Qatar is a country in West Asia situated on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, plus maritime borders with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.

The economy of Qatar is wealthy, primarily reliant on gas and oil exports. Their workforce of over 2 million people (2024) and a GDP of 213 billion US dollars (2023) make it an attractive destination for companies looking to expand abroad, particularly given their strategic location in Asia and their diversified economy.

This help guide will provide employers looking to hire in Qatar with useful information regarding Qatar labor laws, the mandatory employee benefits that workers are entitled to, and advice on how Remote People can help make doing business in Qatar a significantly simpler process.

Qatar Labor Law

The Qatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 provides most information on working practices and rights of employers/employees when in a business environment.

It also explains details on aspects such as work permits, working hours, rest periods, and leave entitlements.

Other relevant labor law acts include the following:

  • Labour Reforms (Law Nos. 17,18, and 19 of 2020)
  • Qatarization Law (2024 Amendment)
  • Qatar Financial Centre Employment Regulations of 2019

It’s strongly recommended that when employing workers in Qatar, employers consult legal experts for detailed compliance. This ensures that employment practices adhere to the latest legislation set by Qatari labor laws and simplify the process of hiring in this country.

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Qatar

There are many different mandatory benefits that employees are entitled to when working in Qatar. Here are a few of the key benefits that you must offer as an employer operating in Qatar.

Social Security Contributions

Qatar operates under a Social Security System known as the Ministry of Social Development and Family.

This system helps to provide families and the general society of Qatar by providing social initiatives and services such as pension benefits, work injury and disability benefit, and family support.

Employers in Qatar must contribute 14% of their monthly payroll, while employees must contribute 7% of their monthly pay towards social security.

Annual Paid Leave

All employees in Qatar are entitled to annual leave.

Annual leave consists of 3 weeks of paid leave per year if an employee has worked for a company for less than 5 years, or 4 weeks of paid leave if an employee has worked for a company for 5 years or more.

Workers are entitled to take their annual leave in a maximum of 2 separate periods and employers are often able to decide when employees take their leave based on work requirements.

Working Hours

The maximum number of hours an employee in Qatar can with is 48 hours per week or 8 hours per day.

This differs during the month of Ramadan when employers are only permitted to work 36 hours per week or 6 hours per day.

People typically work 6 days per week with one rest day occurring on a Friday, and employees must be given regular rest nreals of 1 hour after every 5 consecutive hours worked.

Hours worked during summer may differ due to high temperatures.

Workers carrying out work during the hours of 9 pm – 6 am are considered night workers and may incur extra payment of 150% of their normal pay when working night hours.

Overtime Pay

Hours exceeding the typical 48 hour week or 8 hour day count as overtime hours.

Overtime must be paid at 125% of an employee’s normal hourly wage or 150% of their normal hourly wage if working between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am or on a Friday.

There is a limit on overtime of 2 hours per day, unless the work is necessary due to loss prevention or the prevention of a workplace accident.

Employees may be granted a compensatory day off in accordance with their employment contract in place of increased pay.

Public Holiday Leave

There are several public holidays in Qatar that are considered paid days off and separate from an employee’s annual leave entitlement.

The public holidays in Qatar are as follows:

  • New Year’s Day (1 January)
  • National Sports Day (10 February)
  • March Bank Holiday (1 March)
  • Eid al-Fitr (20 March) (date varies)
  • Eid al-Fitr Holiday (21–23 March) (date varies)
  • Eid al-Adha (27 May) (date varies)
  • Eid al-Adha Holiday (28–29 May) (date varies)
  • National Day (18 December)

Sick Leave

Employees in Qatar are entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks of sick leave with pay if they are too unwell to attend work.

They must have worked for their employer for at least 3 months to be eligible for sick leave. A medical certificate must also be provided from an authorized physician to receive sick pay.

Sick leave is paid as follows:

Sick Leave Duration Payment Status
First 2 weeks Full salary
Next 4 weeks Half salary
Remaining 6 weeks Unpaid

An employer may terminate an employee’s contract if they are on sick leave for more than 60 working days in a 12 month period.

Maternity Leave

Female employees that have worked continuously for their employer for at least 1 year are entitled to maternity leave if they have a baby.

Maternity leave in Qatar consists of 50 days of fully paid leave, with a minimum of 35 days to be taken after the birth. Workers may also be given the choice to take additional time off if they have a baby by using annual leave or taking leave unpaid.

Employees cannot be dismissed from their jobs while pregnant or on maternity leave.

Paternity Leave

Paternity leave is not mandated by law in Qatar. However, it is common for companies to offer male employees 3 – 5 days of paid leave if their wife has a baby.

Pensions

The pension system in Qatar a state-managed scheme that serves workers in both the private and public sectors.

Generally employees contribute 5% of their monthly salary towards their pension fund, with employers contributing 10%.

The retirement age in Qatar is 60. There are also private pensions in Qatar, however, these are not widespread or regulated systems.

Severance Pay

If an employee is dismissed from their role without employee misconduct being the reason for the termination of their contract, they may be eligible for severance pay.

Severance pay, also known as End of Service Gratuity in Qatar labor law, is generally 3 weeks of an employee’s normal salary for each year of service.

Employees must have worked for their employer for a minimum of 1 year to be eligible for end-of-service gratuity, and some companies may offer workers increased severance packages as part of a supplementary benefits package.

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Qatar

It’s advised that employers offer their workers supplementary employee benefits to improve employee retention rates and increase the number of job applications they receive when recruiting.

Some good examples of supplementary benefits companies could offer include the following:

  • Performance bonuses
  • Transport, housing, or food expenses
  • Company car
  • Additional leave entitlement
  • Private pension opportunities
  • Advanced training
  • Life insurance/health insurance packages

Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People

There are a number of services Remote People offers for companies looking to expand into Qatar to make the process easier.

One of these is our Employer of Record (EOR) service, which simplifies the hiring and payroll process by taking on the legal responsibilities of employment. This includes managing employee benefit entitlements, ensuring compliance with local labor laws, and handling payroll and tax obligations.

An EOR acts as the legal employer for workers in Qatar, ensuring compliance while allowing you to focus on other important tasks your business needs.

We can also help your company to hire directly in Qatar with our recruitment services. Our experienced team are fluent in the local language, and know the best places to advertise job roles to achieve the best talent for your business. They are also highly experienced in creating employment contracts, and understanding the cultural norms that make hiring an easier process.

Get in touch with Remote People today to see how we can make hiring in Qatar easier for your business.