Founded by HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Qatar Foundation is a privately owned, not-for-profit organization that invests in the country’s education, scientific research and community development through joint ventures and partnerships.

The education division’s flagship operation is Education City, which covers an area of 14 sq. km (5.41 sq mi.), houses educational facilities from school age to research level. It operates campus branches of worldwide universities like the Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Northwestern University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Virginia Commonwealth University and Texas A&M University. The education division also runs local educational institutions, like the Qatar Academy and Faculty of Islamic Studies College and the Qatar Leadership Academy.

The Foundation established the Qatar Science and Technology ParkQatar Science and Technology Park, in 2004, to advance Qatar’s scientific research capabilities. The Park is a free zone for technology-based companies involved in aircraft operations, oil and gas, petrochemicals, ICT and water. As part of the science research division, the Foundation also established, in 2006, the Qatar National Research Fund, which provides financial support to researchers in the public, academic or corporate fields. Qatar Foundation is also developing a center due to open in 2011 under the name Sidra Medical and Research Center, to consist of three departments: patient care, medical education and biomedical research.

Through the community development division, the foundation owns and operates charitable organizations like Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), which provides assistance to community development projects in Asian countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Lebanon and Gaza. Also part of this division is the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, established in 2008 to enhance musical culture in Qatar and the Middle East. The Qatar Foundation also owns Al Jazeera Children’s channel, which was established in 2005 and airs from Education City. Other Qatar Foundation community development centers include: the Qatar Diabetes Society, the Social Development Center, the Cultural Development Center, Al Shaqab and the Doha International Institute for Family Studies and Development.

The Foundation also works on the development of the Qatar trough joint ventures and partnerships with international companies. One partnership, with UK-based Vodafone, resulted in the establishment of a subsidiary, Vodafone QatarVodafone Qatar, through which the two entities won the license to become the country’s second mobile telecommunications operator, in 2007. The Foundation also formed a company with UK-based Bloomsbury Publishing, under the name Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, in October 2008, to stimulate new literary talent in Qatar and the Middle East and to establish knowledge-transfer of publishing skills to Qatar, including a mentoring program and the training of Qatari interns each year in London and Doha.

The Qatar Foundation launched the Qatar National Convention Center, in November 2007, a 40,000 sq. m (430,600 sq. ft.) exhibition space, which will be one of the largest convention centers in the Middle East, when completed in 2011.