Guides
Doing business in Qatar - A tax and legal guide
September 2021
Manufacturing
At a glance
Qatar’s manufacturing sector is a major driving force in Qatar’s economic diversification, backed by Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), which aims to develop an economy that is less dependent on hydrocarbons. With that in mind, Qatar National Manufacturing Strategy focuses on establishing advanced manufacturing value chains with the aim of transforming Qatar into a major hub for production. With Qatar’s high-calibre talent pool, unparalleled market access and connectivity, and the state-of-the-art free zones, Qatar is emerging as a global manufacturing destination.
$21.7 billion
Contribution
of manufacturing sector to GDP in 2022
Largest
LNG exporter
World’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas
~10%
sector contribution
to GDP in 2022
What's happening
QNRF Smart Manufacturing
Qatar Foundation (QF) established Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) in 2006 as part of its ongoing commitment to establish Qatar as a knowledge-based economy. QF views research as essential to national and regional growth, as the means to diversify the nation’s economy, enhance educational offerings and develop areas that affect the community, such as health and environment. QNRF is looking to implement and drive the innovation and development of new smart manufacturing technologies that use digital technologies, robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things to boost manufacturing and production, by reducing production cost and time.
QDB Factory One
Factory One is the first-of-its-kind industrial capability center based out of Qatar, established in collaboration with McKinsey & Company to bring world-class experience in lean operations to power local manufacturing industries. A broad spectrum of capability-building and SME transformation programs will be delivered at the center offering local manufacturers the opportunity to advance their efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage.
QDB Jahiz
QDB Jahiz supports innovative entrepreneurs striving to manufacture products within Qatar. Solutions include training programs, industrial workshops for startups at promotional prices, and ready-to-operate manufacturing facilities suitable for a wide variety of industries – including Food & Beverage – at competitive rates.
Electric vehicles opportunities
In the high-tech sector of electric vehicle manufacturing it has established a hub to pioneer and develop Plug&Play component research, developing and testing prototypes and provided an environment to test mobility vehicles and emerging technologies across buses, vans, and small vehicles. Qatar offers a breadth of incentives to foreign investors such as but not limited to tax exemptions, land allocation, regulatory exemptions, energy supply for manufacturing, and financial support, which can be tailored to meet your needs based on the requirements of your investment proposal.
Aerospace Additive Manufacturing opportunities
A strong aviation sector, driven by Qatar Airways, the country’s award-winning airline, a focused National Manufacturing Strategy and unparalleled market access and connectivity position Qatar as an idea manufacturing destination for aerospace additive manufacturing. Foreign investors looking for opportunities in the 3D manufacturing of aerospace parts can benefit from Qatar’s commitment to establishing advanced manufacturing value chains locally, regionally and globally.
Medical Consumables and Device Parts Additive Manufacturing opportunities
Qatar is inviting leading global prototyping and healthcare parts manufacturers to setup an additive manufacturing facility with the capabilities to prototype, fabricate and post process medical consumables and device parts.
The Qatari market for medical additive manufacturing boasts strong growth primarily driven by demand from healthcare. This is aligned with the rapidly growing healthcare sector as evidenced by the state’s spending on healthcare per capita being the highest in the MENA region, the 88% expected growth in the number of healthcare centres and facilities between 2020 and 2022. The market also has a robust ecosystem for manufacturing with significant access to base materials, and home to the first model factory in the GCC that offers hands-on training to help corporations achieve operational excellence. In addition, Qatar’s unparalleled market access and connectivity mean that local production will have access to significant local and regional demand. Overall, Qatar is an ideal manufacturing destination for medical additive manufacturing.
Vaccine Manufacturing opportunities
Qatar is a thriving economy that offers robust, competitive, and attractive business opportunities. Its rapidly growing healthcare sector along with the country’s robust business ecosystem, world-class infrastructure, strategic location, and unparalleled connectivity make it an ideal location for vaccine manufacturing.
Advanced Manufacturing
The integration of smart technologies, including IoT, AI and supply chain, is driving automation and connectivity in manufacturing processes. Qatar's National Manufacturing Strategy 2024–2030 aims to strengthen the manufacturing sector’s capabilities, increase its gross output as a driver of development and innovation, and raise the sector’s value-added contribution to QAR 70.5 billion. Additionally, it seeks to boost non-hydrocarbon exports to QAR 49 billion and attract annual industrial investments of QAR 2.75 billion by 2030.
Who is already here?
Qatar manufacturing ecosystem
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