Qatar’s proposed PPP law: what to watch for in 2026

3 min 6 sec January 16, 2026 (Edited)

Introduction

Qatar is currently drafting an updated public–private partnership (PPP) law as part of a broader legislative modernization, signaling a coordinated push to deepen private-sector participation in national development from 2026 onward. The initiative was highlighted by senior officials at the first Public–Private Sector Dialogue Forum and underscores the government’s intent to align legal reform with operational facilitation. Against this backdrop, Qatar has accelerated administrative streamlining and digitalization measures—such as automatic issuance of tax numbers upon commercial registration and extensive single-window e‑services—reducing friction that traditionally complicates PPP execution and investor onboarding.

Updating the PPP framework

The draft law, alongside foreign investment and bankruptcy reforms is part of a suit of laws intended to strengthen investor confidence and broaden project delivery options. By coupling PPP reform with bankruptcy law modernization, authorities are implicitly addressing bankability concerns around creditor rights, recovery pathways, and project-company distress—issues that are often decisive in capital-intensive PPPs. The same policy package highlights expanded sectoral openness to foreign investors—now permitted to participate in more than 1,400 business activities—suggesting a wider aperture for PPP consortia composition and specialist operator entry once the law is enacted.

The draft law will address procedural frictions that impede project preparation. In parallel, sectoral committees for industry, trade, logistics, health, and technology have been set up to monitor challenges and propose solutions—an institutional complement that could furnish the pipeline definition and stakeholder feedback loops PPP regimes need to avoid process gridlock.

Qatar’s draft law is consistent with regional trajectories

GCC jurisdictions have been moving towards enabling privately financed infrastructure through bespoke or formal PPP legislation, with uptake strongest in power and water and gradually expanding to other asset classes. In Qatar’s case, the legal update signals an intent to widen the PPP toolkit beyond legacy procurement laws and to align with international best practice on public procurement while retaining national policy priorities. If paired with standardized selection processes and transparent bid frameworks, this can reduce perceived execution risk premiums that sponsors and lenders price into Qatari opportunities.

Potential impacts across the PPP lifecycle

From a pipeline perspective, the draft law will improve pre‑feasibility screening and reduce the incidence of abortive tenders. For procurement, a modern PPP law will clarify competitive tendering requirements, evaluation criteria, and dispute pathways, resolving ambiguities that otherwise deter bidders and complicate value-for-money assessments.  On bankability, the concurrent move on bankruptcy law will reduce uncertainty in distressed scenarios, aligning creditor expectations with predictable workout regimes and potentially lowering financing costs. For foreign participation, the expansion to over 1,400 activities indicates greater room for specialist operators and O&M providers within PPP consortia, deepening competition and technical depth.

PPP adoption across the Gulf has historically been strongest where enabling legislation, standardized risk allocation, and institutional capacity come together; absent that, progress lags outside power and water. Accordingly, in 2026 we will see how Qatar implements the law—particularly the clarity of risk-sharing provisions, standardized contracts, sector‑specific guidelines, and the readiness of implementing agencies to manage long‑term concessions.

Conclusion

Qatar’s announced update to its PPP law, paired with reforms to foreign investment and bankruptcy legislation and underpinned by significant administrative simplification, sets a credible stage for a step‑change in privately financed infrastructure beginning in 2026. The government’s alignment of legal reform with operational enablers—single‑window digital services, faster entity setup, sectoral committees, customs and import streamlining, and environmental permitting simplification—addresses the practical constraints that often blunt the impact of PPP laws on the ground. The forthcoming law will deliver clear procurement rules, balanced risk allocation, and standardized documentation which will result in a deeper pipeline, more competitive bidding, and improved bankability across sectors beyond the traditional strongholds.