Qatar's economy should expand by 9 per cent in the fiscal year of 2009/2010 and by 16 per cent in the following year, the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

'Despite forecasts of global financial institutions (that) the growth rates in most developed and developing countries will decline, the growth rate of Qatar's economy in the current fiscal year will reach about 9 per cent and a forecast for the coming fiscal year is 16 per cent,' Thani said in a speech according to Qatari state agency QNA.

The Qatari fiscal year starts in April.

Qatar's consumer price index fell 1.51 per cent in the third quarter from the previous quarter, extending its decline, the country's statistics authority said on Tuesday.

The index lost 1.03 per cent between April to June 2009, it said.-Reuters