Commercial agency in Qatar is governed by Law No. 8 of 2002, amended in 2016. Only Qatari nationals, or companies wholly owned by Qataris, can be entered in the commercial agents register of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. An agency that is not registered is not recognised under that law, and a principal who ends one without cause can owe compensation.
What a commercial agency is under Qatar law
Article 2 of Law No. 8 of 2002 defines a commercial agent as a person authorised, alone and to the exclusion of others, to distribute goods and products, offer them for sale or circulation, or perform certain services within the scope of the agency, on behalf of a principal and for a fee. Since Law No. 2 of 2016, a distributor who promotes and distributes the goods, products and services of an industrial or commercial firm under a distribution contract is treated as a commercial agent too, provided it is the only distributor.
The Commercial Law, Law No. 27 of 2006, adds a chapter on the contracts agent, who negotiates deals for the principal in a set area on a continuing basis, and on the sole distributor (Articles 290 to 304). Under the Commercial Register Law, anyone carrying on agency business must also be on the commercial register.
- Who may be a registered agent (Art. 11)
- Qatari only
- Renewal of the agency entry (Art. 13)
- Every 2 years
- Register entry fee, listed as yearly (Schedule 3, Decision No. 60 of 2024)
- QAR 1,000
From Law No. 8 of 2002 as amended and Ministerial Decision No. 60 of 2024 on Al Meezan, checked 21 Oct 2026.
Who can be a registered agent
Article 11 allows only those entered in the commercial agents register to carry on commercial agency business. To be entered, the applicant must meet four conditions.
- Be a Qatari national. A company applying must have all of its capital held by Qataris.
- Be at least 18 years old (the 2016 text).
- Have the commercial activity of the agency entered in its commercial registration.
- Have no final conviction for a crime against honour or trust, unless rehabilitated.
Hukoomi’s page for the service repeats the point in practical terms: every partner or owner, natural or legal, on the applicant’s CR must be Qatari, and the CR must be valid and not seized. Law No. 1 of 2019 lists commercial agencies among the fields closed to non-Qatari investment, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) shows them as prohibited for foreign investors on its local investor page.
Registering the agency with MOCI
The contract comes first. Article 3 requires it in writing, naming the agent and the principal with their nationalities, the goods, products and services covered, the agent’s territory, the term and how it renews if it is fixed, and the agent’s duty to supply spare parts and maintenance where the goods need them. Article 12 asks for a copy of the contract with the application, and an Arabic translation where needed.
- Sign in
Log in to MOCI’s e-Investor Services, or apply in person at the Ministry on the paper form.
- Attach the documents
The agency contract and its translation, a copy of the Qatari ID and, for an individual establishment, the owner’s written declaration of no conviction for a crime against honour or trust.
- Pay and print
Pay the fee and print the register entry certificate and the commercial agency data certificate.
- Show the originals
After an online application, visit the Ministry so it can check the original documents.
A fixed-term contract that does not renew automatically must have at least two months left to run on the day you apply; an open-ended or self-renewing contract counts as valid. An agent already on the register adds each further agency through a separate service. The Ministry decides within 30 days and must give reasons for a refusal, which can be taken to the Minister within 30 days.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Entry in the commercial agents register | QAR 1,000, listed as yearly |
| Renewal of the entry | QAR 1,000, listed as yearly |
| Recording an amendment | QAR 300 per request |
| Deleting a commercial agency | Free |
| Enquiry about a commercial agency | QAR 500 per request |
| Certificate “to whom it may concern” or register extract | QAR 50 each |
Exclusivity and territory
Exclusivity is built into the definition: the agent acts alone for the principal within the agency. The Commercial Law adds that a principal may not use more than one contracts agent in the same area for the same line of business (Article 293). Unless the parties expressly agree otherwise, the agent earns its fee on deals in its territory even when the principal makes them directly or through someone else (Article 297).
Exclusivity has limits. Under Article 4 of Law No. 8 of 2002, traders on the commercial register may import goods covered by an agency even where those goods have a local agent. The agent can claim its agreed commission on goods others import to trade, but not on goods imported for personal use or for re-export (Article 5).
The Council of Ministers may also take goods out of the law altogether. Its Decision No. 24 of 2016 lists 35 goods, mostly food staples and household items such as milk, rice, flour, sugar, cooking oil, nappies and detergents, and had them removed from the register.
Ending an agency
| Fixed-term agency | Open-ended agency | |
|---|---|---|
| How it ends | At the end of its term, unless the parties agree to renew | Only by agreement, or by a ruling or decision of the body that settles agency disputes |
| Compensation | If the principal withdraws it; and on non-renewal where the agent’s work brought clear success | For harm from one-sided ending; and where the agent’s work brought clear success |
| Contrary clause | Does not remove the success-based claim | Does not remove the success-based claim |
If the principal ends the agency or refuses to renew it without legal justification, the Ministry may stop imports of the goods covered (Article 17). A court case or arbitration does not by itself stop the goods coming in, but the Minister may block them when an open-ended agency is ended against Article 9, or when the public interest requires it.
Stock passes to the new agent
A new agent buys the old agent’s usable stock at the lower of market price or cost, plus at most 5%, unless agreed otherwise (Art. 18).
Delete the entry in 30 days
When the contract ends for any reason, the agent applies to remove the entry within 30 days (Art. 20).
90 days to claim
Under the Commercial Law, a claim for non-renewal compensation lapses 90 days after the contract ends; other claims after three years (Art. 302).
Qatari courts
Qatar’s courts hear agency disputes unless the parties agree otherwise; an arbitration award on the agency is final (Arts. 23 and 24).
The Commercial Law points the same way for contracts agents and sole distributors. The agency is made in the common interest of both parties, so the principal may not end it without fault by the agent unless it pays for the harm, and a clause to the contrary is void (Article 300).
What foreign brands should check first
Is the agent on the register?
Ask for the register certificate and the agency data certificate, or use the Ministry’s paid enquiry service.
Territory and products
Name every product line and the territory; exclusivity follows the scope you write.
Term
A fixed term with clear renewal terms is easier to end than an open-ended contract.
Showrooms and service
If the agent must build showrooms, stores or service facilities, the Commercial Law sets a term of at least five years (Art. 294).
Exit cost
Plan for compensation, the stock buy-back and the deletion of the entry before you sign.
A brand that only wants to promote its products, without trading, may look at a commercial representation office, which Article 25 leaves to the Minister to regulate. Whether a given distribution deal falls under the agents law is a question for a lawyer before signing.
How we help
We help you check the Qatari party’s commercial registration and activities, prepare the register application and its Arabic translation with your lawyer, and we guide you through renewals, amendments and deletion. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry decides every entry.
