Where in the world is Doha?

Doha is the capital city of Qatar and is the only major city in the country.  Qatar has a citizen population of 450,000, which makes it about as large as Austin.  The country is a peninsula off the east coast of Saudi Arabia roughly the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Yet, it is one of the richest and more progressive nations in the Middle East with a per capita income of $67,000 (compared to roughly $40,000 in the U.S).

Doha has also been the site of the World Trade Organization's "Doha Round" of trade talks since 2001.

The People
Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century from neighboring Gulf emirates while others are descended from Persian merchants. Most of Qatar's 1.5 million inhabitants live in Doha, the capital.

Foreigners with temporary residence status make up about three-fourths of the population. Foreign workers comprise as much as 85% of the total population and make up about 90% of the total labor force. Most are South and Southeast Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, and Iranians. About 8,000 U.S. citizens reside in Qatar.

For centuries, the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing, and trade. At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the Persian Gulf fishing fleet. With the Great Depression and the introduction of Japan's cultured-pearl industry, pearling in Qatar declined drastically.

The Qataris are mainly Sunni Muslims. Islam is the official religion and is the basis of Qatar's legal system. Civil courts have jurisdiction over commercial law. Arabic is the official language but and English is widely spoken.  More information on the country can be found on the U.S. Department of State web site.

When the Ottomans left at the beginning of World War I, the British recognized Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani as ruler. The Al Thani family had lived in Qatar for 200 years. 

Invited to Doha

The government of Qatar has invited me (as the representative of the International Business Institute at Austin Community College) to participate in a three day conference on Democracy and Free Trade.  The conference is being held in Doha, Qatar on May 9-13.  As I understand it, only 3 from Texas were selected for this honor and ACC is the only Community College in the U.S. that was invited.

If a conference on Democracy, Development and Free Trade is not interesting enough, one being held in the Middle East during these turbulent times is a tremendous opportunity to explore the democratic movements that are emerging in the region as well as the business opportunities for Texans as a result.

The invitation has got me thinking about the nature of a democracy and the associated freedoms necessary to develop a climate of free trade.

So, ov er the course of the next few weeks, I hope to blog about the trip to Qatar and about the events during the conference.  I will try to post at least daily.

How to write an export plan

With the United States only exporting one percent of what we make, it is no wonder that we are running a trade deficit.  And, when surveyed, the majority of businesses in Central Texas state that the reason they do not export is because they do not know how, or they think that the process is too complicated, or they are worried about getting paid.  All of which can be easily overcome with a simple export plan.

Most small and midsize U.S. exporters do not have a written export plan. Lacking a plan, it's easy to get discouraged and give up or to miss opportunities that having a strategy might reveal.

An effective export plan need only follow the simple outline below.

Egypt in Crisis

Egypt in crisis - where does democracy and free trade reside amidst the turbulence and turmoil in the Middle East?  Is Egypt the bellwether for the other Arab peoples who have risen to protest totalitarian rulers and a lack of individual freedoms?


Perhaps it is important to recall the words of Anwar el-Sadat, who, in 1972, said,

• Through a history of alternating victory and defeat, attainment and frustration, achievement and disappointment, Egypt formed an attitude and determination. This we must understand in order to comprehend Egypt today.

• When we assumed responsibility after the Egyptian Revolution in 1952 three principles were fixed as our main targets. They appear as Egypt's motto: Freedom, Socialism and Unity.

For Sadat, the three principles of freedom, socialism, and unity meant ridding the country of foreign influence, pursuing economic growth for its people while promoting public services, and fostering solidarity with other Arab nations.  Sadat went on to say in an article published in Foreign Affairs in 1972,

Small Business Growth through Exports

Go Global Young Company, Go Global!


Sixty-seven percent of the world's business activity is outside of the U.S., yet we only export some five percent of what we manufacture. That creates a huge opportunity for small businesses to grow their markets exponentially by exporting.

Does your product have potential in an overseas market? Small businesses can compete with larger companies in the global marketplace. A little extra effort is necessary to bring your product to foreign markets, but there is plenty of support available to help small businesses tackle this huge, growing market.

In addition to training sessions provided by Austin's International Business Institute at Austin Community College, the Small Business Administration, the US Department of Commerce Export Assistance Centers, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce's International Business Coalition, are but a few off the resources available.