Qatar News Agency (QNA) was established in May 25th, 1975 by the Emiri Decree number 94 of the year 1975, to become the first Arab news agency dedicated to covering the Gulf region. It is one of Qatar's achievements in the field of information.
The agency started with a transmission of half an hour a day, now it transmits for a continuous daily period of 18 hours from 7:00 a.m. until after midnight in local time, but at times of hot developments the transmission extends to 24 hours a day.
The agency is looking forward to achieving the goals of media, the national information strategy and serving its causes. QNA follows up news and activities of both private and government sectors, publishes them and shows the country's achievements in all spheres inside and outside the country.
The Emiri Decision issued on 13 September, 2007 organizing the agency shows the keenness of the political leadership and its interest in media in order to fulfill its role in the best manner in terms of getting accurate information from different internal and external sources, redistributing and marketing these news locally and abroad, as well as analyzing news and information, Preparing commentaries and studies and contributing to spreading media awareness to help in rising and consolidating media professionalism in the country.
The agency's new structure aims at strengthening its role to introduce Qatar in various fields in the international arena, establish relations with various media organs and personalities abroad and organize their visit to the State, in addition to exchanging and transferring services and cooperation with local, Arab and international media organs, as well as covering local and international events and preparing them for distribution, documentation and marketing. Not to forget the preparation of studies, research and special publications and provision of video and audio news services. The agency also provides media services to various state media organs through correspondents at home and abroad.
Among other services provides by the agency:monitoring and collecting information about the state of Qatar from different Arab and International media and the Internet, classifying and documenting it. Moreover, cope with professional and technical developments and changes in its work domain and benefit from them and participate in media exhibitions, press conferences and media coverage of conferences and events at home and abroad