Qatar's economy expanded by 60.8 percent at current prices in the second quarter to 96.17 billion riyals ($26.41 billion) spurred by high energy prices, Qatar Statistics Authority data showed on Thursday.

Gross domestic product for the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas is soaring as it expands its oil and gas sector and ploughs money into infrastructure, construction and manufacturing.

The mining and quarrying sector, which includes oil and gas, jumped 85.27 percent in the three-month period to 61.02 billion riyals. The average price of benchmark US oil was $123.80 in the second quarter, compared with $95.98 on December 31.

Qatar's construction sector grew 19.84 percent in the second quarter, while the electricity and water sector expanded 23.63 percent. Manufacturing jumped 62.2 percent, the data showed.

The Gulf state's economy expanded 25 percent last year to 258.6 billion riyals. It is set to grow 11.6 percent in real terms this year, the fastest pace in the oil-exporting Gulf Arab region, according to a Reuters poll in July.

The poll showed economists expect Qatar's economy to be worth $95.3 billion this year. - Reuters