Qatar is a high-income economy with the world’s third largest natural gas and oil reserves. With the highest per-capita income in the world and more than 2.8 million people, Qatar offers growth and opportunity for companies looking to expand.
Payroll and Tax Considerations in Qatar:
- Employment contracts must be in writing, authenticated by the Labor Department and produced in 3 copies. The contract must contain information such as qualifications, date of conclusion and agreed upon wages
- The minimum wage for private sector workers is QAR 1,000 per month
- Overtime is paid at 150% of regular hourly wages
- Employees are required to pay severance upon the employee termination
- Employees must receive 3 weeks wages for every year of employment for severance pay
- Qatar does not have personal income tax
- Qatar uses the Wage Protection System (WPS) to pay employees
HR and Statutory Requirements
- Employees are entitled to annual leave after 1 year of service. Annual leave is 3 weeks for employees who have worked for less than 5 years and 4 weeks for more than 5 years
- Employees are entitled to sick leave after 3 months of service. They must prove their illness through a medical report
- Sick leave is paid in full for the first 2 weeks, then 50% for the next 4 weeks. Anything beyond 6 weeks is unpaid
- Females receive 50 days of maternity leave after 1 year of service with their employer
- There are no provisions for paternity leave in Qatar
- There is no set legal retirement age for the private sector, but the public sector is 60 years for men and 55 for women
- Employees with at least 15 years of experience are eligible for retirement pension
Holidays in Qatar
- February 8 – National Sports Day
- May 3 – Eid al-Fitr
- May 4 – Eid al-Fitr Holiday
- May 5 – Eid al-Fitr Holiday
- July 10 – Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)
- July 11 – Eid al-Adha Holiday
- July 12 – Eid al-Adha Holiday
- December 18 – National Day
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