Qatar has been the stellar performer of the Gulf states for the past 15 years. It is the fastest-growing economy in the world thanks to its liquid natural gas exports, which have allowed it to invest in the infrastructure that will help propel its growth into the future.

It is the richest country in the world, and has elevated itself to become a significant actor on the region’s political, cultural and business stages. The 2010 announcement that the country will host of Fifa’s 2022 Football World Cup is the jewel in Qatar’s crown.

The recent sharp decline in oil prices has affected Qatar in the same way it has influenced the rest of the region. Doha’s drivers remain job creation, economic diversification and investment in infrastructure, but it has to think about energy efficiency and new ways to fund its ongoing and future projects.

To do so will require structural reform, energy efficiency, innovation and new technologies to come to the fore, and this supplement celebrates Qatar’s progress.

It profiles 10 of the major projects that will shape opportunities for Qatar’s future generations. They range across sectors and time scales, from expanding the Hamad International airport to mega-reservoirs providing the state with water security.

Legal experts from Norton Rose Fulbright give an overview of Qatar’s contract law, offering guidance to contactors and investors striking deals in the market. And in an extended finance section we look at alternative ways to pay for projects.

Ahead of MEED’s Qatar Projects Conference in Doha on 15-16 March, this publication offers an overview and analysis of the opportunities and challenges faced by a market that will continue to be one of the region’s and the world’s flagship economies.