Guide to Hiring in Qatar

Overview

Taxes

Employer contributions

As of January 3, 2023, new regulations expanded social security contributions for private sector employers hiring Qatari citizens and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals. Under the new law, employers must now contribute 14% of the employee's basic salary, with a maximum cap of QAR 100,000.

Employee contributions

Employees bear 7% of the monthly contribution of the employee’s contributable salary. There is no personal income tax in Qatar.

Minimum wage

Qatar adopts a non-discriminatory minimum wage policy that applies to workers of all nationalities across all sectors. In addition to the minimum monthly wage of QAR 1800 (as of 1 January 2025), employers are obligated to pay allowances of at least QAR 300 and QAR 500 for food and housing if they do not already provide these to workers.

Working hours

Employees in Qatar typically work a maximum of 48 hours per week (eight hours per day for six days). During the month of Ramadhan, this is decreased to 36 hours per week (six hours per day for six days) for Muslim employees. Most public and private sector companies work from Sunday to Thursday with Friday being a rest day.

Employee benefits

Qatari nationals who are employed by the government after 15 years of service are entitled to the state pension scheme when they reach 60 (for men) and 55 (for women).

The pension scheme is only open to Qatari employees employed by the ministry, public institutions, agencies, joint stock companies and others as determined by the Council of Ministers at the GRSIA. Pensions are also issued to civilian and military retirees.

Qataris who work in the private sector are not eligible for the state pension scheme. The individual is responsible for negotiating a pension arrangement with their employer or joining the company’s pension scheme.  Healthcare in the country is also often free or heavily subsidised for Qatari nationals, and expat employees based in Qatar typically expect supplementary insurance from the company.

Additional benefits such as insurance, housing, and transportation allowance might be provided, but this is often at the company's discretion.

Further benefits may include housing and transportation allowance and health and life insurance.

Types of leave

Paid time off

The number of annual leave days employees in Qatar are entitled to is dependent on their years of service as follows:

• Employees with one to five years of service are entitled to three weeks’ paid time off.
• Employees with five years of service or more are entitled to four weeks’ paid time off.
• The company will determine the number of paid time off days for employees with less than one year’s worth of service.

Public holidays

There are several major public holidays observed in Qatar. These include:

• New Years’ Day
• National Sports Day
• March Bank Holiday
• Eid al Fitr
• Arafat Day
• Eid al Aldha
• National Day

Sick leave

After three months of continuous service with a company, employees in Qatar are entitled to claim up to two weeks of paid sick leave. After the two weeks are up, employees can claim an additional 4 weeks of paid leave with 50% salary compensation. To claim sick leave, employees must be able to present a medical certificate.

Maternity leave

Female employees are entitled to 50 days of paid maternity leave in Qatar. 15 of which can be claimed before their delivery date and no less than 35 days following the birth of the child. Employees can extend their maternity leave to include an additional 60 days of unpaid leave if complications relate to the birth but must present an official medical certificate. To be eligible for maternity leave, an employee must have completed a minimum of one year’s worth of continuous service with an employer.

Paternity leave

There is no mandatory paternity leave in Qatar, but most companies provide their employees with three to five days’ worth of paid leave.

Pilgrimage leave

Muslim employees in Qatar are entitled to two weeks’ worth of unpaid pilgrimage leave. However, this can only occur once during their employment history.

Termination of employment

Probation period

Six months is the maximum probation period for employees in Qatar, and companies are not allowed to subject their workers to more than one probation period. If the employee struggles to fulfil their duties, the employer can terminate the contract by providing at least 3 days’ notice.

End of service

An employment contract can be terminated by either the employee or the company. In either case, it is compulsory to submit a termination letter.

Companies sponsoring work or residency permits are responsible for bearing the costs of returning the employee to his or her own home country within two weeks of the contract expiration date.

End-of-service benefits (EOSB)

All employees who have completed over one year of continuous service with a company will be entitled to end-of-service benefits.

Under Article 54 of the Labour Law (Law No. 14 of 2004), eligible employees can receive at least three weeks' basic salary as the end-of-service gratuity for each year.

Employees must receive the sum within seven days of their last working day.

What are my options for hiring in Qatar?

For businesses that are ready to expand and have their sights set on Qatar, Airswift can provide various employment solutions designed to help you recruit a global workforce without boundaries. Our offices are scattered across 60 countries, and our experts are ready to help you handle various facets of global employment.

When hiring employees in Qatar, here are two major routes we can recommend:

Talent acquisition

Whether you’re looking to hire skilled professionals or want to fill permanent roles temporarily, our talent acquisition solutions include contract hire and permanent placement solutions.

We know that results matter, which is why our recruitment specialists are highly focused on efficiently finding the talent you need to build an engaged workforce that can support you in achieving your business goals.

Employer of record

Due to strict worker protections, hiring a Qatari workforce often involves many complexities. For businesses that want to expand into Qatar but are reluctant to set up a physical entity, Airswift can help simplify this process.

As your Employer of Record in Qatar, we work closely with you to source and hire the country's top talent, manage HR-related issues, navigate payroll and taxes, and more.