Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Qatar's sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the features of Qatar's sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 47.2

Qatar is an active participant in the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the OIC, the GCC, the WTO, the IMF, the IBRD, participates in the Davos Forum, UN agencies, major international conferences and partner development programs, actively supports global agendas and mediation.

Qatar's Constitution places its basic law and the principles of Sharia law above any other source; international treaties acquire the status of national law only after ratification, publication and compliance with the Constitution. Ratified agreements are automatically subject to enforcement by all authorities and courts, but cannot contradict the basic law.

Political stability is one of the highest in the world: WGI Political stability is 0.99 (2023), the country ranks in the top 5 in global security indexes; violent crises and coups are not observed. Government Effectiveness (WGI, 2023) — 1.10; Qatar is in the top 25 in terms of public administration efficiency among the countries of the world, with a high speed of administration and implementation of government decisions. EGDI (UN, 2024) — 0.831 (top 15 in the world), high level of e-government, almost all basic services for citizens, businesses, education, taxes are available online, the state digital transformation strategy is being implemented consistently.

Trust in Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad is high (>75% in a number of public polls in 2024-2025), the level of approval of domestic and foreign policy is consistently one of the highest in the region (institute of the crown monarchy, consensus of the elites). Qatar hosts the largest US base in the region, Al Udeid (United States Air Force/Combined Air Operations Center), separate French facilities (training/instructor facilities), and elements of the UK infrastructure; agreements are strictly regulated by bilateral treaties.

Qatar recognizes the jurisdiction of international judicial bodies (ICJ, arbitrations at the UN/WTO/ICSID), has not openly distanced itself, but uses bilateral agreements, and lawsuits in most disputes affect the economy, investments, and sovereign immunities. The country remains a highly centralized hereditary monarchy: all key decisions are made by the emir, political parties are banned, there is an advisory Shura (Majlis), appointed governors.

The work of security and intelligence agencies is formally regulated by the basic law, but is outside civil and judicial control; parliamentary oversight is extremely limited, external reporting is minimized, and the media and access rights to information are controlled by the State.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, the coverage is 98%.

Economic sovereignty — 91.6

GDP is $115,384-128,826 (different estimates: Trading Economics, IMF, World Economics, World Bank; in most indexes >$120,000). gold and foreign exchange reserves 42.4–43.2 billion USD (January — August 2025, Central Bank of Qatar, CEIC, Statista).

Foreign exchange reserves cover 12.3 months of imports (December 2024). Government debt is 32.4–41% of GDP (various sources: Trading Economics, Statista, World Economics, Qatar Central Bank). About 75-85% of food is imported, but there is a government program (Qatar National Food Security Program), reserve funds have been created for 6-9 months, domestic production has increased to 15-20% of basic products due to irrigated greenhouses and hydroponics, and the risks of famine are minimal. Full: Qatar ranks 3rd in the world in LNG exports and 14th in oil; domestic consumption is covered by national production, state investments in renewable energy are moderate.

The region's largest reserves of natural gas (North Field), oil (4.5 billion barrels), significant deposits of sulfur, helium, and hydrocarbon condensates; resources of phosphates and building materials are limited. Critical shortage: <40 m3 per person per year; 99% of the total fresh water is provided by desalination; the largest desalination plants are operating, the water reuse system is developing, 100% of the water for drinking and household needs is artificial.

The national payment system is managed by Qatar Central Bank (QCB): QPAY, QNB, commercial banks, integration with global platforms (SWIFT, Mastercard, Visa); all internal operations are conducted by the State Sector's own clearing and commerce. In the country, all payments are in rials (QAR); for energy exports — USD/euro, domestic trade, government procurement, social benefits — QAR.

The issuing center is Qatar Central Bank (QCB); credit policy, control over the money supply, base rate and devaluation are fully regulated by the state.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 90%

Technological sovereignty — 78.4

R&D 0.68% of GDP (2021, World Bank; with a growth trend, it is recommended to increase to 1.5% of GDP by 2025 according to the development strategy).

Import substitution is low: 2.9% of industrial exports are high-tech, and the vast majority of equipment, chips, and software are supplied from the United States, the EU, and Asia. Higher education coverage (gross enrollment ratio) — 35.1% (2022, World Bank, Statista, Maxinomics); steady growth in recent years. 99-99.7% (3.05 million users January 2025; Qatar is in the top 4 in the world in terms of Internet penetration; the average mobile Internet speed is 358 Mbit/s, fixed — 185 Mbit/s).

The national digitalization strategy (Qatar e-Government 2025, Hukoomi) is being implemented, QPAY's own fintech platform, public service portals, educational LMS (Qatar University, TVET) are operating, the share of local solutions is 35-40% (the rest are foreign B2B/B2C solutions). Import dependence on IT, software, and electronic components is 95-97% (equipment, chips, corporate platforms, and clouds are imported from the USA, EU, China, and India). EGDI — 0.831 (top 15 in the world), Hukoomi provides online access to administrative services, taxes, education, real estate; public services for business and the public are fully electronic, a national open data platform.

Biotech industries are limited to research and implementation in agriculture and medicine (Qatar Genome Project, scientific clusters, Sidra Medicine), autonomy ~12-15% of the market; the rest — drugs, seeds, genetics — import. Service and industrial robotics are being implemented (universities, Hamad Hospital, airports), secure applications (transport, security) are being designed, systems localization is up to 20%; components and software are imported.

There is no in-house production of chips and key electronics, they are completely imported from the USA/EU/China; localization developments are underway, the level of autonomy is <5%.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which provides 93% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 68.9

The national agency NCSA/Q-CERT operates, Qatar is included in the Tier 1 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI, ITU, 2024). The NISCF strategy has been adopted, an audit of compliance with international and national standards (NIA, Common Criteria) has been implemented, large-scale cyber training (CYSEC Qatar) is being implemented, and strict control over critical infrastructure is being implemented.

There are two national Internet traffic exchange points - QIXP (19 participants in 2025), commercial IX (Doha IX/DE—CIX) based on Ooredoo; measures are being taken to develop peer-to-peer, content localization, and delay optimization. The official language is Arabic (according to the Constitution); the main media (Al Jazeera, Al-Arab, Al-Raya, Al-Sharq) broadcast in Arabic, some publications are duplicated in English, for the expat segment - in Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam; high government support for Arabic and local media projects.

Most of the cloud infrastructure and mass services are foreign platforms (Microsoft, Google, Meta, AWS, Huawei); critical fintech, government services, and national media are localized in Qatar; dependence on mass/customer segments is up to 80%.

National content — from 38% (daily newspapers, Al Jazeera, sports and cultural TV channels, online educational projects), the rest - international aggregators, OTT and social networks. Domestic solutions (Hukoomi, QPAY, QIXP, EdTech, fintech, security, and public services platforms) account for 30-40% of the state and corporate segment, with the rest coming from foreign products and customization. Internet penetration is 99.7%, mobile coverage is >100%; 77% of adults use public services online, 3.05 million users — the largest indicator in the region in terms of digital services segment.

State-owned/corporate data centers (OOO, Qatari Government Cloud, Hukoomi Cloud) have been developed; cloud platforms with open APIs for public services and commerce, part of the infrastructure is still located in Microsoft, AWS, and Google data centers. Ooredoo and Vodafone operators operate within the framework of national regulation, networks and billing are localized, infrastructure exchange with the outside world is under government control, and component imports are >80%.

The Law on Personal Data (Data Privacy Law, 2016, updated) has been introduced, control is carried out by the state regulator, corporate and public data are stored and processed according to national and international standards (GDPR approach, NIA), a certification and compliance system has been developed.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 94%.

Cultural sovereignty — 64.8

1 UNESCO World Heritage Site: the archaeological complex of Al Zubarah (Al Zubarah Archaeological Site, included in 2013). Qatar is a leading regional center of cultural diplomacy: Vogue Fashion Qatar, Al Jazeera, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Asia and Africa, the Years of Culture initiative (2025: Argentina–Chile), the largest art forums in the region, contribution to the improvement and support of Islamic art.

The Ministry of Culture/Katara — Al-Nahma Art Festival and Award, QIAF (Qatar International Art Festival), major photo contests, grants for young artists, awards for the preservation of intangible heritage (Al Raqs Al Ardhi, Al Nahma) are held. The key cultural code is the heritage of the Bedouins, pearl diving, the art of Al Nahma (songs of divers), hospitality (majlis), camel racing, Arabic cuisine, cultural synthesis with Pak, Indian and Iranian communities, Islamic values and large—scale holidays (Ramadan, National Day).

The state supports language and cultural projects for diasporas (Indian, Pakistani, Filipino), funds transnational schools, public holidays, ethnocultural festivals, and a special department of the Ministry of Culture operates.

There are 160+ cultural heritage sites registered in the country (museums, festival centers, mosques, libraries, Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif, Qatar National Museum). Innovative diplomacy — the Years of Culture program (2025: Argentina–Chile), strategic exchanges with France, China, Morocco, Japan, giant joint projects with Art Basel.

Legal protection of brands — Al Jazeera, Katara, Al Zubarah, national calligraphy, musical and scenic genres are recognized as part of the intangible heritage. Labeling and state registration of Bedouin symbols, cuisine, and elements of hospitality.

Traditional cuisine (machboos, harees, thareed), lamb dishes, fish, spices, dates, coffee with cardamom, large culinary festivals, multicultural gastronomic synthesis (Arabic, Indian, Iranian, Filipino cuisines are present in restaurants and markets). 33-39% of the adult population annually participate in cultural events: Katara festivals, museums, galleries, national holidays, participation in international forums and competitions.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 97%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 66.7

HDI 0.886 is ranked 43rd in the world; the level is "very high", according to the UN and the World Bank. Government spending on education is 3.2–3.23% of GDP (2021-2024, World Bank/Trading Economics), the share in the budget is 8.9—9% (more than 19.4 billion Qatari riyals in 2025); sectoral investments are stable and growing annually. Adult literacy is 97.7–97.9% (World Bank, 2022-2025; men — 97.9%, women — 97.3–97.7%; youth — over 98%).

Qatar participates in PISA, occupies an average position among the Gulf countries; in 2018-2022, the indicators in mathematics, reading and sciences are below the OECD average, but above the regional one (registration in 2025 is confirmed on the PISA website and the Ministry of Education of Qatar).

31-35% of all graduates of higher education institutions (bachelor's and master's degrees) study in STEM fields (engineering, medicine, technology, natural sciences). 7-11%: the proportion of students enrolled in international exchanges (Qatar Foundation, Education City — branches of Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, UK/US programs, English-speaking and mixed master's degrees). Arabic (basic), English (in universities, business), a significant part of programs to support the culture and languages of small nations (diasporas: Indian, Filipino, Nepali, Bengali), ethno-cultural holidays and school courses to support native languages are supported by the state.

There are about 12 state and university research centers in the country (Qatar Foundation Research, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Sidra Medicine, energy, biomedicine, IT, agricultural sector). Estimated 23-28%: government and university LMS, the online learning platform of the Ministry of Education, Hukoomi Education, TVET; the rest are international or commercial online platforms.

There are 16-18 programs in operation: Qatar State Scholarships, Qatar National Research Fund, Olympiads (QNSF, STEM), grants for women and youth, university talent pool; annual enrollment is 7-9 thousand people.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 87%.

Military sovereignty — 52.1

Defense spending is 6.5–7% of GDP (2022-2025, SIPRI, TheGlobalEconomy, $15.4 billion/year; at the peak of 2014-2016 — more than 9% of GDP). 16,000-22,000 active, plus 5,000 reservists and up to 10,000 paramilitary forces (Internal Security Forces), up to 30,000 if necessary.

The army is equipped with Leopard 2A7+, Piranha-III armored personnel carriers, the latest armored personnel carriers, Patriot PAC-3 air defense, the navy — French patrol boats, Damen corvettes, the Air Force — F-15QA, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, AWACS, Hercules, upgraded NH90 helicopters.

There is a major modernization program and training through Project 401. The share of national production is 6-10% (repairs, individual UAVs, service, uniforms, support for foreign platforms), the rest is imported (USA, France, Turkey, Germany, Great Britain).

The border service and parameters are fully under the control of the army, police, internal troops, integration with electronic security systems and networks of the GCC countries; in case of emergency, the Armed Forces, reserve and special forces are mobilized. 5,000 official reservists, training and training camps are held annually under the compulsory service program (2-2.5 thousand graduates per year), the mobilization reserve is being expanded to 10-12 thousand.

Limited: the most important security issues, strategies, and deployments of the armed Forces are coordinated with the United States (Major Non-NATO Ally status), the Al Udeid base is in the country; Turkish forces are present, integration with France and Italy, procurement and rapid response decisions are made taking into account external allies.

Programs for the production of light weapons, UAVs, infrastructure, MSW, and repair services are underway, several laboratories and R&D are operating, and the rest are foreign offset programs under supplier contracts. No: 0; the country does not conduct nuclear research, the NPT and regional nuclear-weapon-free status agreements have been signed, and there are no strategic missile systems.

There is no military space program, the satellites (Es'hail-1/2) are civilian and commercial; SIGINT/ELINT and the IT infrastructure are integrated with the USA/France; its own intelligence system is an army and government agency, operational exchange at the GCC and NATO levels. All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO - 92% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. Extremely high-income levels and macroeconomic stability: GDP per capita is $115-128 thousand (PPP), low unemployment (0.4–0.7%), budget surplus, strong credit rating (Aa2/AA+), rapid growth of reserves ($43 billion), public debt is decreasing — 32-41% of GDP.

Energy and financial sovereignty: the world's third largest LNG exporter, full of energy self-sufficiency, many international investments and funds, a major player in the global capital and energy markets.

Domestic political and institutional stability: WGI-polit. Stability of 0.99 is one of the best indicators in the world, Government Effectiveness is 1.10, the highest level of trust in the Emir's institution and public administration, Qatar's authority as a mediator in the Middle East and world negotiations. Advanced infrastructure and digitalization: 99-100% Internet penetration, EGDI — 0.831 (top 15 in the world), almost all public services and finance are online, projects in the field of smart cities, cloud solutions, and digital transformation are developing.

Active international positioning: member of OPEC, WTO, IMF, initiator of global investment projects, full participant in dozens of global mediation missions, cultural diplomacy (Years of Culture), major international sporting events. High quality of life and social sphere: HDI — 0.886; literacy 97.9%, education is focused on STEM, large expenditures on science and personnel, developed healthcare and educational migration.

Weaknesses. Critical resource and food dependence: 75-85% of food is imported, severe shortage of fresh water (up to 99% through desalination), domestic agriculture is limited and requires large investments to maintain. Import dependence of high-tech and manufacturing: 95-97% of IT, chips, electronics, software, a significant part of innovations are implemented by foreign contractors, localization in key sectors (biotech, robotics, microelectronics, industrial equipment) — 5-20%.

Limited military autonomy: training, strategic decisions, and procurement — under the control or with technical support from the United States, France, Great Britain, and Turkey, the largest U.S. base in the region; own defense industry — 6-10%, no nuclear or space programs. Centralization and low transparency of power institutions: the monarchy, there is no independent political control over the security services and defense; parliament is limited, parliamentary control is formal, civil society and the media are under full state supervision.

Demographic and personnel vulnerability: more than 85% of the population are expats, the economy is highly dependent on foreign labor and specialists, and restrictions on social mobility and citizenship for newcomers remain. Insufficient diversification: despite the successes, oil and gas account for 55-60% of GDP, the private sector and industrialization are unevenly developed, household and social innovations are strong but shockproof (the “Dutch disease").

Overall assessment. Qatar's cumulative sovereignty index is 469.7 out of 700 possible points (above the average of 67.1%), which places the country in the top 50 in the global top. Qatar retains sovereignty and leadership through energy rents, strategic investments, political stability, social programs, digitalization, and an international role.

The main risks of sovereignty are external technological, resource and demographic dependence, limited autonomy of the military—industrial complex and law enforcement agencies, and the high “cost” of stability in terms of freedom of information and civil society structures.

The sustainability model is a “secured resource and technological outpost” that successfully adapts to global transformations, but is vulnerable to global disruptions in logistics, markets and technology.

The sovereignty profile indicates that Qatar demonstrates a rare combination of a maximum resource core, financial and diplomatic centralism, an innovative infrastructure and an open investment platform, with pronounced vulnerability to resource, logistical and geopolitical shocks, technological import dependence and structurally high socio—demographic instability.