Local Sponsor and Qatari Partner in Qatar
A local sponsor in Qatar, meaning a Qatari partner in your company, is no longer the only way in. Law No. 1 of 2019 changed that: with the Ministry’s approval a foreign investor can now own up to 100%, unless the activity sits in a closed sector like banking or insurance. Bring in a partner anyway, and the Arabic memorandum must spell out the shares, the managers and the profit split.
Qatari partners at a glance
- With Ministry approval above 49%, outside closed sectors
- Up to 100%
- The notarised memorandum is the version that counts
- Arabic
- Of the capital needed to change the memorandum
- 3/4
- For other partners to buy shares offered to an outsider
- 30 days
From Law No. 1 of 2019 and the company law; see the sources at the end of the page.
When a Qatar business still needs a local sponsor
As a standard rule, a foreign investor owns up to 49% of a mainland company and a Qatari partner holds the rest. Under Law No. 1 of 2019 the Ministry can approve more, up to 100%, in most sectors. Some founders still take a Qatari partner by choice rather than because the law requires it.
The position in brief
- Law No. 1 of 2019
- Up to 100% foreign ownership, by application above 49%
- Without approval
- 51% Qatari, 49% foreign
- Above 49%
- An application to the Ministry; the activity must be on its approved list
- Closed sectors
- Banks, insurance companies, commercial agencies and any field the Cabinet closes
- Rights reserved to Qataris
- Only for companies wholly owned by Qataris
Taking in a Qatari partner, step by step
- Check the activity
Whether it can be foreign-owned with approval, or still points to a Qatari partner.
- Agree the terms
Shares, managers, voting, the profit split and the exit, settled before anyone signs.
- Arabic memorandum
Written in Arabic and notarised. An English translation can be attached, but the Arabic wins.
- Register or amend
A new company registers with the memorandum; an existing one files an amendment with the Invest in Qatar Center.
What we help with
Ownership check
Whether your activity can be foreign-owned, or still points to a Qatari partner.
Partner terms
Shares, managers, voting and exit terms written into the Arabic memorandum.
Person or company
What it means to have an individual or a company as your partner.
Existing companies
Bringing foreign capital into a registered company, or changing partners.
Share transfers
The official instrument, the partners’ register and the other partners’ 30-day right to buy.
Terms to check
Pointing out the terms to read closely before you sign.
Individual or corporate sponsorship
What people call corporate sponsorship in Qatar is a company, not a person, holding the Qatari share.
A person
Named in the memorandum with nationality, address and share.
A company
Named like a person; its own documents are attested and translated into Arabic.
Up to 50 partners
An LLC can have between one and 50 partners, people or companies.
Tax
10% of taxable income; only companies wholly owned by Qatari nationals are exempt.
Partner agreements and protections
The company law is strict about form: a company contract, or any change to it, that is not in Arabic and notarised is void. If an attached English translation differs, the Arabic wins.
In an LLC, the memorandum is where these are written down:
- The partners, the capital and each share
- The managers
- The split of profit and loss
- The terms for transferring shares
Control in brief
- Manager
- Full authority unless the memorandum limits it
- Ordinary decisions
- Partners holding at least half the capital (first meeting)
- Changing the memorandum
- Partners holding three quarters of the capital, or more if it says so
- Selling shares
- Official instrument, entered in the register and the commercial registration
- Leaving
- The 2019 law lets a foreign investor transfer the investment or give it up to the Qatari partner
Risks of informal nominee arrangements
Some arrangements put a Qatari name on the memorandum while the investor keeps control through a separate side agreement. The registered Arabic memorandum is the document that counts.
Related services
Common questions about Qatari partners and local sponsors
Can I do business in Qatar without a sponsor?
Yes, in many activities. A foreign owner can hold up to 100% under Law No. 1 of 2019, once the Ministry approves the share above 49%, though closed sectors such as banking and insurance are excluded. Without that approval, the standard 51% Qatari share applies.
Source: Law No. 1 of 2019 on investment of non-Qatari capital (Al Meezan)
How do I find a Qatari sponsor for business?
First confirm that your activity needs one, because many activities can now be foreign-owned with approval. If you go ahead with a partner, whether a person or a company, get the shares, the managers’ powers, the profit split and the exit terms into the notarised Arabic memorandum before signing.
Source: Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
Can I change my sponsor in Qatar?
For a business partner, yes: shares change hands by an official instrument recorded in the partners’ register and the commercial registration, and the 2019 law lets a foreign investor transfer the investment. Changing an employer who sponsors your residence is a separate matter.
Source: Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
What do local sponsor services in Qatar involve?
In law, what people call local or Qatari sponsorship of a company means a Qatari shareholder named in the memorandum, with the rights that document gives. Some providers offer arrangements where the investor keeps control informally; any such side agreement can breach the concealment law of 2023.
Source: Hukoomi (QNA), Law No. 3 of 2023 on combating concealment, 23 Mar 2023
Can my Qatari business partner be a company?
Yes. Partners can be individuals or companies, and a limited liability company can have one to 50 of them. A company partner is named in the memorandum like a person, and its own documents must be provided, attested and translated into Arabic.
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 19 Oct 2026.
- Law No. 1 of 2019 on investment of non-Qatari capital (Al Meezan)
- MOCI Decision No. 44 of 2020, Executive Regulations of Law No. 1 of 2019 (Al Meezan)
- Commercial Companies Law No. 11 of 2015, as amended (Al Meezan)
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Investment steps for foreign investors
- Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Local investor services
- Single Window, Establishing companies FAQ
- Single Window, Foreign investment companies FAQ
- Dhareeba, Income tax
- Hukoomi (QNA), Law No. 3 of 2023 on combating concealment, 23 Mar 2023
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