Qatarization: hiring Qatari nationals as a private employer

Who this is for

Private-sector employers in Qatar covered by Law No. 12 of 2024 on the Qatarization of jobs in the private sector: individuals who run a private establishment registered in the commercial register, commercial companies operating in Qatar (whether state-owned, state-participated or privately owned), and private public-benefit bodies, sports institutions and associations. The Cabinet can add or exempt specific entities. Companies founded by, or in which Qatar Energy participates, and companies carrying out petroleum exploration, production-sharing, field-development or joint-venture agreements in petroleum operations and petrochemicals are excluded from this particular law. Government and civil-service jobs follow separate rules and are not covered here.

Before you start

• A valid commercial registration for the business, since the law applies to employers registered in the commercial register.
• Clarity on whether your company is covered or falls under one of the law's exclusions (petroleum and petrochemical-related companies tied to Qatar Energy) or any Cabinet-decided exemption.
• A clear description of any vacancy you plan to fill: job title, required conditions, salary and the date it needs to be filled, since the law requires reporting these details.
• Up-to-date records of your Qatari and non-Qatari employees, since the law requires reporting workforce data periodically.

Steps

1. Check whether your business is covered

   Law No. 12 of 2024 covers private establishments and commercial companies with a few named exclusions (mainly petroleum and petrochemical companies linked to Qatar Energy). The Cabinet can also add or exempt specific entities by decision. If you are unsure, check with the Ministry of Labour before assuming the rules do or do not apply to you.

2. Know the hiring-priority rule

   Covered employers must give hiring, training and qualification priority to Qatari jobseekers. If no suitable Qatari candidate is available, priority goes to the children of Qatari women, before an expatriate can be hired. This does not apply to a small set of roles, such as positions where the holder represents the employer in exercising its authority, or casual work as defined in the Labour Law.

3. Report job vacancies to the Ministry

   The law requires covered employers to notify the Ministry of Labour of every available job, the conditions required of a candidate, the salary offered and the date it needs to be filled, within one month of the vacancy arising. The Ministry's current e-service or portal for this notification was not confirmed during this research; check with the Ministry for the exact channel.

4. Register new hires and report workforce data

   Once you hire someone under the law's priority categories, you must send the Ministry their details within 60 days of contracting. Separately, covered employers must give the Ministry data on all their Qatari and non-Qatari employees every six months, plus any other data or documents the Ministry asks for.

5. Check for a published Qatarization plan for your sector

   The Ministry of Labour is responsible for drawing up a detailed Qatarization plan, classifying covered employers by workforce size and job types and setting which jobs are reserved for Qatari jobseekers; the plan needs Cabinet approval. This guide could not confirm a published, public breakdown of that plan or of any quota percentages by sector, so check directly with the Ministry of Labour for what currently applies to your type of business.

6. Understand what happens if you don't comply

   For violations such as not reporting vacancies or new hires as required, the Ministry can, after giving notice to fix the issue, take steps ranging from a written warning to suspending the employer's dealings with the Ministry for up to three months, or a financial penalty under a schedule attached to the law. Separately, using fraud or false information to claim compliance, or to obtain incentives under the law, is a criminal offence carrying up to three years in prison and/or a fine of up to QAR 1,000,000.

Useful numbers and apps

• Hukoomi (government services help) 109 Source
• Kawader national recruitment platform hotline 16008 Source

Good to know

• Qatarization is not a single, fixed national quota. The law has the Ministry of Labour set a detailed plan, sector by sector and job by job, subject to Cabinet approval; the public details of that plan, including any quota percentages, could not be confirmed on an official page.
• Qatari jobseekers and children of Qatari women generally need to be registered with the Ministry of Labour to be hired under the law's priority categories, aside from a few excepted roles.
• The law also allows the Cabinet to set financial incentives for employers that comply with the Qatarization plan, and for the Qatari and part-Qatari jobseekers who take up jobs through it.
• The national employment platform Kawader has been used to register Qatari jobseekers and advertise vacancies, including in the private sector, but this guide could not confirm whether it is the Ministry of Labour's designated channel for the specific reporting duties in Law No. 12 of 2024, or a separate recruitment platform. Confirm with the Ministry before relying on it for compliance.
• This is a recent law (in force since 17 April 2025) and the Ministry of Labour's own website could not be reached during this research. Check the Ministry directly, or in person if needed, for the current, detailed requirements before acting on anything here.
• This guide is based on the text of Law No. 12 of 2024. Quota percentages, penalty amounts and the reporting portal are not published on pages we could verify, so confirm them with the Ministry of Labour.