What This Measures
Research and development expenditure as a percentage of GDP measures the total national investment in systematic creative work to increase knowledge and apply it to new uses, expressed relative to the size of the economy. It is the standard international comparator for innovation system capacity, used by the OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank.
For Qatar, R&D intensity is a direct measure of progress toward the knowledge economy ambition central to QNV 2030. The indicator captures spending by government, higher education, and the private sector on basic research, applied research, and experimental development.
Baseline
Approximately 0.3 percent of GDP (2010) — At the baseline, R&D expenditure was modest, concentrated in Qatar Foundation-supported research centres and Qatar University.
Current Value
Approximately 0.5 percent of GDP (2024 estimate) — R&D spending has grown in absolute terms, supported by Qatar National Research Fund grants, Qatar Foundation investments, university-based research centres, and emerging private sector R&D. However, the ratio to GDP has been constrained by rapid nominal GDP growth driven by hydrocarbon revenues.
2030 Target
2.0 percent of GDP — This aspirational target, referenced in NDS documents and aligned with Qatar’s knowledge economy ambitions, would place Qatar alongside countries such as China and the United Kingdom. The target represents a fourfold increase from current levels.
Status Assessment
At Risk — The gap between 0.5 percent and 2.0 percent is substantial, and the NFE/NFS production ramp will expand the GDP denominator, making the ratio target even more challenging to achieve. While absolute R&D spending continues to grow, the pace is insufficient to reach 2.0 percent by 2030 without a transformative acceleration in both public and private sector research investment.
Key Drivers
Qatar National Research Fund grants funding university and institutional research. Qatar Foundation ecosystem including QSTP, HBKU research institutes, and Education City laboratories. Qatar University research output expansion. Emerging corporate R&D in energy, ICT, and healthcare. Government research programmes in specialised fields including marine science, arid agriculture, and cybersecurity.
What Needs to Happen
Reaching 2.0 percent requires a structural shift in the innovation ecosystem. Private sector R&D, which is minimal, must be incentivised through tax credits, intellectual property protections, and procurement preferences for locally developed technology. University-industry research partnerships must move beyond grant-funded projects to sustained collaboration. QatarEnergy, as the largest corporate entity, must significantly expand its R&D programmes in energy technology, carbon capture, and hydrogen. The GDP denominator challenge means that R&D spending must not merely grow — it must grow faster than overall economic output, which will be surging with LNG revenues.