Qatar National Grid (Qatar National Grid 2009 | EPSG:28600)
Feb 6,2026

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Introduction

Qatar National Grid (Qatar National Grid 2009 | EPSG:28600) is a projected coordinate system officially adopted by the State of Qatar for national surveying, mapping, and land administration. Established in 2009 through collaboration between Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality and Environment and international geodetic experts, this system provides a modern, GNSS-compatible framework optimized for Qatar’s compact territory and rapid urban development. It supports high-precision applications in construction, infrastructure, and cadastral management, serving as Qatar’s primary legal and technical coordinate reference.

File Structure

Qatar National Grid 2009 (EPSG:28600) is implemented as a projected coordinate system within a geodetic framework comprising datum, projection, and linear unit definitions.

Geodetic Datum:
Based on the Qatar National Geodetic Datum 2009 (QNGD2009), which is aligned to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame 2005 (ITRF2005) at epoch 2009.0.

Map Projection:
Transverse Mercator projection with the following key parameters:

Central Meridian: 51°13′09.6″ East
Latitude of Origin: 24°27′ North
Scale Factor at Central Meridian: 0.99999
False Easting: 700,000 meters
False Northing: 200,000 meters

Coordinate Format:
Coordinates are expressed in meters as easting (X) and northing (Y) values within the defined projection.

Reference Ellipsoid:
GRS 80 ellipsoid, consistent with modern global geodetic standards.

Pros

High GNSS Compatibility: Directly compatible with global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) through its alignment with ITRF2005, enabling centimeter-level accuracy in positioning.
Optimized National Coverage: Specifically designed for Qatar's territory, providing consistent accuracy across urban, coastal, and desert regions.
Legal and Administrative Standard: Mandatory for all official surveying, land registration, and government mapping projects, ensuring data uniformity and legal validity.
Modern Geodetic Foundation: Based on contemporary global reference frames, reducing transformation complexities when working with international datasets.
Engineering Precision: Supports high-precision applications in construction, infrastructure development, and utility management through its optimized projection parameters.

Cons

Territorial Limitation: Exclusively designed for Qatar's national territory with rapidly decreasing accuracy outside its borders.
Legacy Data Integration: Requires coordinate transformation when integrating with historical Qatari data referenced to older datums (e.g., QND48).
Implementation Complexity: Demands specialized geodetic expertise for proper setup and validation in surveying and engineering applications.
Limited Regional Interoperability: Not designed for regional coordination with neighboring Gulf Cooperation Council countries, each of which uses different national coordinate systems.

Application Scenario

Qatar National Grid 2009 is essential for Qatar's national spatial data infrastructure, supporting urban planning, mega-construction projects (including FIFA World Cup infrastructure and Lusail City development), cadastral surveying, and utility network management. The system enables precise engineering surveys, drone mapping, and BIM (Building Information Modeling) integration across all government and major private sector projects. It also serves as the foundation for Qatar's national GNSS reference network, supporting real-time positioning services for surveying, construction, and autonomous vehicle navigation. Additionally, it is used for coastal zone management, environmental monitoring, and resource mapping, ensuring all geographic data complies with Qatar's legal and technical standards.