Qatar History CH 9

 Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani:

o   born in Al-Rayyan in 1932.

o   gained a deep understanding and appreciation of the affairs of Qatari as he assumed his responsibilities early in life.

o   1949 à the Crown Prince and Chairman of Security Affairs in Qatar.

o   1957 à the first head of the Education Department (Ministry 1958)

o   1960 à the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler, and the first minister of finance.

o   1970 à chaired the first Council of Ministers

o   1972 à Emir of Qatar

o   Inauguration:

§  Radio announcement

§  National Income is part of the national budget

§  Emphasis on development

§  Raise on salaries for public employees and also including the disabled, retired, widowed, orphaned

§  Establishment of the Majlis al-Shura to aid the Emir and represent the country

o   Achievements:

§  April 19, 1972 à amended constitution of 1970

·       First article:

o   Qatar is an independent sovereign Arab State.

o   Its religion is Islam and the Sharia Law.

o   Its political system is democratic.

o   The Arabic language shall be its official language.

o   The people of Qatar are a part of the Arab nation.

·       Second article:

o   The capital of the State of Qatar is Doha City.

o   The State shall exercise sovereignty on its own territorial land and waters located within its international boundaries, and may neither relinquish this sovereignty nor cede any part of its land or waters.

·       Third article:

o   The Law shall specify the flag, emblem, decorations and badges of the State, and the National Anthem.

§  The national flag of Qatar is in the ratio of 11:28.

§  It is maroon with a broad white serrated band on the hoist side.

§  It was adopted shortly before the country declared independence from Britain on 3 September 1971.

·       Article 40:

o   Advisory council shall be established to assist the Emir and the Council of Ministers in performing their duties by its opinion.

§  This council shall be called “Shura Council”

·       Article 41:

o   The Shura Council shall consist of thirty-five members, issued for their appointment an Emiri resolution.

§  The Emir may appoint a number of other members, if he deems necessary for the public interest.

§  1973 à education

·       Primary schools were opened in several villages to provide education for villagers in their own residence instead of having to travel to Doha.

·       Night schools established for men working during the day.

·       Number female schools increased rapidly.

·       Schools for elderly men and women were opened in several town and villages.

·       The number of students in Qatar in 1996 was approximately 51,000, with 35,000 being primary students and 16,000 being secondary students. There were 8,000 university students.

·       First school was Atheriya but not modern school = Shiekh Almani à1938

·       First modern school is Islah al hamadeya à 1947

·       Rashediya is schools during ottoman times

·       Katatib = based on quran = mutawe3

§  1972 à press and television

·       1970 à Al Tarbiya = education & Al Uruba = political (magazines)

·       1971 à Gulf News (magazine)

·       1972 à Al Arab (newspaper)

·       1974 à Al Ahed (magazine)

·       1977 à Al Jawhara = women (magazine)

·       1978 à Al Dawri = sports (newspaper)

·       Al-Mishaal magazine = oil and energy

·       Doha magazine & The hawk and the nation magazines

·       May 10 1979 à Al Raya (newspaper) (27 January 1980 became daily)

·       1987 à Al Sharq = political (newspaper)

·       December 1978 à Gulf Times = English (newspaper)

·       1978 à Al Dawha

·       August 1970 à Qatar Television

o   Programs were aired every day for three to four hours with a 50 kW transmitter.

·       1974 à colour broadcasts.

·       1982 à For English speakers

·       May 25, 1975 à Qatar News Agency

o   Came to existence because of Emiri Decree No. 94 of 1975,

§  1972 à National Economy

·       1972 à Qatar National Petroleum company

·       1973 à 25% of QPC and SCQ

·       1975 à Qatar General Petroleum Corporation

o   The government signed new agreements with the oil companies giving QGPC 60% ownership.

·       1977 à onshore and offshore operations were fully nationalized, and service contracts were given to former concessionaires

·       1975 à refining capacity had expanded to 6,000 bpd

·       1980s à 6,000 + 4,000 = 10,000 bpd

·       1983 à refinery opened

o   added 50,000 bpd in capacity

o   bringing the national total to more than 60,000 bpd

·       1990 à National Oil Distribution Company refined an average of 62,000 bpd

o   75%of production was exported.

o   profits were 40% higher due to Iraqi invasion of Kuwait

·       1971 à Gas discovery = Ras Al Ghas = North

o   1984 à off shore excavation of gas

o   Japan, which signed an agreement in 1992 to purchase 4 million tons of liquid gas for 25 years starting in 1997.

·       Evolution of Currency:

o   1959 à Gulf Rupee à One rupee, five rupees, ten rupees, one hundred rupees

§  government of India + Gulf Countries

o   September 1966 à Qatar-Dubai Riyal

§  Qatar decided to form a currency council of Qatar and Dubai,

o   1973 à Qatari Riyal à The Qatar Monetary Agency

§  First Issue à 1973: 1 riyal, 5 riyals, 10 riyals, 50 riyals, 100 riyals, 500 riyals.

§  Second Issue à 1983: 1 riyal, 5 riyals, 10 riyals, 50 riyals, 100 riyals, 500 riyals.

·       Summary:

·       Production industries

o   The plan of diversifying the economy started focusing on alternative sources of income to petrol and gas.

o   1974 à QAPCO (Qatar Petrochemical Company)

o   1974 à QASCO (Qatar Steel)

§   first integrated steel plant in the Eastern Arabia region.

§  Commercial production started in 1978

§  2003 -à the company becoming wholly owned by Industries Qatar

o   1974 à Cement production

o   1974 à Aluminium production

o   1975 à Petrol refinery opened in Mesaiad.

o   1972 à Ministry of Country and Agriculture was founded

§  It provided necessary support for agricultural production.

§  1972 à Foreign Policy

·       Fundamentals for the foreign policy:

o   To consolidate the ties of friendship with all Islamic states and peoples in special, and peace-loving states and peoples in general on basis of mutual respect, common interests and non-interference in their foreign affairs.

o   To hold a belief of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations which aim to strengthen the right of peoples in self-determination, develop international cooperation for the goodness of all mankind, offer peace and security throughout the world, commit the states to settling their disputes by peaceful means and establish its relations with states on the basis of justice and equality under the provisions of the International Law.

·       February 23, 1972, à To carry this foreign policy out, Sheikh Suhaim bin Hamad was appointed as the first foreign minister in Qatar

·       May 1981 à Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) à  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

o   Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), political and economic alliance of six Gulf countries, including: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.

o   Purpose à to achieve unity among its members based on their common objectives and their similar political and cultural identities, which are rooted in Arab and Islamic cultures

·       Political Events at the time:

o   6 to 25 October 1973 à Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War

§  an armed conflict fought from between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.

o   The Iranian Revolution was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the replacement of his government with an Islamic republic under the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini, a leader of one of the factions in the revolt.

o   17 September 1978 à The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem

§  following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retreat of the President of the United States in Maryland.

o   22 September 1980 à The Iran–Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began on with a full-scale invasion of Iran by neighbouring Iraq.

§  The war lasted for almost eight years, and ended in a stalemate on 20 August 1988, when Iran accepted Resolution 598 of the United Nations Security Council

o   2 August 1990 à The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on whereby it invaded the neighbouring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country.

o   Infrastructure and facilities:

§  Electricity and Water:

·       1971 àThe Ministry of Electricity and Water was created along with 8 other ministries as part of the Council of Ministers formed in preparation for Independence

·       1977 à First Computerized Electricity Systems Control Center is operational.

o   This ensured a reliable supply to consumers and maximum safety for employees and equipment.

o   Water and electricity capacity and distribution networks were upgraded.

o   Ras Abu Aboud power station is upgraded in Phases and changes from steam to gas turbines.

§  The same happens with water.

·       1977 à Ras Abu Fontas ‘A’ power station using gas turbines began operations

o   It is upgraded in stages to 1980.

o   Ras Abu Fontas ‘A’ desalinated plant also undergoes same upgrades to increase capacity

§  Charitable Societies and Health Services:

·       1974 à The first law regulating the establishment of charitable societies was issued

·       The Qatar Society for the Care and Rehabilitation of the Disabled.

·       1980 à The Qatar Charity Association

·       March 1978 à The establishment of the Qatar Red Crescent Society

o   1981 à recognized internationally

·       1982 à Hamad Medical Corporation was established to provide medical and curative care services in the country.

o   The corporation currently includes five hospitals characterized by the highest level of specialization, which are:

§  Hamad General Hospital

§  Women and Obstetrics Hospital

§  Rumailah Hospital

§  Al Amal Hospital for Diseases. Cancer

§  Al Khor Hospital

§  in addition to a psychiatric clinic and primary health care centres.