The Ministry of Trade and Industry revealed the availability of more than 1,200 activities in the various sectors of investments with a non -Qatari capital that includes commercial, industrial and service activities, with the aim of attracting foreign investments in all economic and commercial activities and sectors, attracting and flowing foreign capital by 100%, in addition to achieving economic diversity in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, facilitating the entry of the foreign investor to the market, raising the confidence and safety index Investment in the state.
The most prominent features of the provisions of the law on regulating the investment of non -Qatari capital in economic activity include investment controls, which allow investment in all sectors of the economy in the country, and this is done through a request to the competent administration that decides the request within 15 days, and it is permissible to grievance to those who rejected his request to the minister within 15 days and who decides to grievance within 30 days, and it is prohibited for the non -Qatari investor to invest in the fields of banks and insurance companies, except for what is excluded From it by a decision of the Council of Ministers, and it is prohibited to invest in commercial agencies, and it is also prohibited by investing in any other areas in which a decision of the Council of Ministers is issued.
The Ministry pointed out on its website that the law obligated non -Qatari companies related to the implementation of business contracts in the country with the following controls: that implementation be carried out through the company’s branch in the country, and that the contract with the state or government agencies and public bodies and institutions or companies in which the state contributes, in addition to the registration of the commercial registry and issuing the commercial license for the company’s branch, after awarding the business and before signing the contract, in addition to fulfilling all the requirements of government agencies, The renewal of the contract and the licenses throughout the contract implementation period, and it is followed in the matter of the non -Qatari investor obtaining licenses to practice activities allowed by the provisions of the laws in force in the state.
Investment incentives
Allocating lands for the non -Qatari investor
The Ministry indicated that the law provided many investment incentives to the non -Qatari investor, namely:
• Allocating lands to the non -Qatari investor to establish an investment legitimate way by use or rent and in accordance with the legislation in force in this regard.
• The non -Qatari investor may import for his investment project what he needs to establish, operate or expand the project, in accordance with the legislation in force in this regard.
• It is permissible to exempt non -Qatari investment projects from income tax in accordance with the controls and procedures and the periods stipulated in the income tax law.
• Non -Qatari investment projects are exempt from customs duties for their imports from the machines and equipment needed to establish them, and non -Qatari investment projects in the field of industry are exempt from customs duties on their imports of raw and semi -articles made for production that are not available in local markets.
• The Council of Ministers, upon the proposal of the Minister, may grant investment projects incentives and benefits in addition to what is stipulated in this law.
• Non -Qatari investments are not subject to either direct or indirectly to expropriation or any other similar procedure, unless this is for the public benefit and in a non -discriminatory way and a fair and appropriate compensation in accordance with the same procedures applied to the Qataris.
Freedom to transfer investments to and from abroad
The non-Qatari investor enjoys the freedom to transfer his investments to and from abroad without delay, and these transfers include (investment revenues- the outcome of selling or liquidating all or some of his investments- the proceeds of the amounts resulting from the settlement of investment disputes- any compensation it deserves).
• The non -Qatari investor may transfer the ownership of his investment to any other investor or abandon it to his national partner in the event of participation, and this is done in accordance with the applicable legislation, and the treatment of investment continues in accordance with the provisions of this law, provided that the new investor continues to work in the project and replace the former investor in rights and obligations.
• With the exception of labor disputes, the non -Qatari investor may agree on any conflict that arises between him and others by arbitration or any other means of settling the established disputes.
The Ministry stated that Law No. (1) of 2019 regulating the investment of non -Qatari capital in economic activity indicated in its Article (25) that the provisions of this law do not apply to the companies and individuals who are assigned to the state to extract, exploit or manage natural resources sources, according to a special concession or agreement, except to the extent that does not contradict the provisions of the concession or private agreement. The provisions of the law also do not apply to the companies that the government and other institutions, public bodies and companies that contribute to the state do not apply to or contribute to a rate of no less than 51% or a lower rate, provided that the Council of Ministers agree to participate with non -Qatari investors, in accordance with the provisions of the commercial companies law referred to. The provisions of the law also do not apply to companies and individuals licensed from Qatar Petroleum by conducting any of the petroleum operations or aimed at investing in the oil and gas sector, the petrochemical industries.