A fact widely acknowledged among the international Arab and Islamic community is the emergence of Qatar as a setter of trends in both external and internal affairs. Confident in the people"s strong roots in their Islamic values and traditions, the nation"s leadership has struck out to transform the country into statehood compliant with the expectations offered by twenty-first century technology in a climate of political stability, peace, and prosperity. With over 300 color illustrations and an authoritative text written by those who know the country best, Qatar tells the story of a country of buoyancy and promise, at all levels of society and in all fields of activity-creatively, and in industry and commerce, in education and health care, in state-of-the-art production of its hydrocarbon resources both onshore and offshore, in banking and finance, in international communications, and in political thinking.