State of Qatar/Qatar Financial Centre 2025 Roundup – What Employers Need to Know

January 2026

Introduction

Qatar introduced significant employment law reforms in 2025 which have a material impact on employers in Qatar, including Qatar Financial Centre.  These changes reflect the government’s commitment to enhancing employment regulation, promoting workforce nationalisation, strengthening employee protections, and modernising workplace practices. This alert summarises the key 2025 developments that HR professionals and in-house lawyers need to understand and implement.

STATE OF QATAR

1. Social Insurance (Pensions) Law – Executive Regulations

Cabinet Resolution No (3) of 2025, issued on 13 February 2025, provides detailed guidelines on implementing the Social Insurance Law No (1) of 2022 (Pensions Law) and affects all employers with Qatari National employees.

Key requirements:

• Employer and employee registration with the General Retirement & Social Insurance Authority (GRSIA)
• Update employee data within 30 days of any changes
• Maintain insured employee files
• Appoint a liaison officer for compliance

Contribution basis:

•  Capped monthly salary of QAR 100,000
• Includes QAR 6,000 for housing allowances

Special provisions cover:

• Sick leave
• Secondments
• Service credit purchases
• Female employees resigning to care for children with disabilities

Failure to comply may result in fines multiplied per each insured employee.

2. Persons with Disabilities Law No (22) of 2025

Effective 19 November 2025, this Law replaces the Disability Law of 2004.

Key obligations:

• Provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities
• Make reasonable adjustments
• Discrimination based on disability is expressly prohibited
• Employment quotas for public and private sectors (to be specified by Council of Ministers)
• An employee’s disability cannot justify reducing their benefits or rights

Penalties:

• Fines up to QAR 50,000 for violations
• If negligence results in death: imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or fines up to QAR 500,000

Employees with disabilities may submit grievances to the Ministry of Social Development and Family.

3. Nationalisation in the Private Sector Law

The Nationalisation Law came into force on 17 April 2025.

Key obligations:

• Prioritise recruitment and training of Qatari nationals and children of Qatari mothers
• Use standardised registered employment contracts
• Comply with job vacancy reporting
• Register on designated platforms: Tawteen, Istamer, Kawader, and Basher
• Report biannually to the Ministry of Labour on workforce composition

Secondary legislation is awaited for quota levels and role specifications, but employers should already comply with the reporting requirements and general principles.

Penalties for non-compliance:

• Hefty fines
• Visa freezes
• Public naming and shaming
• Imprisonment for fraudulent claims

Additionally, Emiri Resolution No (27) of 2025 has established a Nationalisation Awards Committee within the Ministry of Labour, to encourage and award private sector employers and National employees who excel in compliance with the Nationalisation Law. Further details are awaited regarding the awards, which could perhaps include preferences for work visa grants and/or public tenders for compliant companies, similar to schemes in other GCC countries. However, we must wait for more details on this.

4. Official and Public Holidays

Emiri Decision No (57) of 2025 was published in November 2025, and applies to both the public and private sectors, repealing Emiri Decision No (80) of 2011, Council of Ministers’ Resolution No (6) of 2008 and any other conflicting legislation.  It determines that working days are Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday as weekly rest days.

Official/public paid holidays of the State include:

• National Day (18 December)
• Sports Day (second Tuesday in February)
• Eid Al-Fitr (28 Ramadan to end of 4^th day of Shawwal inclusive)
• Eid Al-Adha (9^th to 13^th day of Dhu Al-Hijjah inclusive)

Qatar Central Bank and Qatar Financial Markets Authority (including the financial institutions/markets they respectively supervise) have the following paid public holidays:

• Three working days for each of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha
• New Year’s Day Holiday
• Banks’ Holiday (start of March) – the latter two as specifically announced by QCB
• National Day
• Sports Day

Also:

• For all governmental/financial entities, any single working day between two holidays (ie any two non-working days) will form part of those holidays.
• The provisions do not override rotation/shift adjustments/exemptions
• For the private sector, official/public holidays continue to be as specified in Qatar’s Labour Law and other applicable regulations (ie the Sports Day Emiri Decision 2011).

(Note: The QFC Employment Regulations separately sets out the paid public holidays for employees governed by those Regulations.)

5. End-of-Service Benefit Investment Committee

Prime Minister’s Resolution No (34) of 2025 came into force in December 2025 and provides that a Committee at the Ministry of Finance will be established to design and supervise a savings and investment scheme for (non-Qatari employees’) end of service benefits, and Qatari employees’ contributions.  It affects employees of both the public and private sector.  What it does not do is directly change the current end of service calculation, but it does signal potential future changes to how end of service benefits are managed and invested in Qatar.

6. Amendments to the HR Law/Regulations

Effective 7 October 2025, Qatar enacted Law No (25) of 2025, amending the Human Resources Law (Law No (15) of 2016), and issued Cabinet Resolution No (34) of 2025, amending the HR Law Executive Regulations.

Key changes:

• Reshapes public sector employment governance
• Strengthens Nationalisation and replacement policies
• Modernises performance evaluation and rewards
• Revises salary and incentive structures
• Adds new allowances and bonuses
• Expands leave and flexible work entitlements
• Refines disciplinary processes
• Clarifies end of service benefits

Whilst the changes apply primarily to government agencies, they are relevant to quasi-governmental bodies and private sector employers seeking to benchmark benefits to attract Qatari talent.

QATAR FINANCIAL CENTRE (QFC)

1. QFC Employment Regulations – Pension Contributions

The QFC Employment Regulations were amended to clarify that employees are covered by provisions in Qatar’s Pension Law (social insurance), and must be enrolled with GRSIA.  This impacts Qatari and non-Qatari GCC National employees.

2. ESO’s Constructive Dismissal Guidance

In March 2025, the QFC Employment Standards Office issued non-binding guidelines on constructive dismissal.

What is constructive dismissal?

• Occurs when an employer engages in conduct amounting to a material breach of contract, permitting the employee to resign

Key points from the Guidelines:

• Sets out examples of material (and non-material) breaches
• Constructively dismissed employees are not required to give notice
• Employees may claim financial damages for loss of earnings during their notice period
• Employees are not bound by restrictive covenants (but remain bound by confidentiality obligations)

Recommended actions:

• Review contracts
• Strengthen grievance procedures
• Train managers on avoiding material breaches

3. New QFC Employment Agreement Template

The QFC has launched a new, more detailed Employment Agreement Template.  QFC licensed entity employment contracts should be at least in line with the new template.

ACTION POINTS FOR EMPLOYERS

1. State of Qatar:

• Register eligible employees and maintain pensions compliance
• Implement disability non-discrimination policies and reasonable adjustments
• Comply with nationalisation obligations, reporting and platform registration
• Ensure compliance with stipulated paid public/official holidays
• Public sector employers: assess alignment with amended HR Law/Regulations framework and update policies.

2. QFC:

• Review employment contracts against the ESO’s new template
• Strengthen policies to prevent constructive dismissal risks
• Train managers on material breach avoidance
• Register eligible employees and maintain pensions compliance

3. All Employers:

• Stay informed about applicable secondary legislation
• Conduct compliance audits
• Train HR teams
• Seek legal advice on implementation
• Monitor developments regarding the interaction between end of service benefit and pension for Qatari employees. Al Tamimi’s Qatar office has been involved in some of the important litigation on this subject.

This alert is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Employers should seek specific legal guidance on their particular circumstances.

How can we help?

For queries or further information on the above alert please feel free to contact the key contact.