Qatar Economic Outlook Issue Number 13

Electricity & Water Production
The average production of desalinated 
drinking water derived from sea water in the 
State of Qatar until the end of 2020 was about 
692.4 million cubic meters, with the 
generated electrical energy amounted to 
about 49.2 terawatts per hour during the 
same year. Figure (2-42) shows that the 
electricity production process is more 
affected by seasonal changes than the water 
30
Expenditures minus Revenues 
production process is. This is due to the 
health-related necessity of using air 
conditioning to keep public and private 
spaces cool during heatwaves. Moving now 
to 2021, the production of desalinated 
drinking water from seawater until the end of 
September 2021 amounted to about 503.8 
million cubic meters, and the production of 
electric power amounted to about 39.7 
terawatts per hour. Assuming the fourth 
quarter of 2021 will be the same as the same 
quarter of 2020, total water will be less, but 
electricity will be more. 
Public Finance Performance 
Budget Balance 
The budget balance
30
in 2020 achieved a 
deficit of negative 2.1% of GDP, mostly due 
to the decline in oil and gas prices, which 
dropped from a weighted average of $60.8 
per barrel in 2019 to an average of $48.3 per 
barrel in 2020. The deficit occurred despite 
the decrease in expenditures from QR 208.4 
billion in 2019 to QR 182.4 billion in 2020. It 
is attributed to the fact that the deficit was due 
to the decrease in public revenues more than 
the decrease in expenditures, as it decreased 
from QR 214.7 billion in 2019 to QR 171.2 
billion in 2020, as shown in figure (2-43).
Figure 2-43: Fiscal Balance 
)%(
 
46
43
29
28
31
33
33
30
33
42
38
35
29
32
35
29
13.6
1.2
-9.0 -6.8
2.3
1.0
-2.1
1.0
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
As
%
o
f GDP
Revenue
Expenditure
Budget Balance
Source: MOF and prepared by PSA