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Doha at a Glance

Doing Business in Doha

New construction projects are sprouting like mushrooms across Doha.

Urban Economy

Doha is known as Qatar’s economic center. The headquarters of the country’s major petroleum producing companies are located here. Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Gas and RasGas employ a considerable number of people working in Doha and all over Qatar.

Doha’s economy is largely built on revenues from this sector. Yet, as mentioned before, the government is currently trying to invest in other branches in order to move away from the nation’s dependence on oil and gas. Many people working in Doha are now busy with new real-estate or construction projects, which sprout up like mushrooms all over the city.

New projects, such as The Pearl, are designed to offer all kinds of luxuries to visitors and residents alike, with shops, hotels, restaurants etc. It is hoped that they will make lucrative projects for investors as well as employees working in Doha.

Business Models

Those who move to Doha in order to open their own business, e.g. their own office or a branch of a company, can choose from different business models.

• A joint venture must be partially owned by a Qatari business partner. With an ownership of 51% the company is, at least theoretically, controlled by him/her. At the end of the day, however, it is the owner’s choice if they want to look for a business partner with a silent advisory function or one who is actively involved in the business. If the company is investing in agriculture, health-care, education, tourism or the development of natural resources, energy or mining, no business partner is needed.
• A branch of a foreign company may only be established if this company has substantial investments in Qatar. For this, it must first acquire an authorization by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce. The company must contribute to projects which facilitate the development of public services. This business model does not require a Qatari business partner.
• A branch of a Qatari company can be run by a foreign company as well, which will in turn receive a fee or commission. The disadvantage of this business model, however, is that the foreign company loses control over its name, which has to be registered by the local company. In addition to this, this type of business is not considered a local entity and may therefore be legally vulnerable.
• A commercial agency, on the other hand, does not establish an office in Qatar. Instead, it appoints a local company to take care of business, and markets goods and services for them. All agents must be registered and fall under Qatar Agency Law.