Title: When the Oryx takes off: Doha a new rising knowledge hub in the Gulf region?

Authors: Sven Conventz; Alain Thierstein; Florian Wiedmann; Ashraf M. Salama

Addresses: TU Munich, Arcisstrasse 21, 80333 Munich, Germany ' TU Munich, Arcisstrasse 21, 80333 Munich, Germany ' Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, Fachbereich 1: Architektur, Bauingenieurwesen, Geomatik, Nibelungenplatz 1, 60318 Frankfurt am Main, Germany ' University of Strathclyde, 16 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XQ, Scotland, UK

Abstract: With accelerating pace in the past years, Qatar has strategically pushed forward its economic diversification. According to Qatar's long-term development vision, the knowledge-economy is taking a key role within this economic diversification process and the transformation of its capital into a regional as well as global service-hub. This paper aims at identifying emerging knowledge-based patterns that drive the Qatari space economy. We apply a research concept that brings together two different scientific angles: relational economic geography and physical urban development aspects. The results indicate first a subsidiary role for the Qatari knowledge intensive firms within the Gulf region; second their predominant connectivity patterns to Europe and South-East Asia; third as a distinct lack of urban amenities and qualities for knowledge workers.

Keywords: knowledge economy; Doha; Qatar; Gulf states; advanced producer services; APSs; high technology; urban hierarchy; urban development; economic geography; interlocking network analysis; space syntax; knowledge hubs; economic diversification; knowledge intensive firms; high tech firms; knowledge workers; connectivity patterns; urban amenities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2015.069443

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2015 Vol.6 No.1, pp.65 - 82

Received: 02 Dec 2013
Accepted: 19 Nov 2014
Published online: 16 May 2015 *

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