I read some facts about Qatar in Velonews the other day...they have a bike race there at the beginning of the season. I found it interesting how things are different in the gas rich countries in the middle east. The following is from the Velonews article...
Qatar by the numbers
Population: 350,000 citizens, about 1 million contract laborers
Independence: 1971
Ruler: Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani
GDP: $49,655 per person (7th highest in the world)
Wages: Each Qatari resident receives a monthly stipend between $1,000 to $15,000; laborers earn about $175 per month
Gas Prices: Free to Qataris, otherwise $0.10/liter
Laws: No alcohol for citizens; Foreigners can drink in hotel bars. Death by hanging for illegal drugs
Sports: Aiming to host 2016 Summer Olympic Games, spent billions building the Aspire Center, a world-class training center available for free to all Qataris
Cycling: Hosting Tour of Qatar since 2002; plans in place to build water-cooled, covered outdoor 35km cycling trail around Doha
It goes to show...tons of natural gas and oil can buy just about anything.
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