Qatar

Law No. 20 of 2019 regarding combating money laundering and terrorism financing represents the main anti-financial crime regulation of the State of Qatar, which ensures that the country meets the requirements of international standards imposed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) [Law No. 20 of 2019]. The law came into effect as of September 11, 2019 and became applicable from February 1, 2020 and regulates the financial activities of financial institutions, digital payment platforms, and DNFBPs in mainland Qatar and offshore Qatar Financial Centre (QFC). It clearly delegates the responsibility to the Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU) to function as the only national center for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) analysis, introduces the strict Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) standard of 20% and higher, and imposes mandatory freezing of assets under the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR). To regulate the new forms of digital money transfer, the initial legal framework was significantly supplemented by Decree-Law No. 18 of 2025 (adopted in the Amiri Diwan on September 1, 2025), which introduced CPF rules and broadened the QCB's power to mandate the biometric e-KYC process.

This is the major national regulation in place for the regulation of the data privacy environment in Qatar: Law No. (13) of 2016 on Protecting Personal Data Privacy Qatar Personal Data Privacy Protection Law). The law was enacted by the Amir and gazetted in Official Gazette No. 15 of 2016. This was the first data privacy regulation that was adopted in the GCC area Law No. (13) of 2016 on Protecting Personal Data Privacy (Data protection laws in Qatar). The implementing body of the law is NCGAA, an organ of NCSA. Organizations in the public and private sectors are required by the law to obtain consent, conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), and report to the relevant body within 72 hours in case of any data breach under the Qatar Personal Data Privacy Protection Law. The law guarantees the right of the individual to access, rectify, and delete personal information. The processing of sensitive metrics is banned by the law and is punishable by fixed administrative penalties in the range of QAR 1,000,000 to QAR 5,000,000. Data protection laws in Qatar: Qatar Personal Data Privacy Protection Law

The Law No. 13 of 2012 regarding the Qatar Central Bank and the regulation of financial institutions is the highest level financial services regulation in Qatar. Issued by the Amir and published in the official gazette issue number 17 of 2012, the law became fully legally operational on January 30, 2013, making the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) an autonomous corporate body accountable to the Amir. This law, consisting of 234 articles, harmonizes the regulation of macro-prudential supervision in the mainland and offshore Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) zones for conventional banking, Islamic finance, and the insurance sector. It also provides the QCB with the authority to issue directives, manage foreign exchange reserves, and protect the fixed peg against the US dollar. Moreover, this law establishes the Financial Stability and Risk Control Committee across jurisdictions to reduce systemic risk, and establishes the Disputes Resolution Committee, presided over by the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal, to resolve disputes between companies and the QCB regarding regulation.

The QFC Law No. 7 of 2005 is the fundamental piece of legislation which has set up the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) in Doha as an attraction for international investments [QFC Law No. 7 of 2005]. Passed by the Amir and fully effective since May 1, 2005, the law has instituted an onshore independent business zone based on a separate system of English common law fully distinct from civil laws and Sharia laws of mainland Qatar [QFC Law No. 7 of 2005]. In order to stimulate international trade and commerce, 100% foreign corporate ownership, full capital and profit remittance, and total immunity from state expropriation are provided. The legislation distributes administrative jurisdiction among the commercial QFC Authority (QFCA) and the separate financial supervisor, QFC Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) [QFC Law No. 7 of 2005]. An exclusive offshore court system has been instituted under the framework–the QFC Civil and Commercial Court and the Regulatory Tribunal- whose verdicts are binding nationwide. The recent optimization of the legal structure was achieved through Law No. 16 of 2024 (passed on October 20, 2024).