In 2021 the budget surplus was 1.59 billion, according to Moody's citing finance ministry figures.
For 2023, Qatar anticipates a budget surplus of 29 billion
riyals, finance minister Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari was quoted as
saying in December, which he attributed to an estimated 16.3%
rise in revenue, thanks to rising average oil prices.
The Gulf Arab state, which hosted the soccer World Cup
during the third quarter of 2022, is one of the world's largest
exporters of natural gas and has benefited from huge windfalls
from soaring global oil and gas prices.
Qatar's oil and gas revenues surged 67% in the first half of
2022 compared with the same period in 2021 and prices remained
high for the balance of the year.
($1 = 3.6570 Qatar riyals)
(Reporting by Andrew Mills, Rachna Uppal and Yomna Ehab;
Writing by Andrew Mills and Nayera Abdallah;
Editing by Alison Williams and Tomasz Janowski)
