Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q

TRAVEL AND TOURISM

Qatar Airways celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022, and fittingly won the Skytrax ‘Airline of the Year’ award for a record seventh time in September. Qatar Airways also won World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining, and Best Airline in the Middle East. Hamad International Airport was voted the World’s Best Airport 2022, winning the award for the second year in succession. Qatar Airways hosted the 8th IATA World Financial Symposium in September, the largest conference of aviation financial leaders since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Speaking at the event, Willie Walsh, Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), noted that despite ongoing difficulties, the Middle East aviation industry is recovering at a faster rate than other markets. HOSPITALITY

There were many new openings during the year, a combination of luxury hotels, resorts and attractions. New hotels include Le Royal Méridien Doha, Pullman Doha West Bay, Rixos Gulf Hotel Doha, The St. Regis Marsa Arabia, Waldorf Astoria Lusail, and Wyndham Grand Doha West Bay Beach. Attractions such as 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Al Maha Island, Lusail Winter Wonderland, Lusail Boulevard, Corinthia Yacht Club, West Walk, West Bay North Beach Project, 974 Beach Club and Fuwairit Kite Beach came online, alongside new retail offerings Printemps Doha and Place Vendôme (pictured). BUSINESS

Higher energy prices helped Qatar achieve a budget surplus of QAR47.3 bn for the first half of 2022 and gross domestic product growth of 4.3%, despite the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the RussiaUkraine crisis. In July, Qatar won the presidency of the International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Berne Union), part of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This achievement is a recognition of the attention Qatar pays to IP issues and the progress made by the State in this field. HH The Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani inaugurated Al Kharsaah Solar Plant in October, one of the region’s largest solar plants and the first in Qatar. It is expected to provide around 10% of peak electricity demand and part of Qatar’s contribution towards renewable energy. Work continues on the North Field East and South expansion projects, with QatarEnergy awarding a number of mega contracts during the year. The North Field Expansion Projects is the industry’s largest ever LNG project. It will start production in 2026, adding more than 48 mn tonnes per annum (mtpa) to the world’s LNG supplies, and raising Qatar’s LNG production capacity to 126 mtpa. Internationally, QatarEnergy expanded its operations in 16 countries. EDUCATION

It was announced in September that three Qatari cities – Doha, Al Rayyan and Al Daayen – have become part of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC). The three cities join Al Wakra, Al Shamal and Al Sheehaniya, with preparations underway to enable the remaining two municipalities (Umm Slal and Al Khor/Al Thakhira) to join the GNLC. Speaking at the ‘Transforming Education Summit’ at the United Nations in New York, Minister of Education and Higher Education HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi stated that Qatar is one of the largest contributors to humanitarian projects, investing in education, health and economic support. To date, the Qatar Fund for Development has spent USD1 bn in 64 countries and has supported 10 mn out-of-school children in 60 countries. At this year’s Street Child World Cup held in Doha, HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, signed the ‘Qatar Commitment’, a document crafted by 290 street-connected children, refugees, and young leaders. It aims to remind nations of their commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that all children are entitled to all rights, regardless of their circumstances.