Doha – Muhammad Abdel Maqsoud:
Data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry confirm that the Qatari business environment continues to attract foreign investments to benefit from the legislative and procedural incentives that the State of Qatar provides to foreign companies, making Doha a leading business center. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s announcement of the establishment of 3,295 non-Qatari companies during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 66% compared to the first quarter of 2025, confirms the attractiveness of the investment environment in the State of Qatar and enhances the confidence of international investors. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is keen to facilitate the establishment of companies and shorten the time and procedures necessary to start a business by relying on easy digital procedures that allow investors to complete the requirements for establishing a business in record time. The Ministry of Commerce launched a package of services that expands the scope of one-stop-shop services and facilitates company registration procedures.
The new updates allow investors to benefit from fully digitized services, without the need to visit the Ministry of Commerce headquarters to complete any required steps.
The Ministry of Commerce seeks to provide the best level of performance and services in government agencies, and is keen to improve the government’s operational performance, establish a supportive and attractive work environment for local and foreign investments that is dynamic and vibrant, and enhance the position of the State of Qatar as an ideal destination for investment and work in the region. It also works to harness advanced technologies and benefit from its technological infrastructure to further develop the business sector and facilitate the services provided. The new service package reflects the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s commitment to enhancing transparency and facilitating legal procedures to facilitate doing business. Improving the legal framework along with simplifying administrative procedures will stimulate economic growth. The services provided include improving the process of issuing commercial records, by reducing registration requirements and automating internal audit procedures and reviews with government agencies.
The establishment registration number has been automatically added to the commercial registry when it is issued through the single window. In addition, an electronic establishment registration card is issued. The requirements for opening bank accounts have also been reduced, and company owners can now open a bank account through the commercial registry and articles of incorporation only, in addition to the regulatory requirements of banks. Under these improvements, the number of steps required to do business has been reduced based on the best practices that were taken into account when designing the investor journey, and it is possible to issue the commercial registration and start doing business within just one day.
According to the established procedures, companies enjoy a set of facilities aimed at facilitating their establishment procedures and attracting the required talents. Companies are able to obtain immediate approvals during the establishment stage through direct extraction of the commercial register, through the single window platform.
