Adrian Bliss writes about the essential element of financing planning and which for most is least relevant on the to do list. It is important to create a will and testament and be aware of the local and international law before drafting it. Not many of us like to dwell on this essential element of [...]
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Qatari Withholding Tax: Do not bury your head in the sand
Qatar Law No. 21 of 2009 (the New Tax Law) has now been in force for just over two years. One of the key concerns of businesses operating in Qatar is the application of withholding tax under the New Tax Law. With failure to deduct withholding tax attracting potential financial penalties of 100 percent of [...]
read moreSMES in Qatar and Listing on QE Venture Market
The development and support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is necessary to bolster economic diversification in the State of Qatar. In recent years this sector has been considered weak, however, legislative initiatives have been put in place to drive it forward. SMEs are material to Qatars National Vision 2030, which has set up a [...]
read moreLegal Insight: Qatars Constitution & Governance
The State of Qatar is a hereditary Emirate. The Al Thani family has ruled in Qatar since the 19th Century. The current Emir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, acceded to the throne in June 27, 1995. The Emirs son, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was declared heir apparent in [...]
read moreLegal Insight: QFC Training and Competency
The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), in the same way as the majority of international financial centres, has been keen since its inception in 2005 to establish appropriate admission criteria for both entities licensed by the QFC Authority (Licensed Firms) and those licensed entities which will be authorised and regulated by the QFC Regulatory Authority (Authorised [...]
read moreLegal Insight: Islamic Financial Institutions
In recent years financial transactions carried out under the banner of Islamic Finance have grown considerably in the Middle East, owing to two major factors. The first factor relates to attempts to develop financial products that comply with the dictates of Islamic Law (Shariah), which has led to increased awareness among customers of such products. [...]
read moreLegal Insight: Owning & Operating Hotels in Qatar
Hannah Kennett gives a brief overview of some of the legal issues relating to owning and operating hotels in Qatar. The country intended to spend approximately US$100 billion (QR364 billion) on infrastructure projects as part of its National Vision 2030 programme, but securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup has necessitated accelerating some of these projects [...]
read moreLegal Insight: Free Zones in Qatar
Qatar has opened its doors to foreign investors seeking to retain 100 percent ownership of their businesses. Nikk Bond and Brenda Hill take a closer look at the countrys Free Zones. The Qatar National Vision 2030 and 2022 World Cup means there is an abundance of opportunity and demand for international companies to assist in [...]
read moreLegal Insight: The Risks of Proxy Businesses
As Qatari authorities clamp down on proxy businesses, Fouad El Haddad discusses what expatriates and locals need to consider when entering into partnerships with each other. The Qatari press recently reported that, in a major crackdown on businesses run by non-Qataris in the name of Qatari licence-holders, known as proxy businesses, the Proxy Business Monitoring [...]
read moreLegal Insight: Qatars Against Money Laundering
Qatar has updated its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing legislation. David Salt and Emma Higham investigate. Although itself not a full member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Qatar, as an individual member country of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) one of FATFs two regional members (the other being the European Commission) [...]
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