s pace of development will continue well beyond 2022, when the country proudly hosts the FIFA World Cup, says Aamal CEO and managing director Sheikh Mohamed bin Faisal al-Thani.
“We are excited to host the World Cup in 2022. As a country, Qatar will get a lot of exposure by hosting FIFA 2022. This exposure will benefit Qatar as we seek to maintain our pace of development. And for us here in Qatar, it is going to be much more promising even after the World Cup,” Sheikh Mohamed said in an interview with Gulf Times.
He said creating and upgrading infrastructure were a continuous process. Qatar will see a lot of development in terms of infrastructure. 
Speaking about the blockade imposed on Qatar by some Arab countries since 2017, Sheikh Mohamed said, “Of course, at the beginning, it (blockade) came in as a shock to all of us. It was totally unexpected, given the many ties we had with these countries. After the blockade, it took a few months for things to get back to normal.
“Blockade indeed provided us many opportunities in the sense that we were able to examine areas where we needed to focus more. We learnt to depend on our resources and utilise those to remain self-sufficient. The help Qatar’s private sector received in this respect from the Government was tremendous.”
Asked whether the regional turmoil would have any impact on Qatar, Sheikh Mohamed said, “By God’s grace, we are a very stable economy and the best performing in the entire region. We are a ‘AA’ economy and our current ratings are the best in the entire region. We have been blessed with abundant natural resources too.”
He said, “But we know our oil and gas resources will not stay forever. And that’s why, we are planning beyond oil and gas…our strategy is to diversify away from hydrocarbon resources.”
Sheikh Mohamed said Aamal Company would continue to participate actively in Qatar’s economic diversification.
“As a country we have a vision to create a sustainable economy. The Qatar National Vision 2030 aims to transform our country into an advanced society capable of achieving sustainable development by 2030. We strongly support the Qatar National Vision 2030,” he said.
He also said Qatar’s geographical location remains a strong point for the country. 
“We are close to the two vibrant markets: Asia and Europe. We are also well connected to these major markets. The world-class Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port provide us excellent connectivity with the rest of the world.
“That many reputable international companies have chosen to locate and do business in Qatar attests to the fact that we are a stable country with lot of prospects and potential. Our economy is open and we are transparent. Everything is done here in accordance with international laws. We have grown rapidly over the last many years, and God willing, we will continue to grow. Our prospects remain bright,” Sheikh Mohamed added.
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