In Qatar, one person can form a limited liability company and own all of its capital. The company law treats it as an LLC with a single owner, whose risk stops at the capital unless Article 263 applies. A sole proprietorship differs: the owner answers with personal assets, and only Qatari and GCC nationals may register one.
What a single-person company is
Article 2 of the Commercial Companies Law, Law No. 11 of 2015, defines a company as a contract between two or more persons, then adds one exception: a company may be formed by one person under Chapter 8, the chapter on limited liability companies. So the single-person company is not a separate legal form. It is an LLC that happens to have one owner.
Article 228 allows an LLC of one to 50 partners, and Article 263 deals with the one-owner case. That LLC follows every rule of the chapter except those that cannot work with a single owner of the capital. The owner manages it, or appoints one or more managers who represent it and answer to the owner.
- Owners an LLC may have (Art. 228)
- 1 to 50
- Minimum capital in the company law; the owner sets it (Art. 234)
- None
- Legal limit to decide the CR application once the file is complete (Art. 233)
- 15 days
From the Commercial Companies Law on Al Meezan, checked 21 Oct 2026.
Single-person company or sole proprietorship
Both have one owner. In law they are very different things.
A sole proprietorship, which the Single Window calls an individual establishment, is not a company at all. It is the commercial registration of an individual trader. The Commercial Register Law requires individuals who wish to trade to register, and the Commercial Law treats anyone who trades in their own name as a profession as a trader.
| Single-owner LLC | Sole proprietorship (individual establishment) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A company with its own legal personality | An individual trader’s commercial registration |
| Who may hold it | One person, Qatari or not; foreign ownership above 49% needs an application | Qatari and GCC nationals aged 18 or over |
| Owner’s liability | Up to the capital, except in the cases of Art. 263 | The owner’s own money as well |
| Capital | Set by the owner, paid in full, held in a bank in Qatar until the CR | No capital |
| Founding document | A memorandum signed by the owner (Art. 231) | No articles of association |
| How many per person | No maximum, per the Single Window FAQ | One per person, with several businesses allowed under the same CR |
| Later change | Can take partners, up to 50 | Can be converted into an LLC |
The Single Window also says an LLC may not own a sole proprietorship, because a sole proprietorship belongs to a natural person, and that a sole proprietorship can be closed without liquidation. For a non-GCC national the choice is already made: the individual establishment is not open to them, and the single-owner LLC is.
Who can own one, including foreign owners
A Qatari or GCC national
May own a single-owner LLC, or may choose an individual establishment instead.
A foreign individual
May own a single-owner LLC under Law No. 1 of 2019, subject to the activity and the 49% application.
A company
The Single Window’s list for a one-person LLC asks for a letter from the company where the founder is a legal person.
Law No. 1 of 2019 lets a non-Qatari investor hold up to 100% of a company’s capital in all economic sectors, as its Executive Regulations set out. Above 49%, the investor applies to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), which decides within 15 days of a complete file; silence counts as refusal, and a grievance to the Minister is possible. Banks, insurance companies, commercial agencies and fields the Council of Ministers names are closed.
Capital, name and liability
The owner decides the capital (Article 234). Article 232 then sets the rules: the capital is paid in full at formation, and the cash goes into an approved bank in Qatar, which releases it only to the managers once they show the CR. Single Window pages give small minimum figures for an LLC that do not match each other, so agree the amount with your adviser and the bank.
Under Article 229, the name comes from the company’s purpose or from the owner’s name and must carry the words “limited liability company” (شركة ذات مسؤولية محدودة). Managers who leave them off answer personally for the company’s debts. The Single Window’s trade name rules give a different suffix for a one-person company, so a lawyer confirms which one the name takes before you reserve it.
Limited liability has two exceptions in Article 263. The owner answers with their own assets for the company’s debts if, in bad faith, they wind it up or stop its business before its term ends or its purpose is met. The same applies if they do not keep their personal interests separate from the company’s.
Steps to set one up
- Check the activity
Look up the activity code, its approvals and the ownership it allows; apply for ownership above 49% if needed.
- Reserve the trade name
Free when reserved as part of the comprehensive establishment on the Single Window.
- Prepare the memorandum
In Arabic, signed by the owner, with the details Article 231 lists, certified by the Ministry of Justice.
- Pay in the capital
In full, into an approved bank in Qatar, held there until the CR is issued.
- Apply on the Single Window
The manager applies for the CR; then the commercial permit and the establishment card follow.
For a one-person LLC, the Single Window lists proof of the founder’s identity, the memorandum certified by the Ministry of Justice, the authorised signatory’s ID, a certified power of attorney if an agent applies, a letter from the company if the founder is a legal person, and any approval the activity needs. The manager must hold a valid Qatari ID, and the beneficial owner must be declared.
Government fees on the Single Window include QAR 500 for the CR with one activity and QAR 300 for each extra activity, QAR 500 for attesting an LLC memorandum, QAR 500 for the commercial permit and QAR 200 for the establishment card. Qatar Chamber fees depend on the capital, starting at QAR 500, with QAR 5,000 more when non-Qatari ownership exceeds 49%.
How we help
We help you check the activity and the ownership it allows, prepare the trade name, the Arabic memorandum and the Single Window file, and we guide you through the bank and the commercial permit. A lawyer reviews the structure where the law needs one. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry decides the application.
