Qatar

Gulf Resource Consultants specialises in placing African manpower into multinational organisations across Qatar and other parts of the Middle East.

Overview of Qatar
Qatar is a small peninsula located in the Persian Gulf, north of Saudi Arabia and east of Bahrain. It has a population of 2.7 million people and is the world’s richest country in terms of GDP per capita. Qatar is a rapidly developing country and is currently undergoing rapid economic expansion, fuelled by its vast natural gas reserves. As a result, the country has seen an influx of expatriates and foreign investment over the last decade. This has led to an increase in demand for workers in many areas such as construction, hospitality, engineering, and finance.

Taxes in Qatar
Qatar does not have any personal income taxes. Starting January 3, 2023, employers in the private sector who hire Qatari citizens and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals will be required to contribute to their employees’ social security funds.

This law is intended to encourage Qatari citizens to find employment in the private sector and to minimize the negative economic impact of early retirement. Employers will need to contribute 14% of an employee’s basic salary or wage, with a maximum cap of QAR 100,000, while employees will need to contribute 7%, with some exceptions.

Qatar also does not impose VAT or sales tax in Qatar. However, the introduction of VAT in Qatar under a common GCC framework is expected to be introduced at some stage.

Minimum wage in Qatar
The average minimum wage in Qatar is roughly 1,000 Qatari riyals (QR) per month. This amount may be increased yearly based on inflation rates and other factors. Employers are also required to provide additional benefits such as transportation allowances and medical insurance coverage as part of their employees’ compensation packages.

Working hours in Qatar
Employees must work an average of 48 hours per week with no more than 8 hours worked per day. Overtime is paid at roughly a rate of 1 ½ times the regular hourly rate or the employee’s daily wage rate if they are paid by salary. Employees must also receive at least one day off each week along with 30 days of paid annual leave each year after completing one year of service with their employer.

Employee Benefits in Qatar
Employees are entitled to receive various benefits including health insurance coverage and transportation allowances as part of their compensation package. Employers are also required to provide end-of-service gratuity payments upon termination which are calculated as 21 days’ salary for each year worked with the same employer.

Types of leave available in Qatar
Employees may take leave for religious holidays such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as well as national holidays such as National Day and Qatar Sports Day. Employees may also take sick leave for up to 15 days per year without having to provide evidence from a doctor; however, this leave can only be taken after 6 months of employment with the same employer. In addition, employees may take unpaid emergency leave for up to 5 days per year if they need time off due to a personal emergency or family illness/death.

Termination of employment in Qatar
Employment contracts can be terminated by either party upon giving notice or paying compensation depending on the terms outlined in the contract or applicable labour law provisions (if any). If an employee terminates without giving notice or paying compensation then they will not receive any end-of-service gratuity payment; however, if they are terminated without cause then they will still be entitled to receive their end-of-service gratuity payment upon termination provided they have completed at least 1 year of service with their employer prior to termination date (subject to maximum 5 years’ service).

What are my options for hiring in Qatar?
Gulf Resource Consultants offers employers flexible recruitment solutions tailored to meet their specific needs when hiring staff in Qatar whether it is permanent or temporary staffing solutions or even executive search services that can help you find skilled professionals who meet your requirements quickly and efficiently. Let us help you find the right people for your organisation today.