Qatar aims to strengthen its research, development, and innovation (RDI) ecosystem. This report benchmarks Qatar against other small advanced economies, examines international policy practices, and evaluates its national strategies. It identifies weak STEM interest, fragmented researcher support, retention challenges linked to short visas, and limited industry–academia collaboration, and sets out policy options to address these gaps.

Positioning Qatar in the Global Research, Development, and Innovation Landscape

Comparative Insights from Small Advanced Economies

Mehdi Shiva, James Besse, Stella Harrison, Miguel Subosa, Ishita Puri, Paul Khullar, Abdellahi Hussein, Sara Zikri

ResearchPublished Sep 16, 2026

Qatar has articulated a bold vision to strengthen its research, development, and innovation (RDI) ecosystem, as set out in the Third National Development Strategy and the Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council's 2030 Strategy. These strategies set ambitious targets for expanding the RDI talent pool, raising government investment in research and innovation, and improving outputs such as high-impact publications, patents and start-ups.

This report assesses the current state of Qatar's RDI ecosystem by benchmarking performance indicators against other small, advanced economies, examining international policy practices, and evaluating the effects of Qatar's national strategies on research and innovation outcomes. It highlights areas of relative strength and identifies policy options to address persistent gaps.

The most significant challenge identified is the relatively low level of interest and attainment in STEM disciplines among Qatari students, which weakens the domestic talent pipeline. Although national strategies recognise the importance of STEM education, a comprehensive and coordinated action plan is lacking. Support for early-career researchers is also fragmented, and retention of skilled international talent is constrained by short visa durations and limited employment flexibility. Collaboration between research institutions and the private sector remains limited, restricting the translation of knowledge into innovation.

The study finds that the Qatar National Vision 2030 has positively influenced research and innovation outputs, even amid regional and global disruptions, and the more recent QRDI 2030 Strategy shows early signs of effectiveness, though it is too soon to assess its full impact. Future evaluations should incorporate broader indicators and longitudinal data.

Key Takeaways

Industry–academia collaboration is limited

Linkages between research institutions and the private sector remain weak, constraining the translation of knowledge into innovation. While the business set-up process is relatively streamlined, set-up costs have been high relative to comparator economies, standing at 6.3% of GNI per capita in 2019, though recent developments suggest significant reductions. Against a backdrop of declining total factor productivity, revitalising the private sector through entrepreneurship and innovation is increasingly important. Existing infrastructure such as QSTP and Education City offers a foundation on which closer co-location and coordination between academia and industry can be built.

Researcher development and retention need targeted attention

Support for early-career researchers is fragmented and administered largely by individual universities, producing variable training quality. Recent visa reforms, including the Mustaqel visa and the abandonment of the Kafala system, have improved conditions for migrant researchers, but short visa durations and limited employment flexibility continue to push international talent away, often before researchers can secure subsequent employment.

STEM interest and attainment remain weak

The relatively low level of interest and attainment in STEM disciplines among Qatari students weakens the domestic talent pipeline and limits capacity to meet future workforce demands. Despite improvements in attainment over the past decade, Qatar continues to underperform in science and mathematics relative to other small, advanced economies. National strategies acknowledge STEM's importance, but no concrete, coordinated action plan is in place.

Recommendations

A more coordinated approach to STEM education

  • Qatar may wish to consider a coordinated STEM action plan spanning early to adult education, with clearer roles and stronger teacher development. Finland and New Zealand's teacher-led communities of practice offer useful reference points.

Supporting researcher development and retention

  • There may be value in exploring a nationally administered fellowship scheme for early-career researchers, drawing on Singapore's approach, alongside greater visa flexibility informed by models such as Ireland's.

Deepening industry–academia collaboration

  • Building on QSTP and Education City, Qatar could consider cluster-based approaches, with QRDI well placed to help coordinate and evaluate support.

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Shiva, Mehdi, James Besse, Stella Harrison, Miguel Subosa, Ishita Puri, Paul Khullar, Abdellahi Hussein, and Sara Zikri, Positioning Qatar in the Global Research, Development, and Innovation Landscape: Comparative Insights from Small Advanced Economies. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3894-2.html.
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This work was conducted within the Education, Employment and Skills Program of RAND Europe.

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