The Assessment of the Role of Qatar Airways in the Economic Development of Qatar

Abstract

The aviation industry in the Arabian Gulf is growing at a fast pace, attracting the global attention upon the region. The Gulf airlines have entered the international aviation market as state-owned entities, having embedded in their interests as commercial airlines, the visions of their countries. In light of such developments, the research aimed at assessing a particular Gulf airline, namely Qatar Airways, and its role in the planned economic development of Qatar. The study has been structured around two main themes: the assessment of Qatar Airways’ performance using the neoliberal theory and developmental theory. Such perspectives allowed not only the examination of the state-owned airline’s evolution within the context of free markets and within the context of national economic development, but also the recognition of the impact of air transport on the economic development.