Qatar Proposes New Electronic Registers For Arbitrators And Arbitration Centres

Qatar's Ministry of Justice has published two draft laws for arbitrators and arbitration centres, as part of wider efforts to develop the country's arbitration framework and attract international participation

On 3 September 2025, Qatar's Ministry of Justice published two draft laws for public consultation via its public participation platform Sharek. The drafts relate to:

1. the registration of arbitrators in an electronic register (Draft Arbitrator Law); and
2. the establishment and licensing of arbitration centres and branches of foreign arbitration centres in Qatar (Draft Arbitration Centre Law).

The public consultation closed on 17 September 2025. This blog post summarises the key features of the draft laws and their potential implications for arbitration in Qatar.

The Draft Arbitrator Law

The Draft Arbitrator Law proposes the establishment of an electronic register of arbitrators (Arbitrator Register), maintained by a competent administration (which is not yet identified in the draft) (Administration). Registration would be open to arbitrators who meet the following criteria, amongst other things:

1. holding a university degree from a recognised university or institute;
2. having good conduct and sound reputation;
3. not having been convicted by way of final judgment of a felony or misdemeanour involving dishonesty or breach of trust;
4. having at least 10 years of experience in a field relevant to arbitration (e.g. law, economics, engineering or accounting, or another field the Administration considers relevant); and
5. having previously issued or participated in the issuance of at least five arbitral awards.

Under the draft law, the Minister of Justice (Minister) may waive some of these requirements upon a proposal by the Administration and may remove an arbitrator from the register if they no longer meet the applicable criteria.

Applications to the Arbitrator Register are remitted to the Minister within three days, with a decision to be issued within a further 30 days. An applicant may appeal a refusal to the Minister within 15 days of notification, with a final decision to follow within 30 days.

Once registered, the arbitrator's details will be published on the Arbitrator Register and the Ministry of Justice website. Registration is valid for five years and may be renewed. The draft law provides for different registration and renewal fees for Qatari and non-Qatari nationals: Qatari nationals must pay Qatari Rials (QAR) 2,000 (c. GBP 405) for registration and QAR 1,000 (c. GBP 202) for renewal, while non-Qatari nationals are subject to higher fees of QAR 5,000 (c. GBP 1,010) and QAR 2,000 (c. GBP 405), respectively.

The Draft Arbitration Centre Law

The Draft Arbitration Centre Law outlines licensing requirements for establishing arbitration centres or branches of foreign centres in Qatar. To obtain a licence, an applicant must meet several criteria, including, amongst other things:

1. not be declared bankrupt or dissolved pursuant to a final judgment;
2. maintain a permanent headquarters in Qatar;
3. employ administrative and technical staff capable of managing arbitration-related operations;
4. have written arbitration rules incorporating at least the minimum competencies set out in the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules (this is not defined in the Draft Arbitration Centre Law);
5. maintain a list of at least 30 arbitrators with varied expertise; and
6. hold a professional indemnity insurance policy of at least QAR 1 million (c. GBP 203,230).

Additional requirements apply to licences for branches of foreign arbitration centres, including that:

1. the parent centre must have conducted arbitration activities for at least 15 consecutive years;
2. a formal undertaking by the parent to assume all legal and financial obligations of the branch's arbitration activities; and
3. employing at least five Qatari nationals.

The first requirement – that a foreign arbitration centre must have conducted arbitration activities continuously for at least 15 years – may disqualify certain notable but more recently established institutions from immediately opening branches in Qatar (e.g. the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration, established in 2014).

Licence applications – submitted with the applicable fee – are referred to the Minister within three days, with a decision issued within a further 30 days. Refusals may be appealed to the Minister within 15 days of notification, with a final decision also issued within 30 days. Licences are valid for two years and may be renewed. Failure to satisfy – or continue to meet – the applicable conditions may result in licence cancellation.

Comment

The two draft laws represent a further step in Qatar's efforts to position itself as a regional hub for arbitration, amid rising competition. They follow the recent introduction of new rules by the Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA), which came into effect on 1 January 2025 (see our previous post here).

While most arbitrations conducted in Qatar (namely QICCA arbitrations) continue to involve Qatari parties, the draft laws are designed to encourage international participation by establishing a more structured framework for arbitrators and arbitration centres, while also encouraging participation by Qatari nationals.

It remains to be seen whether the draft laws will be enacted in their current form. Their adoption will depend on the outcome of the public consultation and further review by the Ministry of Justice. We will continue to monitor developments in this space.

The authors would like to thank Harsh Jain for his contribution to this post.

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