Q

Qatar

Qatar (State of Qatar) is a Western Asian country located in the Qatar Peninsula. It shares its sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf. Qatar is a small country that is made up of flat, low-lying deserts, with a total land area of 11,581 square kilometers. It has a constitutional emirate with one advisory body, with the Al Thani family ruling the country since 1868. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language. The capital of Qatar is Doha where two-fifths of the population live in.

After the occupation of the Ottoman Empire, Qatar became a British protectorate. Though the Thani dynasty ruled Qatar, the United Kingdom controlled its foreign policy. Qatar gained independence in 1971.  

Qatar has one of the strongest economies. It has the fourth-highest GDP per capita in the world and the eleventh-highest GNI per capita. It has the world’s third-largest natural gas and oil reserves. It is also one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas and the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita. Qatar was the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.  

The Qatari riyal (QAR) is the official currency of the State of Qatar. It is divided into 100 dirhams. All Qatari notes and coins are issued by the Qatar Central Bank. The Qatar Central Bank was established by decree on 5 August 1993. Prior to the Qatar Central Bank, all coins and banknotes were issued by the Qatar Monetary Agency.  

The first series of standard circulation banknotes issued by the Qatar Central Bank was introduced in 1996. The denominations included in the set are 1 riyal, 5 riyals, 10 riyals, 50 riyals, 100 riyals, and 500 riyals. These notes featured the national coat of arms—a dhow with palm trees and crossed swords—in front and various scenery at the back. These notes also had security thread varieties and falcon head watermarks.  

In 2003, the Central Bank introduced a new series of banknotes. These notes were redesigned and had updated security features. The 2003 designs were still being used until 2020 but the security features and accessibility features are updated as technology develops. Notes feature the coat of arms and elaborate designs in front and endemic animals and landmarks at the back. Four years later, the 100 and 500 riyal notes had slightly changed designs to make room for the Optiks security thread. Meanwhile, sight-impaired aids were added to the notes in 2008.  

In 2020, the Central Bank issued a new series of banknotes. These notes had added security features including SPARK features. The notes also show the coat of arms and a door in front and different industries at the back. A commemorative 22 riyal note was issued in 2022 to celebrate Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup. Both sides of the note show the 2022 FIFA World Cup logo and trophy. The Lusail Stadium and the al-Bayt Stadium, the venue for the FIFA Games, were also featured.  


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