Alkass Digital
The State of Qatar will celebrate today the National Day, which falls on December 18 of each year, under the slogan ‘Ancestral Meadows: A Matter of Trust’, which is derived from a poem by the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani.
This slogan confirms that Qataris are linked to their environment since ancient times, as they were raised in it and were affected by its characteristics. They coexisted with its nature in all its seasons, which made their lives as simple as their environment.
On this glorious day in Qatar’s history, we recall the biography of the Founder who, nearly 140 years ago, took over the reins of power on December 18, 1878, and laid the foundations of our modern state, preserved its sovereignty and the dignity of its people, and made Qatar a united, cohesive and independent state.
He also established the values and principles on which it was based, and thanks to these values, the State proceeded on the paths of glory and honor, accomplishing achievements, patronizing rights, safeguarding covenants, providing aid to those in need, supporting the oppressed, triumphing for truth and justice, observing the right of neighborliness, adhering to values and morals, and presenting to the world a bright model for a secure and stable state capable of achieving the highest rates of development and providing decent life for its people and residents on its land.
Perhaps the progress achieved by the State of Qatar clearly reflects the authenticity and genius of the long journey initiated by the Founding and all leaders of Qatar who walked the path and achieved the desired goal, which is the pride and dignity of everyone who resides on this good land.
This day is significant for Qataris, as it represents the meanings of unity and harmony among everyone who lives on the beloved land of Qatar. This occasion comes while the State of Qatar is achieving a major renaissance in all fields, including political, economic, social and athletic fields due to the wise policy and sound directives of the wise leadership, and thanks to the solidarity of the people of the country and their support for their wise leadership.
Since the beginning of its blessed journey, the State of Qatar believed in the principle of investing in human beings and placed it on the top of its priorities. Despite the advanced stages that the State has made in achieving comprehensive development and economic advancement, the ambitions of the wise leadership have no limits, as it is constantly striving for the best and the highest for the sake of the welfare of the people on this earth, their dignity, rights, wishes and aspirations.
This year has been full of political activity for our country, at home and abroad, and at all levels, which reflects the active role of the State of Qatar and the position it enjoys among countries, people and international organizations and institutions. At the top of this activity were the foreign participations of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
H H the Amir participated last Tuesday with his brothers, the leaders of the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and heads of delegations in the 42nd Gulf Summit in Riyadh. H H the Amir also started 2021 by participating in the work of the 41st session of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, which was held in the Saudi province of Al-Ula. Last May, H H the Amir visited the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during which he met with HRH Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
H H the Amir participated in the works of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia last June, the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership, which was held in Baghdad last August, and in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York during September. Last October, H H the Amir participated in the extraordinary meeting of the Group of 20 on Afghanistan, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, whose country is chairing the current session of the group. H H the Amir also participated in the Middle East Green Initiative Summit, which was held in Riyadh, and in the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, last month.
Doha turned into a global capital of political, diplomatic and economic activity through intensive visits by a large number of leaders of Arab, Islamic and friendly countries. HH the Amir received them separately at the Amiri Diwan and discussed with them bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them as well as issues and topics of common interest.
Qatari diplomacy shined in its best form through its efforts in the Afghan peace process, as it hosted and facilitated talks between the various Afghan factions and the United States and others, in addition to evacuating thousands of Afghan citizens and foreigners wishing to leave Kabul after Taliban took control. Most of those who were evacuated settled as guests in the State of Qatar for a few days before continuing their way to their final destinations. The evacuation of civilians took place under dangerous conditions and many challenges, and Qatar operated an air bridge to transport relief materials for the Afghan people.
One of the most prominent calls was when H H the Amir received a phone call from HE President Joe Biden, the President of the United States of America, who expressed his thanks to HH the Amir for the contribution of the State of Qatar in the evacuation of civilians and its efforts in the peace process in Afghanistan.
The visit of HE US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin to Doha comes in the same context, as they conveyed to HH the Amir the thanks and appreciation of HE President Biden for the efforts of the State of Qatar in the peace process in Afghanistan, and its pivotal role in facilitating the operations of the evacuation of American citizens, citizens of allied countries and Afghan civilians.
On October 02, completing the building of constitutional structures and to enhance popular participation in decision-making in the State of Qatar, the first elections were organized to select two-thirds of the thirty members of the Shura Council. Through this experience, the Qatari people demonstrated the extent of their awareness and eligibility for the practice of consultative democracy, as well as their preparedness to participate in decision-making according to the vision of HH the Amir.
As part of its preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the State of Qatar inaugurated at 8:30 pm on November 21, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Countdown Clock, which was organized by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, in cooperation with FIFA, a year before the major event.
On November 30, H H the Amir inaugurated the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, at Al Bayt Stadium. H H the Amir announced the beginning of the tournament, saying, “in the name of God and with God’s blessings, I declare the opening of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, wishing all national teams the best of luck. We welcome all the Arabs in the Doha of Arabs.”
In 2021, the state achieved achievements, progress and development at all levels, including in the fields of education, economics, commercial, health, sports and others, with the aim of advancing the country and serving Qatar and its citizens in an ambition that is not limited by borders or deterred by difficulties.
On the health front, the State of Qatar spared no effort in its quick response to the serious repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. It adopted a quick strategy based on three main axes: protecting all members of society by strengthening the health sector, providing the necessary support to the economy to reduce the negative effects of the pandemic, and contributing to international efforts to address the virus by providing assistance to relevant countries and international organizations.
In 2021, the Qatari economy witnessed a recovery from the negative effects of the pandemic in light of the easing of restrictions imposed on business activities and freedom of movement since mid-2021, and the large economic and financial support package provided by the State to the private sector helped it continue to develop and its exports continued to grow, reaching their levels before the pandemic.
The State also worked to establish legislative frameworks that support the attractiveness of the business environment, such as the issuance of a law regulating the investment of non-Qatari capital in economic activity and a law regulating partnership between the public and private sectors, in addition to investing in vital and important sectors, including health, technology, developing free zones, and continuing the expansion of Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port in a way that consolidates the economic openness of the State of Qatar and enhances its trade relations with various countries.
The State of Qatar created the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and launched the Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, which aims to protect and enhance the Qatari environment to preserve the quality of life and ensure long-term economic resilience.
Under the patronage of H H the Amir and from the Museum of Islamic Art, the activities of ‘Doha, The Capital of Culture in the Islamic World 2021’, were officially launched on March 8 with more than 70 activities over a whole year.
On February 24, the Sabah Al-Ahmad Corridor was inaugurated, one of the largest road infrastructure projects in the country, which includes bridges, intersections and tunnels, and what it will work to achieve in terms of great traffic flow to serve many other transport sectors such as Hamad International Airport and the metro network through its integration with many main roads within the framework of the State’s urban plan.
The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) continues to work to achieve the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 by implementing programs and projects to develop infrastructure and public buildings in the country in order to make Qatar one of the most advanced countries in the world in this field. Ashghal is currently working on a wide range of infrastructure programs in all regions of the country, and some of its projects have won international awards.
Qatar also ranked first globally in the speed of mobile Internet connection and ranked 17th in the Global Competitiveness Index, among 64 countries, most of which are developed countries, according to the World Competitiveness Report 2021, which is issued annually by the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.