Abstract Qatar’s goal to diversify away from hydrocarbons and towards a knowledge-based economy through improved education systems is not unique in the region. But it has differentiated itself from the rest of the pack through its specialised ambitions and willingness to invest massive amounts of money at all education levels. In 2002 the government began a thorough restructuring of all primary, preparatory and secondary schools. As part of this effort all schools formerly run by the Ministry of Education (MoE) were converted to independent schools under the purview of the newly created Supreme Education Council (SEC). The transition is ongoing and has proven to be a considerable challenge, though efforts are expected to pay off in the long run. The cornerstone of Qatar’s plans is the sprawling Education City just outside Doha. It has garnered its share of international media attention by attracting world-renowned universities like Georgetown and Northwestern to its campus to set up branches. The project, run by Qatar Foundation (QF), has been a huge success and the QF has plans to supplement the universities with high-quality research facilities at the Sidra Medical and Research Centre and the Qatar Science and Technology Park, inaugurated in March 2009. While the government has made clear its commitment to raising the level of education throughout Qatar, challenges remain as it strives to become a regional centre of learning. There is a shortage of qualified teachers, for example, and not enough vocational and adult education programmes to meet growing demand, opening opportunities for private sector investment.
The fast-growing population of Qatar is putting pressure on the health care system, which is almost entirely operated and heavily subsidised by the government. The 2008-09 budget stipulated $2.53bn in funds for social and health services, a considerable increase from the $1.32bn penned in for the previous year. In a bid to increase capacity and reduce the strain on state coffers, the government plans to begin gradually moving health care services to the private sector over the long term. But in the short term it will continue to dominate the sector, mainly through state-owned provider Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), which currently handles about 98% of inpatient care and 95% of outpatient visits. HMC’s facilities are running at near capacity and expansion plans are under way. One of the largest is the $1bn Hamad Medical City Complex, which will host a 200-bed hospital, among other facilities. An e-health programme is also being rolled out, led by HMC in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Techonology (ictQATAR), to improve interconnectivity between all health bodies, both public and private. As in most other countries, a lack of qualified medical staff remains a problem, though existing and planned health education facilities will hopefully address this issue in the near future.
This chapter features interviews with Sheikha Ghaliyah bint Muhammed Al Thani, the former minister of health and current member of the Supreme Council for Health; Mohammed Fathy Saoud, the president of Qatar Foundation (QF); and Hanan M Al Kuwairi, the managing director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).

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