A trade name in Qatar is reserved on the Single Window before the company is registered. You give three to five options and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry assigns one, held for 180 days. It is free inside the full establishment service and QAR 1,000 on its own. The name must differ clearly from names already registered, be true and not mislead, and match your activity and legal form.
What a trade name is
It is the name entered in the commercial register, the one your business trades under. A trademark is a separate thing, registered on its own, and protects signs, logos and slogans as well as the name. Law No. 9 of 2002 protects a trade name even if nobody ever registers it as a mark.
Once a name is registered for a trade, the Commercial Law stops any other trader using it for the same trade, and the name cannot be sold apart from the business itself. Branches use the same trade name as the company; they cannot take a different one.
The naming rules
The Commercial Law asks that a trade name differ clearly from names already registered, be true and not mislead the public. The Single Window’s terms then add practical rules on language, words and form.
| Not allowed | Example of what this covers |
|---|---|
| Religious and sectarian names | The names of God, and sectarian terms |
| States and official bodies | Country names, government bodies, their emblems |
| Reserved words | “Qatar”, “Qatari”, “national” and “public” are for government companies |
| Famous marks | Well-known brands, even for a different activity |
| Misleading names | A name that suggests an activity or size the business does not have |
| Names already taken | The same or a similar name for the same or a similar activity, including singular or plural forms |
The name must match the activity and legal form
A trade name has to fit both the activity on the CR and the company’s legal form. For a limited liability company, the company law requires the words “limited liability company” in the name, and managers who leave them out become personally liable. The Single Window gives the suffix as “L.L.C” in English and “ذ.م.م” in Arabic.
A name built on a registered trademark needs a franchise, usufruct or licence document from the mark’s owner. If the company later closes, the trade name can be kept only if it is also a registered trademark.
How to reserve a trade name
You reserve the name through the Single Window’s “Reserving a trade name” service, on its own or inside the “Start your business” establishment request, online or at a service centre. Enter three to five options in order of preference; the Ministry assigns one that meets the rules.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Fee | Free inside the establishment service; QAR 1,000 if reserved on its own |
| Held for | 180 days |
| Extension | Once only, for another 180 days, QAR 1,000; apply with at least 60 days left, before the company is set up |
| Changing it later | Through the Comprehensive Update service, with the CR amendment fee |
Using a name you should not
The Commercial Law sets penalties for misusing a trade name of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to QAR 100,000, or either of them. The Commercial Register Law also requires the trade name and CR number to appear in Arabic on the shop front and on the business’s papers.
How we help
We check your name options against the rules before you apply, so that the options you enter are ones the Ministry can accept, and add the reservation to the establishment request so it costs nothing extra. If your name rests on a trademark, we tell you which document the Single Window will ask for.
