Employing in Qatar

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Expanding into
Qatar

International companies expanding into the State of Qatar will be entering an economy that is based on oil and natural gas. In 2022, through the state-owned Qatar Petroleum, it was the world leader in exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fifth globally for exporting natural gas generally. Qatar holds the world’s third largest reserves of natural gas, with the majority in the offshore North Field it shares with Iran. Qatar is also just inside the world’s top 20 for oil exports.

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Global Expansion is a step to make for any business, regardless of your goal. But the opportunities that can come with an expansion can be stimulating as well as intimidating and confusing, especially when you consider all of the registration procedures that need to be done and the documentation required.

Going at it without the proper support can increase the costs, time and risks involved.

The legwork and potential red tape can be worked through more efficiently and cost-effectively with the support of a Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) such as Bradford Jacobs, primarily through our Employer of Record (EOR) framework.

It can be best utilised when businesses are just beginning their expansion process and require more information before incorporating an entity and fully establishing themselves in that market.

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Country EOR Guide - Bradford Jacobs

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Learn all about expanding into Qatar and see what we can do to make your expansion easier.

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Download our Guide to Qatar

Learn all about expanding into Qatar and see what we can do to make your expansion easier.

Country EOR Guide - Bradford Jacobs
DOWNLOAD GUIDE

Hiring Staff
in Qatar

International companies expanding into the State of Qatar will be entering an economy rich in two specific natural resources – natural gas and oil. Qatar holds the world’s third-largest reserves of natural gas, is the fifth-largest exporter and globally the No.1 exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Qatar is also inside the top 20 exporters of oil.

Despite the wealth generated by producing and exporting oil and LNG, Qatar falls outside the world’s top 50 nations for Gross Domestic Product, with 179.6 billion US dollars in 2021, a 24% increase over 2020 and 54th in the world. GDP was predicted to reach US$187.83 billion by the end of 2022 and US$195.34 billion through 2023. Qatar is in the world’s 10 richest nations per capita assessed on Gross National Income (GNI).

This anticipated growth is in line with Qatar’s drive for diversification and an economy that goes beyond oil and gas. The risks in depending on oil and gas were highlighted by the economic blockade imposed by its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain from February 2019 till January 2021.

Qatar sidestepped this to a degree by boosting economic relations with non-Arab nations. Its international memberships include: the Non-Aligned Movement; the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) aims to create a business environment favourable to increased investment in employment, diversification, modernisation and public-private partnerships (PPPs), although the largest companies in Qatar are all state-owned.

Country:
Officially, the State of Qatar
Local Currency:
Riyal
Time Zone:
Arab Standard Time (AST) is UTC+3.00
Country Dial Code:
+974
Tax Year:
Generally January 1 – December 31, but exceptions are allowed
VAT:
Standard rate 5% due to be introduced in 2023
National Minimum Wage:
Minimum monthly wage QAR 1,000 (€260, US$275), plus optional extra of QAR 800 (€207, US$220) for food and housing allowance if these are not provided by the employer.
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN):
10-digit TIN with the first number always a ‘5’, which identifies Qatar as the source.
Main trading partners:
US, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE

Hiring Staff
in Qatar

International companies expanding into the State of Qatar will be entering an economy rich in two specific natural resources – natural gas and oil. Qatar holds the world’s third-largest reserves of natural gas, is the fifth-largest exporter and globally the No.1 exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Qatar is also inside the top 20 exporters of oil.

Despite the wealth generated by producing and exporting oil and LNG, Qatar falls outside the world’s top 50 nations for Gross Domestic Product, with 179.6 billion US dollars in 2021, a 24% increase over 2020 and 54th in the world. GDP was predicted to reach US$187.83 billion by the end of 2022 and US$195.34 billion through 2023. Qatar is in the world’s 10 richest nations per capita assessed on Gross National Income (GNI).

This anticipated growth is in line with Qatar’s drive for diversification and an economy that goes beyond oil and gas. The risks in depending on oil and gas were highlighted by the economic blockade imposed by its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain from February 2019 till January 2021.

Qatar sidestepped this to a degree by boosting economic relations with non-Arab nations. Its international memberships include: the Non-Aligned Movement; the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) aims to create a business environment favourable to increased investment in employment, diversification, modernisation and public-private partnerships (PPPs), although the largest companies in Qatar are all state-owned.

Country:
Officially, the State of Qatar
Local Currency:
Riyal
Time Zone:
Arab Standard Time (AST) is UTC+3.00
Country Dial Code:
+974
Tax Year:
Generally January 1 – December 31, but exceptions are allowed
VAT:
Standard rate 5% due to be introduced in 2023
National Minimum Wage:
Minimum monthly wage QAR 1,000 (€260, US$275), plus optional extra of QAR 800 (€207, US$220) for food and housing allowance if these are not provided by the employer.
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN):
10-digit TIN with the first number always a ‘5’, which identifies Qatar as the source.
Main trading partners:
US, UK, Germany, Japan, South Korea, India, China, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE

The Main Sectors of the Qataris Economy

The country focuses on the following key sectors, which all have a significant impact on the country’s economy:

Agriculture

Agriculture in Japan plays a significant role and contributes approximately 1.4% of the national GDP and about 12% of the land in the country is appropriate for farming. The country lacks arable land, and therefore the terrace system is utilized in small areas.

As a result of these, Japan has the highest level of crop output per unit area in the world and a total agricultural self-sufficiency ratio of approximately 50% on less than 14 million acres of cultivated land.

The manufacturing industry in Japan is the most diversified with various advanced industries which are exceedingly successful. Japan has managed to become a leader in technological development in a wide range of fields of manufacturing which include semiconductors, consumer electronics, optical fibers, automobile manufacturing, optoelectronics, copy machines, facsimile, and optical media among others.

The country is also a leader in biochemistry and fermentation process in the food industry.

Some of the motor vehicles companies in Japan include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Subaru. There are also motorcycle companies like Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda.

Qatar’s staging of the World Cup, aside from the associated controversy in how the tournament was awarded to the country, was seen as vital in boosting tourism, business and conference trips as well as cultural and other sporting events. Qatar is expected to bid to stage the Asian Games in 2030. Qatar invested 220 billion US dollars in 150 new hotels and the hospitality infrastructure in and around the capital, Doha, after 2010’s successful bid for the Cup.

The government estimated 1.4 million visitors attended the tournament and hope this will be the launch pad for attracting six million visitors annually by 2030. For those not adding ‘soccer’ to their holiday list, the desert sheikhdom has beaches on its Persian Gulf coastline, a landscape of dunes, with desert campsites, museums and cultural centres. Transport options vary from dhow boat rides on the Gulf to a modern metro network.

Construction

This sector also showed huge growth after securing the bid for the World Cup, although also attracted negative publicity with estimates that several thousand immigrant workers died during construction of the eight new stadia for the event. Post-World Cup, the sector was expecting continued growth after contributing 46.8 billion US dollars in 2021 to the economy.

The sector is central to Qatar’s vision of becoming a central financial hub for West Asia and the surrounding regions. Qatar is pursuing growth of diversification into a knowledge-based economy not reliant on its oil and gas reserves and exports. Activities and compliance are strictly regulated and applied by the Qatar Financial Markets Authority. The Qatar Stock Exchange was established in 1995 and was the first in the region to pioneer environmental, social and corporate governance. The Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) is the second largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and is managed by the Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Qatar Central Banks.

The Main Sectors of the Qataris Economy

The country focuses on the following key sectors, which all have a significant impact on the country’s economy:

Agriculture

Agriculture in Japan plays a significant role and contributes approximately 1.4% of the national GDP and about 12% of the land in the country is appropriate for farming. The country lacks arable land, and therefore the terrace system is utilized in small areas.

As a result of these, Japan has the highest level of crop output per unit area in the world and a total agricultural self-sufficiency ratio of approximately 50% on less than 14 million acres of cultivated land.

The manufacturing industry in Japan is the most diversified with various advanced industries which are exceedingly successful. Japan has managed to become a leader in technological development in a wide range of fields of manufacturing which include semiconductors, consumer electronics, optical fibers, automobile manufacturing, optoelectronics, copy machines, facsimile, and optical media among others.

The country is also a leader in biochemistry and fermentation process in the food industry.

Some of the motor vehicles companies in Japan include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Subaru. There are also motorcycle companies like Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda.

Qatar’s staging of the World Cup, aside from the associated controversy in how the tournament was awarded to the country, was seen as vital in boosting tourism, business and conference trips as well as cultural and other sporting events. Qatar is expected to bid to stage the Asian Games in 2030. Qatar invested 220 billion US dollars in 150 new hotels and the hospitality infrastructure in and around the capital, Doha, after 2010’s successful bid for the Cup.

The government estimated 1.4 million visitors attended the tournament and hope this will be the launch pad for attracting six million visitors annually by 2030. For those not adding ‘soccer’ to their holiday list, the desert sheikhdom has beaches on its Persian Gulf coastline, a landscape of dunes, with desert campsites, museums and cultural centres. Transport options vary from dhow boat rides on the Gulf to a modern metro network.

Construction

This sector also showed huge growth after securing the bid for the World Cup, although also attracted negative publicity with estimates that several thousand immigrant workers died during construction of the eight new stadia for the event. Post-World Cup, the sector was expecting continued growth after contributing 46.8 billion US dollars in 2021 to the economy.

The sector is central to Qatar’s vision of becoming a central financial hub for West Asia and the surrounding regions. Qatar is pursuing growth of diversification into a knowledge-based economy not reliant on its oil and gas reserves and exports. Activities and compliance are strictly regulated and applied by the Qatar Financial Markets Authority. The Qatar Stock Exchange was established in 1995 and was the first in the region to pioneer environmental, social and corporate governance. The Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH) is the second largest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and is managed by the Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Qatar Central Banks.

Commercial Laws in
Qatar

Labour Laws in Qatar

Employment Legislation:

  • Employment legislation generally follows the Labour Law.
  • Some categories of employees are not covered by the law. These include:
  • Employees of companies registered in the Qatar Finance Centre (QFC).
  • Employees of government and public institutions.
  • Petroleum and petrochemical industry workers.
  • The armed forces and police and those employed at sea.
  • Domestic staff, who are covered by specific legislation.
  • Agricultural workers.

Legislation Includes:

  • The Labour Law (No. 14/2004).
  • Law No. 21/2015 Regulating Entry, Exit, and Residency of Expats.
  • The Protection of Personal Data Privacy Law.
  • The Labour Law is subject to many amendments and updates, usually identified only by a number and the year of the amendments, such as Law No. 20/2005, as an example. Laws can also be updated by ministerial decrees and resolutions.

Qatar’s tax regime has unusual aspects. There is no income tax on employees’ wages, remuneration or salaries. Apart from salaried employees, a territorial regime applies, meaning that business income earned in Qatar is liable for taxation regardless of residency. Self-employed personnel may be liable for taxes at 10% on income sourced in Qatar.

Employers have a legal requirement to comply with the Wage Protection System (WPS), overseen by the Qatar Central Bank and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) to ensure there is full payment of salaries through banks and institutions approved by the Central Bank. Employees’ details must be included and may be used to cross-reference with records of MADLSA.

Employment Legislation:

Employers must adhere to general requirements when drafting contracts for their employees, as specified by the Labour Law.

While verbal agreements are legally valid, written contracts are strongly recommended.

Written contracts should be based on the standard template provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA).

The contract must include comprehensive details of both the employer and employee, including the nationality of foreigners, job title and location, start date, type of contract, and remuneration.

Contracts should be in Arabic, but bilingual Arabic-English contracts are acceptable. Three copies of the contract are maintained: one each by the employer, employee, and MADLSA.

Additional Contractual Arrangements:

Any additional arrangements must be registered with MADLSA.

Commercial Laws in
Qatar

Labour Laws in Qatar

Employment Legislation:

  • Employment legislation generally follows the Labour Law.
  • Some categories of employees are not covered by the law. These include:
  • Employees of companies registered in the Qatar Finance Centre (QFC).
  • Employees of government and public institutions.
  • Petroleum and petrochemical industry workers.
  • The armed forces and police and those employed at sea.
  • Domestic staff, who are covered by specific legislation.
  • Agricultural workers.

Legislation Includes:

  • The Labour Law (No. 14/2004).
  • Law No. 21/2015 Regulating Entry, Exit, and Residency of Expats.
  • The Protection of Personal Data Privacy Law.
  • The Labour Law is subject to many amendments and updates, usually identified only by a number and the year of the amendments, such as Law No. 20/2005, as an example. Laws can also be updated by ministerial decrees and resolutions.

Qatar’s tax regime has unusual aspects. There is no income tax on employees’ wages, remuneration or salaries. Apart from salaried employees, a territorial regime applies, meaning that business income earned in Qatar is liable for taxation regardless of residency. Self-employed personnel may be liable for taxes at 10% on income sourced in Qatar.

Employers have a legal requirement to comply with the Wage Protection System (WPS), overseen by the Qatar Central Bank and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) to ensure there is full payment of salaries through banks and institutions approved by the Central Bank. Employees’ details must be included and may be used to cross-reference with records of MADLSA.

Employment Legislation:

Employers must adhere to general requirements when drafting contracts for their employees, as specified by the Labour Law.

While verbal agreements are legally valid, written contracts are strongly recommended.

Written contracts should be based on the standard template provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA).

The contract must include comprehensive details of both the employer and employee, including the nationality of foreigners, job title and location, start date, type of contract, and remuneration.

Contracts should be in Arabic, but bilingual Arabic-English contracts are acceptable. Three copies of the contract are maintained: one each by the employer, employee, and MADLSA.

Additional Contractual Arrangements:

Any additional arrangements must be registered with MADLSA.

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