IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i13p7953-d851712.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Transformative State in the Wake of COVID-19: What Is Needed to Enable Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Education in Qatar?

Author

Listed:
  • Tarek Ben Hassen

    (Program of Policy, Planning and Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

Abstract

Economic diversification is vital in achieving sustainable economic development, especially for countries relying on nonrenewable natural resources, such as oil and gas, in the case of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Moreover, the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of boosting resilience to adverse shocks. Indeed, the pandemic highlighted the need to promote nonhydrocarbon sectors by strengthening the fundamental pillars of the knowledge-based economy: ICT, innovation, R&D, education, entrepreneurship, and the economic and institutional regime. The COVID-19 pandemic has also shown how important it is to mobilize these pillars in record time. Like the other GCC countries, Qatar is seen as a transformative state, suggesting that, although oil and gas provide its primary export revenue, the government has also pushed to diversify its economy toward a knowledge-based one. Indeed, in 2019, hydrocarbons dominated Qatar’s economy, accounting for 90% of government income and 80% of export profits. However, this reliance exposes Qatar to fluctuations in the global oil and gas markets. Accordingly, economic diversification has come to the top of the government’s priority list. Preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar was already in the middle of an economic transition. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic and the drop in oil prices prompted the Qatari government to increase its diversification efforts. Qatar has a solid basis for transitioning to a knowledge-based economy based on its macroeconomic stability, suitable growth rates, and good governance. However, Qatar confronts several challenges in implementing the structural changes necessary for this transition. This paper has three objectives. Firstly, it aims to present the pillars of the knowledge-based economy and their link to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondly, the paper aims to analyze the present state of the knowledge-based economy in Qatar, including its strengths, drawbacks, and its prospect for the future. Finally, the paper presents some structural reform recommendations to enable innovation, entrepreneurship, and education in Qatar.

Suggested Citation

  • Tarek Ben Hassen, 2022. "A Transformative State in the Wake of COVID-19: What Is Needed to Enable Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Education in Qatar?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-24, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:13:p:7953-:d:851712
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/13/7953/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/13/7953/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Btool H. Mohamed & Mustafa Disli & Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Investigation on Human Development Needs, Challenges, and Drivers for Transition to Sustainable Development: The Case of Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    3. Evren Tok, 2020. "The Incentives and Efforts for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in a Resource-Based Economy: A Survey on Perspective of Qatari Residents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Koketso Phale & Fanglin Li & Isaac Adjei Mensah & Akoto Yaw Omari-Sasu & Mohammed Musah, 2021. "Knowledge-Based Economy Capacity Building for Developing Countries: A Panel Analysis in Southern African Development Community," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-28, March.
    5. Diogo Ferraz & Fernanda P. S. Falguera & Enzo B. Mariano & Dominik Hartmann, 2021. "Linking Economic Complexity, Diversification, and Industrial Policy with Sustainable Development: A Structured Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-29, January.
    6. Abdel-Moneim, Mohamed Alaa, 2020. "Between global and national prescriptions for education administration: the rocky road of neoliberal education reform in Qatar," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Mahmoud Abdulwahed, 2017. "Technology Innovation and Engineering’ Education and Entrepreneurship (TIEE) in Engineering Schools: Novel Model for Elevating National Knowledge Based Economy and Socio-Economic Sustainable Developme," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-21, January.
    8. Btool H. Mohamed & Ibrahim Ari & Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada & Muammer Koç, 2021. "Strategizing Human Development for a Country in Transition from a Resource-Based to a Knowledge-Based Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-27, December.
    9. Abdulrahman M. Jolo & Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Driving Factors of Economic Diversification in Resource-Rich Countries via Panel Data Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-14, February.
    10. Sadok Sahli, 2021. "Entrepreneurship in Qatar," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Léo-Paul Dana & Ramo Palalić & Veland Ramadani (ed.), ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL REGION Evolution and Future Perspectives, chapter 5, pages 79-109, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    11. Do, Trung K., 2021. "Resource curse or rentier peace? The impact of natural resource rents on military expenditure," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Sajjad Barkhordari & Maryam Fattahi & Naser Ali Azimi, 2019. "The Impact of Knowledge-Based Economy on Growth Performance: Evidence from MENA Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 10(3), pages 1168-1182, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abdellatif Sellami & Malavika E. Santhosh & Nitha Siby & Jolly Bhadra & Zubair Ahmad, 2023. "High School Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Social Support in Cultivating Their Interests in and Aspirations to STEM Degrees and Careers—A Middle Eastern Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Tarek Ben Hassen, 2022. "The GCC Economies in the Wake of COVID-19: Toward Post-Oil Sustainable Knowledge-Based Economies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mohammad I. Al-Housani & Muammer Koç & Mohammed S. Al-Sada, 2023. "Investigations on Entrepreneurship Needs, Challenges, and Models for Countries in Transition to Sustainable Development from Resource-Based Economy—Qatar as a Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-28, May.
    2. Muneera Al-Qahtani & Mariem Fekih Zguir & Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Female Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economy and Development—Challenges, Drivers, and Suggested Policies for Resource-Rich Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-39, October.
    3. Saeid Alaei & Seyed Hossein Razavi Hajiagha & Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji & Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, 2023. "Unveiling the role of sustainable supply chain drivers toward knowledge-based economy via a novel permutation approach: implications from an emerging economy," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1231-1250, September.
    4. Voxi Heinrich Amavilah & Antonio Rodríguez Andrés, 2024. "Knowledge Economy and the Economic Performance of African Countries: A Seemingly Unrelated and Recursive Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 110-143, March.
    5. Emma Serwaa Obobisa & Haibo Chen & Emmanuel Caesar Ayamba & Claudia Nyarko Mensah, 2021. "The Causal Relationship Between China-Africa Trade, China OFDI, and Economic Growth of African Countries," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(4), pages 21582440211, December.
    6. Abdulrahman M. Jolo & Ibrahim Ari & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Driving Factors of Economic Diversification in Resource-Rich Countries via Panel Data Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Chalapud Narváez, Eduardo David, 2023. "La innovación tecnológica: una mirada desde la teoría económica," Revista Tendencias, Universidad de Narino, vol. 24(2), pages 170-196, July.
    8. Voxi Heinrich Amavilah & Antonio Rodriguez Andres, 2022. "Knowledge Economy and the Economic Performance of African Countries: A Seemingly Unrelated and Recursive Approach," Working Papers 57, The German University in Cairo, Faculty of Management Technology.
    9. Btool H. Mohamed & Mustafa Disli & Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada & Muammer Koç, 2022. "Investigation on Human Development Needs, Challenges, and Drivers for Transition to Sustainable Development: The Case of Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, March.
    10. Shumaila Zeb, 2022. "The role of knowledge economy in Asian business," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    11. Rao, B. Bhaskara, 2010. "Estimates of the steady state growth rates for selected Asian countries with an extended Solow model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 46-53, January.
    12. Beatrix Paal & Bruce D. Smith, 2013. "The sub-optimality of the Friedman rule and the optimum quantity of money," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 14(2), pages 911-948, November.
    13. Jung-Suk Yu & M. Kabir Hassan & Abdullah Mamun & Abul Hassan, 2014. "Financial Sectors Reform and Economic Growth in Morocco: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 13(1), pages 69-102, April.
    14. Prof. Dr. Adem KALCA & Resc. Assist. Atakan DURMAZ, 2012. "Diaspora As The Instrument Of Humane Capital," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(5), pages 94-104, October.
    15. repec:zbw:rwidps:0030 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Raouf Boucekkine & Fernando Del Río & Omar Licandro, 2003. "Embodied Technological Change, Learning‐by‐doing and the Productivity Slowdown," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 105(1), pages 87-98, March.
    17. Abida Hafeez & Karim Bux Shah Syed & Fiza Qureshi, 2019. "Exploring the Relationship between Government R & D Expenditures and Economic Growth in a Global Perspective: A PMG Estimation Approach," International Business Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(4), pages 163-174, April.
    18. repec:ilo:ilowps:366690 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Heijs, Joost, 2003. "Freerider behaviour and the public finance of R&D activities in enterprises: the case of the Spanish low interest credits for R&D," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 445-461, March.
    20. Boucekkine, Raouf & del Rio, Fernando & Licandro, Omar, 2005. "Obsolescence and modernization in the growth process," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 153-171, June.
    21. Kawalec Paweł, 2020. "The dynamics of theories of economic growth: An impact of Unified Growth Theory," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 19-44, June.
    22. Kar, Sabyasachi & Pritchett, Lant & Raihan, Selim & Sen, Kunal, 2013. "Looking for a break: Identifying transitions in growth regimes," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PB), pages 151-166.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:13:p:7953-:d:851712. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.