Earlier this month, Qatar’s Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft law on the regulation of competition (the “Competition Law”). The new Competition Law is expected to replace Qatar’s current Law No. 19 of 2006 on the Protection of Competition and Prevention of Monopolistic Practices. White & Case had the honor to assist Qatari authorities with this landmark reform.
The new Competition Law aims to bring Qatar’s antitrust regime closer to international standards for protecting and promoting free and fair competition. The government also hopes the reform will improve market efficiency and strengthen Qatar’s business and investment environment, in line with the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy for 2024-2030.1
Highlights of the draft Competition Law include:
- A prohibition on entering into anticompetitive agreements, whether explicit or implicit, including market allocation, price fixing, or restricting production in any way that disrupts free competition;
- A prohibition on abuse of dominance, including any practices that exclude competitors from the market, limit their ability to compete, or prevent entry of new competitors;
- A new merger control process for reviewing economic concentrations, including turnover-based thresholds and specified timeframes for review;
- New financial penalties, enforcement measures, and sanctions for violations of the Competition Law.
The draft legislation is now moving to consideration by Qatar’s Shura Council, and some articles may get amended in the process. White & Case will continue to monitor the process closely and provide updates as more details are finalized and the draft proceeds closer to implementation. Companies with business activities in Qatar are advised to track these developments to ensure compliance with any new regulatory obligations after they come into effect.
1 Qatar Tribune, Cabinet approves draft law on cloud computing (Sept. 3, 2026).
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