"There's still plenty to do here" Valérie Ward, Qatar expert

You arrived in Doha in 2005. What has changed since then?

Valérie Ward - When I arrived here, it was a fairly small city, albeit already congested. It really took off in 2006 with the organisation of the Asian Games. Roads and the souk were rebuilt, hotels were built, Katara was launched... Work is continuing, not only to prepare for the 2022 World Cup, but also to implement the Qatar National Vision 2030 plan, which provides for 30 billion dollars of work to improve infrastructure, but also health and education, particularly for women. All these transformations are changing the landscape considerably. The construction of two new cities - The Pearl and Lusail, with a capacity of 60,000 and 200,000 inhabitants respectively - is designed to keep pace with the country's demographic explosion, which has seen Qatar's population rise from 744,000 in 2004 to two million in 2013. The West Bay business district has also grown considerably. When I arrived, there were three towers; today there are more than 200...

Who can you find in West Bay?

V. W. - A number of ministries and government authorities, a lot of companies specialising in gas and oil of course, but also in renewable energy, events, sport... There's a lot of business being created here. If you've got a good idea, there's still plenty to do here, even though you'll have to deal with a lot of red tape to make your dream come true. And above all, you'll need a Qatari partner, who will have 51% shares and to whom you'll have to pay part of the turnover.

How do you meet these partners?

V. W. - Usually through contacts: it's often someone who knows someone... Now there are also business angels like Entreprise Qatar, which is mainly interested in projects initiated by young people. Another gateway is the Ministry of Business and Trade. If you're French, you can try to meet someone through the Economic Mission or the Qatar-French Business Group. Beware of the mirage, though.
We're talking about double-digit growth, but it's also worth pointing out that some companies are closing and that the business is more complicated when you're setting up your own business. What's more, things take time. You have to be patient and persistent.

Is there anything I need to know about making an appointment?

V. W. - You have to time it just right. For example, when you make an appointment, it's better to do it in the morning, from Sunday to Wednesday, because you're sure to get someone, especially when you're dealing with government bodies. Depending on the company or administration you work for, the hours can be very different: 7.30am-1pm and 4pm-7pm for some and 8am-5pm for others. On Thursdays, we sometimes finish earlier. You also have to be careful during Ramadan: people start later in the morning and everything stops around 1pm-2pm. You should also bear in mind that holidays are generally taken during the two Eids, after Ramadan, and that in July and August, expatriates leave, if only to avoid the extreme heat.