Qatar’s total expected revenues for the 2025 fiscal year budget are estimated at QAR197 billion ($53.84 billion), reflecting a 2.5 percent decrease compared to the 2024 budget revenues, stated H.E. Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari.
Qatar continues to adopt a conservative approach in estimating oil and gas revenues, expecting average oil prices of $60 per barrel. This approach aims to enhance financial flexibility and ensure spending stability.
“The anticipated oil and gas revenues for 2025 are QAR154 billion, down from QAR159 billion in the 2024 budget, marking a 3.1 percent decrease,” Al Kuwari stated. He also noted that non-oil revenues for 2025 will likely reach QAR43 billion, remaining unchanged from 2024 levels.
Expenditures to rise 4.6 percent
On the expenditure side, Al Kuwari highlighted that the total expenditures in Qatar’s 2025 budget reached QAR210.2 billion, a 4.6 percent increase compared to 2024. He added that the expected budget deficit of QAR13.2 billion will be financed through local and external debt instruments, as required.
The minister noted that allocations for the health and education sectors stood at QAR41.4 billion, accounting for 20 percent of the total budget. This allocation underscores Qatar’s commitment to enhancing human capital development and improving public service quality.
Meanwhile, strategic sectors such as trade and industry, research and innovation, tourism, digital transformation, and information technology took significant resources to support economic diversification and sustainable development efforts. In addition, allocations for salaries and wages rose by 5.5 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching QAR67.5 billion.
Current expenditures next year will see a 6.3 percent increase, while secondary capital expenditures will likely grow by 7.7 percent. Meanwhile, major capital expenditure allocations will experience a modest 1.4 percent increase to ensure the ongoing implementation of strategic and developmental projects.
Al Kuwari will provide further details on Qatar’s general budget for the 2025 fiscal year during a press conference on Sunday.
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Economic diversification in focus
Commenting on Qatar’s 2025 budget, the Chairman of the Qatar Chamber H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani, said that the budget for the 2025 fiscal year underscores the effectiveness of sound economic policies and strategies, particularly in achieving economic diversification in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al-Thani emphasized that the budget reflects the wise leadership’s commitment to further strengthening the national economy and fostering sustainable development. He also noted that the 2025 budget aligns with the Third National Development Strategy, focusing on economic diversification and innovation.
The budget prioritizes several key strategic sectors, including trade, industry, research, innovation, tourism, digital transformation, education, health, and information technology, all of which seek to diversify the economy and advance sustainable development.
Al-Thani also noted that the allocation of QAR41.4 billion, equivalent to 20 percent of the total budget, for the health and education sectors, reaffirms the leadership’s unwavering dedication to developing human capital and enhancing public services in both health and education.
