HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION : THE CASE OF QATAR

Abstract

This paper is an exploratory study that investigates human capital (HC) formation in the state of Qatar. It is carried out with the intention to provide an insight into such a process among Qataris and to ascertain how government's investment in education has been an effective influence on the formation ofHC in Qatar. The study provides new evidence about the actual process and indicators of indigenous HC over the last three decades and revealed that Qatari government has been investing well over that period and its educational indicators are accepted internationally. However, the research showed that even when backwardness occurs, this was mainly referring to the structures of the Qatari population and related labour force, quality of educational outcomes and expenditures boundaries. It is also appeared that the education system in Qatar has gained an increasingly high degree of independence from the economy since its establishment. However, the Qatari education system is not entirly to blame for such shortcomings. Indeed, a comprehensive, realistic and workable manpower development and overall development plan at national level would appear to be a crucial element of any HC strategy to enable the country to fully integrate its social and economic growth with the desired manpower.