Gulf | Qatar
Qatar population approaches 1m as expatriates flock in for jobs
Qatar's population may soon hit one million as a growing number of expatriates flock to the gas-rich country in search of jobs and business opportunities, a local daily said on Thursday.
- Staff Report
- Published: 00:10 December 7, 2007
Doha: Qatar's population may soon hit one million as a growing number of expatriates flock to the gas-rich country in search of jobs and business opportunities, a local daily said on Thursday.
Tens of thousands of foreign workers arrive in the country every month, said the local English daily Gulf Times, quoting a demographic expert.
"More and more people are attracted to Qatar as the country has been witnessing an economic boom due to the soaring oil prices and increased revenues from gas exports. The public and private sectors in the country have launched scores of multi-billion riyal infrastructure ventures and industrial projects, which require a large workforce running into thousands," the source was quoted as saying.
"If the current trend is maintained over the next few months, the country's population will soon cross the million mark," he was quoted as saying.
Diseases
Referring to figures released by the National Health Authority on Wednesday, the paper said some 46,730 foreigners underwent the mandatory medical check-up at the Medical Commission last month as a prerequisite for regularising their stay in Qatar for periods of over one month. It was a 23.6 per cent increase over the previous month.
The check-ups are conducted to ascertain that the people coming to Qatar for long-term stay are not suffering from serious communicable diseases like Aids and tuberculosis.
The last census in 2003 put the Qatari population at 742,000, but the figure is estimated to have reached about 900,000, the source said. "Such a large influx of people will keep the demand for housing units and commodities at a high level. The demand-supply ratio will be hard to be reconciled in the shorter term," he said.
Qatar is enjoying dramatic economic growth driven by surging gas revenues, but the government is battling an increasingly high rate of inflation led by high housing costs.
In the second quarter of 2007, inflation hit 12.8 per cent after reaching 14.78 per cent in the first quarter. Rents have increased by 168 per cent in the past two years and take up between 60 and 90 per cent of personal income, according to a recent public statement by Finance Minister Yousuf Kamal.
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