President Nazarbayev was recently reelected.

atar is in a state of pure development, raising its profile not only regionally but also internationally. Reforms have reshaped national policies, and a favorable relationship with the United States has helped open new doors in trade and education. Today Qatar is an indisputable leader among countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Oman.

Ten years after the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Halifa Al-Thani’s accession to the throne, “The Emir’s vision” for a decade of achievements has made immeasurable progress. Qatar boasts a booming economy and record macroeconomic growth rate indicators due to abundant oil reserves. However, as Chase Untermeyer, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, says “It is not enough to be rich, you have to have a sense of the future. Qatar wants to be an open, democratic country based on equal roles for men and women in the public and business sectors. Qataris want to be a country which plays a major role on the international stage.”

As a result, Qatar has become a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, while economic and diversification programs are creating a more well-rounded country. Radical reforms in healthcare and women’s rights have been implemented, giving Qatar a reputation as the most politically progressive country in the Arab world. Today, the Qatari press has allowed the nation to emerge as the news capital of the Middle East.

CHASE UNTERMEYER U.S. Ambassador to Qatar

The country is also a strategic ally of the United States. Qatar has always worked closely with the U.S. on regional diplomatic initiatives; however, their friendship dates back to 1992 after the first Gulf War when both countries worked together to build a strong military and defense relationship. In 1996, U.S. military assets were moved from Saudi Arabia to Qatar.

Since the Gulf conflict in 1991, trade has increased. Qatar and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in March 2004 setting the framework for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be signed at the end of 2006 or the beginning of 2007. The FTA is seen as a catalyst for foreign direct investment as well as a way to further strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Mr. Untermeyer says, “In the future, Qatar will be a beacon to investments from all over the world, especially the U.S.”

The bilateral relationship encompasses culture and education as well. The Emir established a 2,400-acre multi-institutional Education City, a site for international and national higher education institutions. The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development signed agreements with world-renowned universities to set up branches there such as the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Weill Cornell Medical College – Qatar, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University and Virginia Commonwealth University School.