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Having observed Dubai's explosive growth, Qatar has taken note and is investing in its infastructure to help promote the region as an emerging high-end tourism destination.
Pearling was one of the bases of Qatar's early economy before the discovery of oil. Now the Qatar Government is diversifying and looking to improve its infrastructure in a carefully prepared effort to boost its profile as a tourism destination.
While Dubai has been grabbing all the headlines - establishing itself as the Gulf's globally recognised business and tourism hotspot - Qatar has adopted a more considered strategy, but one that may eventually prove to be no less effective.
The Qatari Peninsula juts 100 miles (161 km) north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia.
Doha, Qatar's largest city and capital plays host to the majority of local and international events and in recent years has built up an impressive portfolio of luxury hotels in a bid to accommodate any increase in the currently moderate tourism traffic the destination may eventually see.
Boom time
The small Gulf monarchy of Qatar is "booming" according to the latest research from global information publisher Euromonitor International.
Its report states that Qatar is among the countries with the highest living standards in the world.
At US $62,914 it had the world's third highest per capita GDP in 2006 just behind Norway and Luxembourg.
This has made Qatar an attractive consumer market. The government is also establishing Doha as an international ‘brand' to make it better known and to attract foreign investment in finance and tourism.
