HR Consultancy in Qatar
HR consultancy in Qatar is help with the staff side of a company under Labour Law No. 14 of 2004. That covers Arabic contracts the labour department authenticates, probation and notice, hours and leave, a file per worker and, from ten workers, work regulations the department signs off. We draft them and revise them as the law changes.
HR rules in Qatar at a glance
- From here you need written work regulations
- 10 workers
- The longest probation, once per employer
- 6 months
- The normal working week (36 in Ramadan)
- 48 hours
- Least gratuity for each year of service
- 3 weeks
From Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 as amended, including Law No. 9 of 2026; see the sources at the end of the page.
What our human resources consultancy in Qatar covers
HR structure and job roles
An organisation chart and a written description of each job.
Employment contracts
Arabic contracts with every term the law asks for.
Work regulations
The rules and penalties document for ten workers or more.
Hours, leave and pay
The 48-hour week, overtime, the day off and annual leave, put on paper for your staff.
Files and registers
A file for each worker and the registers the law lists.
Discipline
A fair procedure, from written warning to dismissal.
What the Labour Law asks of every employer
These apply from your first employee. Articles cited are from Law No. 14 of 2004, the Labour Law.
| What | The rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Tell the labour department | Before work starts: company name, address, activity, number of workers, their jobs and nationalities, and the manager | 7 |
| Written contract | In writing, in Arabic (a translation may be attached; the Arabic prevails), authenticated by the labour department, in three copies | 9, 38 |
| What the contract states | At least the parties, job, workplace, start date, duration if fixed, and the agreed wage | 38 |
| Working hours | Up to 48 hours a week and 8 a day; 36 a week and 6 a day in Ramadan | 73 |
| Overtime | Total hours no more than 10 a day; at least 25% extra, or 50% between 9 pm and 3 am | 74 |
| Posted schedule | Rest day, hours and breaks posted at the workplace, with a copy to the department | 77 |
| Annual leave | 3 weeks a year under five years of service, 4 weeks from five years | 79 |
| Worker files and registers | A file for each worker, kept one year after service ends, and five registers | 47, 48 |
| Six-monthly statement | Names, jobs, wages and work permit details of all workers, sent to the department | 19 |
| Wages through WPS | Paid by transfer to the worker’s account; monthly wages due on the 1st and transferred within 7 days | 66 |
When you reach ten workers
Ten workers is the threshold for Articles 46 and 58. From there you need work regulations on how the work is organised, and a separate penalties regulation that names each offence, its penalty and the procedure.
Send both to the labour department. Silence for a month counts as approval, and the approved texts then go up where workers can see them.
The two documents
- Who
- Employers with 10 or more workers
- Work regulations
- Article 46
- Penalties regulation
- Article 58
- Approval
- Labour department; approved if no reply in one month
- Allowed penalties
- Listed in Article 59, nothing else
- Deduction limit
- No more than five days’ wage for one offence or in one month, told in writing
- Time limit
- An offence known for over 15 days can no longer be charged, unless it is a crime
Contracts, probation and notice
Contract length
- The law caps a fixed term at five years, renewable.
- If both sides carry on after the term ends, the contract becomes open-ended, counted from the first day of work.
Probation
- Written into the contract, for up to six months from the first day of work.
- The same employer can use it only once.
- An employer ending the contract in probation gives at least a month’s notice.
Notice and final pay
- One month in the first two years of service, two months after, on full pay. For someone who joined on 1 January 2025, notice given in March 2027 is two months.
- Final dues are paid by the end of the next working day.
What changed in 2026
Law No. 9 of 2026 changed several articles of the Labour Law, including these four:
- Non-compete clauses: two years at most, valid only after the labour department approves them, and void if the contract ends in probation.
- The paid holiday the law called “Independence Day” is renamed the State’s National Day.
- Breaking listed rules, such as notifying the department, keeping files and registers, posting the schedule and the hours limits, is fined QAR 2,000 to 5,000.
- Not paying wages through WPS can now bring up to one year in prison and a fine of QAR 2,000 to 10,000.
How we work
- Look at what exists
Your contracts, the posted hours, leave records and whatever policies you already use.
- List the gaps
Each gap against the Labour Law, with the article and what to change.
- Draft the missing papers
Contracts, job roles and, for ten or more workers, the two regulations.
- A yearly check
Or sooner, if you reach ten workers or the law changes.
Related services
- Hiring plan for a new companyFrom licence to first salary
- Employment contracts and HR policiesWhat each document must contain
- Staff trainingPlanned with licensed providers
- Payroll and WPSMonthly payroll and the salary file
- Work visas and permitsVisas and residence permits for staff
- End-of-service gratuityWhat employers must pay
- Establishment cardNeeded before you hire
Common questions about HR consultancy in Qatar
What does an HR consultant do for a company in Qatar?
In Qatar, most of the work is documents. The consultant writes the Arabic contracts and job descriptions, sets the rules on hours and leave, opens a file for each worker and keeps the registers. At ten workers they add the work and penalties regulations for the labour department, and later they revise the set when you hire or the law changes.
Does my company need written HR policies?
Every employer needs a written Arabic contract for each worker and a posted schedule of hours, rest day and breaks. Once you employ ten or more workers, you also need work regulations and a penalties regulation, submitted to the labour department, which count as approved if it does not reply within a month.
How long can probation be in Qatar?
Up to six months from the first day of work, agreed in the contract, and only once with the same employer. If the worker turns out unsuitable, the employer may end the contract in that period, giving at least one month’s notice.
How much does HR consulting cost?
The fee depends on headcount and on the documents: contracts alone take less work than a full set of policies and regulations. We quote after a short look at what you already have. Government fees are separate, for example QR 60 to attest a contract online.
Source: Hukoomi, Attestation of work contracts inside Qatar (Ministry of Labour)
Do you recruit staff?
No. Our HR consultancy is advice and documents only. Recruiting workers from abroad for another company needs a licence from the Ministry of Labour. Your company can recruit for itself with the labour department’s approval, and we help you prepare that request.
Did not find your question? Ask an adviser. We reply with what applies to your case.
Sources
Official sources for the facts on this page, last checked 24 Oct 2026.
- Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 9 of 2026 amending the Labour Law (Al Meezan)
- Law No. 1 of 2015 amending the Labour Law (wage protection) (Al Meezan)
- Minister of Labour Decision No. 50 of 2026 on the Wage Protection System (Al Meezan)
- Hukoomi, Attestation of work contracts inside Qatar (Ministry of Labour)
How many people do you employ, and do they all have authenticated contracts?
Send us the number and what you have today. We tell you what the law asks for at your size.