According to the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star, $15 billion is planned to be spent on achieving this goal in the next five years. By autumn 2006, the country, where summer temperatures and humidity make life outside air-conditioned rooms practically impossible, will have built 'self-sufficient cities' with comfortable hotels, villas, and shopping centers.
The plan also provides for the construction within two years of eight four- and five-star hotels, a number of island resorts, sports facilities for international top-level tournaments, amusement parks, an 'Education City', and a new international airport.
The Qatari authorities, the newspaper notes, have already simplified the visa regime and entry procedure into the country, and lifted a number of restrictions on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which are banned in several Muslim Gulf countries.
Oil and gas are Qatar's main sources of income. True, the country's oil reserves are relatively small, only five billion barrels. According to experts' forecasts, they will last no more than 10-15 years. However, Qatar ranks third in the world in natural gas reserves. This allows its few citizens to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world – more than $26,000.
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