Qatar sustains strong public investment in Q2 2026

In the second quarter of 2026, Qatar experienced a strong public investment, as recorded by the state general budget, which reported a deficit of QR21.2 billion. This significant increase from the QR10.3 billion deficit in the first quarter of the same year indicates a growing financial challenge for the country. According to the Ministry of Finance, total government expenditure during the April-June quarter reached about QR46.8 billion, significantly exceeding the total revenues of approximately QR25.6 billion.

The Ministry further broke down the spending, with salaries and wages constituting QR17.611 billion, current expenditures amounting to QR19.662 billion, and capital expenditure totaling QR8.748 billion. The capital expenditure included major projects and infrastructure spending of QR8.748 billion and minor capital expenditures of QR858 million.

The Ministry of Finance also announced that the total value of government tenders and auctions during the same period amounted to QR4.4 billion. While tenders worth QR4.1 billion were awarded to local companies, contracts valued at QR300 million were given to foreign companies. Notably, the value of tenders awarded to local companies saw a 52 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2025.

Despite this, the Ministry of Finance highlighted that sectors such as the Municipality and Environment, Health, Energy, and Culture and Sports led the sectoral performance index during the second quarter of 2026. The substantial increase in government spending despite the revenue remained lower indicates a growing fiscal challenge for Qatar.