Amiri Decision No. (27) of 2025establishes the “Qatarization Award” as a strategic initiative supporting and enhancing nationalization efforts in the private sector, while encouraging healthy competitive among economic entities operating in the Qatar.
The award recognizes private organizations that excel in attracting, employing, and developing Qatari nationals, empowering them to assume leadership and managerial roles.
This decision is part of broader efforts to increase Qatari citizens’ participation in the labor market, particularly in the private sector, in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision, especially the pillar of human development. It also serves as an incentive tool for private institutions to reassess their recruitment and human resources development policies in support of the goal of “job nationalization.”
To streng then the legal framework for governing the real estate development sector in the State of Qatar, the Council of Ministers issued Decision No. (26) of 2025 establishing committees dedicatedto the resolution of real estate development disputes, and Decision No. (27) of2025 setting out the rules, procedures, and means of enforcing of the committees’ decisions.
This new framework is aprogressive measure designed to address the legal and practical challenges faced by developers and investors in off-plan sales. It establishes specialised quasi-judicial committees to adjudicate disputes between parties, especially concerning sale agreements, guarantees, and delivery obligations.
The decision implements safe guards and flexible procedures suited to the specific nature of these disputes. Key provisions include: expedited review by the committees (Article 1); flexibility in the application process, waiving many formal civil procedure requirements except for fundamental litigation principles and guarantees (Article 7); the option topursue amicable settlement at any stage of the proceedings; decisions are to beissued by majority vote and are deemed immediately enforceable. Each decision must be issued within three months from the date of registration of theapplication (Article 15), and a flat fee of QAR 500 is applicable perapplication.
This legal development adds significant value to the body of real estate legislation, aiming to accelerate dispute resolution and enhance the mechanisms for addressing disputes. This supports a more responsive, transparent,and fair investment environment, aligned with the pillars of Qatar NationalVision.
To keep pace with professional and legislative developments, Law No. (19) of 2025 was enacted to amend certain provisions of Law No. (23) of 2006 regulating the legal profession.
The most notable amendments include:
Enhancing Flexibility in the Assessment of Registration Applications (Article 13/7):
Personal interviews and written tests are now optional procedures, to be conducted only at the discretion ofthe Registration Committee and in accordance with regulatory guidelines set by the Committee itself. This ensures procedural flexibility without undermining competence standards.
Reorganizing the Rules on Combining Legal Practice with Commercial Activity (Article 19):
The amendment excludes a lawyer’sownership of shares or stocks in capital companies from being considered acommercial activity. It also allows lawyers to be listed as a partner in thecommercial register, except if they are general partners in certain partnership forms, provided that they do not participate in management or personally engage in commercial operations.
Raisingthe Cap on Contingency Fees (Article 37):
The cap on contingency fees has been raised from 10% to 25% of the adjudicated amount, provided there is awritten agreement. This affords greater contractual flexibility for both the lawyers and the client in structuring result-based fee arrangements.
Overall, these amendments reflecta legislative trend towards accelerating and modernizing the legal practiceframework, in line with the rapid changes in the country’s legal and economicenvironment.