Qatar Petroleum has signed contracts worth US$26 billion from 2005 to 2010, 65 per cent (more than US$16.7 billion worth) of which had gone to Qatari companies.
Local companies also dominated domestic purchase orders representing 78 per cent of Qatar Petroleum's total orders.The figures were disclosed by Qatar's Minister of State for Energy and Industry Affairs Dr Mohamed Bin Saleh Al Sadah who stated that Qatar's private sector had top priority on the ministry's procurement list, reported QNA.
The minister talked about the big industrial projects being carried out in Qatar in the sectors of gas, oil field development, gas to liquids (GTL) projects and petrochemicals. The ministry was keen on reducing bureaucratic red tape and on providing all possible incentives to developing local industries.
The role of the private sector in advancing the all-round development in the country was vital and the minister noted that the country has reached an advanced stage in the manufacture of heavy industries. The industrial area in Doha is home to 310 industrial installations but is still below the government's target.
The secretary general of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), Abdel Aziz al Quail said GOIC has been working on a map for Gulf industries to be complementary to the strategies being adopted by the GCC ministries of industry.
