Doing Business in Qatar

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Latest Destinations

Doha, Qatar

Please click here to learn about ‘How to do Business in Doha

Major Cities and Serving Airports

Doha	Hamad International Airport
Al Rayyan	situated 10kms north of Doha
Al Wakra	Located in between Umm Said and Doha
Umm Said	Core of Qatar’s Industry, located 45kms south of Doha
For Flights & Information Click Here

At a Glance

The State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent state in the Middle East, occupying a peninsula that juts into the Arabian Gulf. Since its complete independence from Britain in 1971, Qatar has emerged as one of the world’s most important producers of oil and gas. It is an Islamic State whose laws and customs follow the Islamic tradition. Since 2013, the country has been governed by HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

Since the mid-1800s, Qatar has grown from a poor British protectorate known for pearling into one of the world’s most important oil and gas producing countries. While there is increasing investment in non-energy sectors, oil and gas still account for more than half of the Gross Domestic Product. Due to its substantial reserves of oil and gas, the country has one of the highest incomes per capita in the world.

The country is situated on a peninsula that extends from the Arabian Peninsula approximately 160 km (99 mi) north into the Persian (Arab) Gulf, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia. Qatar shares maritime borders with Bahrain, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Official working hours in the country differ slightly. Government departments will tend to work from 7qm – 2pm, Private companies and Organisations from 8pm – 12pm and 4pm to 8pm and Banks from 7.30m – 1pm

The climate of Qatar is desert, with very mild winters, and very hot and sunny summers. Being a small and flat country, it has a uniform climate throughout the territory. … The scarce rainfall occurs during the winter months, and it amounts to less than 100 millimeters (4 inches) per year.

Qatar offers businesses an opportunity to invest in a dynamic and potentially rewarding economy at the hub of Middle Eastern and European trade. Gas constitutes Qatar’s priority for economic development although it is also the government’s policy to diversify the economy and that has led to numerous incentives to attract business, expertise and investment from outside the country.

Getting Around

Taxis

Despite the efficient bus system, most people get around Doha by taxi or Uber. If you don’t use an app most visitors rely on taxis to get around town. Karwa taxis are widely available and reasonably priced; their meters start at QR4 and run at QR1.20 per km. To order a taxi in advance (for an extra charge of QR4), please call +974 4458 8888.

Most hotels will hail a taxi for you, and may have their own limousine service, especially for airport transfers.

Car hire

There are many local and international car hire firms operating in Qatar, including several with branches at Hamad International Airport. Hirers will require a credit card, passport copy and a valid driving licence from their home country or international permit.

Longer-term leases are also available.

Limousine hire

Chauffeured limousine hire is ideal for seamless travel between appointments. Cars can be hired by the hour or on a daily basis. Hotels and car hire firms can make the necessary arrangements.

Buses, although not widely used by travellers, there is a good service throughout most of Doha and across the country. Buses are modern, clean and air-conditioned.
Fares within the city are around QR3 to QR9 depending on the distance, and fares outside town are reasonable priced.

The West Bay Shuttle serves a route that takes in a number of destinations that may be of interest to visitors. Information about the route can be found here.
A popular guided tour option is the Doha City Tour, which introduces visitors to prominent highlights such as Katara, The Pearl, the Museum of Islamic Art and Souq Waqif. Information about the route can be found here.
Qatar Airways also offers a variety of tours for transiting passengers – these include the Doha City tour, the Monster Bus Desert Experience, the Stop and Shop tour, a private desert safari and a chauffeur service. Information about tour options can be found here.

4. For tourists seeking to leave Hamad International Airport, a number of public buses connect with destinations across the city. All buses are operated by Qatar’s state transport company and the vehicles are clean and staffed by trained drivers with helpful ground staff at hand. Information about the route can be found here.

Visa and Immigration

Some visitors to Qatar require a visa, more than 80 countries nationals can enter Qatar with visa-free and certain passengers are eligible for visas on arrival. When travelling from Qatar, all expatriate residents, as well as some visitors, must have exit permits.

Qatar adopts a visa-exemption policy for more than 30 countries, as well as the GCC members, to boost tourism. The current regulations are applicable to GCC residence permit holders.

Business Visas are issued to businessmen who have applied in advance. To obtain a tourist visa, the individual should have traveled into the country by Qatar Airways. Fourteen-day visas are usually given by the Immigration Department at Doha International Airport.

The visas are renewable every three months. A tourist can get a visa on arrival at the entry points in the country or from Qatar’s embassies abroad. The joint-entry visa of Qatar and Oman could be used which permits visits to either country. But, for traveling to a third country, new visas need to be obtained at the point of entry.

The nationals from the following countries are eligible for such joint-visa:- United States of America Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Health & Safety

Healthcare in Qatar is consistently rated as among the best in the Middle East. Qatar’s doctors, many of whom are expats, are highly proficient and both Qatar’s public and private hospitals are excellent.

Qatar’s health system has been ranked 13th best in the world and first in the Middle East by the 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index. The annual index measures and ranks the health of people living in 149 countries.

As expat residents who use the public health system may find themselves still paying for some medicine and services, many expats invest in private health insurance to compliment any public care that they may receive. Many expats also enjoy private healthcare because their employers either subsidise or provide for their medical insurance.

Pharmacies are common in Qatar, with many 24-hour pharmacies operating in Doha. Travellers can also find pharmacies attached to most major hospitals.

Although most medicine is available in Qatar, certain prescription medicines may not be available in the country. Some medicines which are common in the West, such as many brands of anti-depressants, are banned in Qatar and travellers will not be able to get more supplies while in the country.

Qatar prides itself on how safe it is. Whether you’re male or female, young or old, living in Doha is really easy living when it comes to safety. Getting into a cab at an odd hour is stress-free, as is walking around the streets at night. It’s probably why most places stay open as late as they do. In fact, there are cell phone charging stations dotted throughout certain places in the city, like the Corniche for example, where people leave their phones on charge and take a walk or a run and find their phones right where they left them when they return!