Qatar is in better financial shape than several of its GCC peers, according to credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) , which maintained its positive position on Qatar while downgrading Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia last week.

In a report, S&P said Qatar’s large reserves – such as those held by the Qatar Investment Authority – and political stability mean that there’s a low risk of the country running into financial trouble, even as the government runs deficits to pay for large infrastructure projects.