Qatar has not appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Pursuant to Art. 3 of Law No. 1 of 2019 on the Regulation of Non-Qatari Capital Investment in Economic Activities, foreign investors seeking to acquire more than 49% of a company’s capital must submit an application to the competent department responsible for regulating the relevant sector.
Sections 2 and 3 of the Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 44 of 2020, which issues the Executive Regulations of the Law, provide that eligible projects must fall within the list of permitted activities for non-Qatari investors. Non-Qatari investors are required to submit a detailed description of the project, a business and financial plan, and a written undertaking to assume all obligations arising from the project and to commence operations within the period specified by the competent authority, failing which the approval shall be deemed void.
In addition, Art. 7 of Law No. 1 of 2019 permits non-Qatari investors to own up to 49% of the share capital in Qatari joint-stock companies listed on the stock exchange, subject to the Ministry’s approval of the proposed ownership level in the company’s articles of association and statute. Ownership beyond this limit may be authorised by the Council of Ministers upon the recommendation of the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

According to Art. 5 of the Patent Law, only natural or legal persons - whether Qatari or non-Qatari - who are nationals of, or have a real and effective industrial or commercial establishment in a World Trade Organization (WTO) member state or in a country that grants reciprocal treatment to Qatar, are eligible to apply for a patent with the Patent Office and obtain the resulting rights in accordance with the provisions of the Law. Moreover, it is reported that an agent must be appointed to act on the behalf of non-resident applicants for patents.

Qatar is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Qatar has a copyright regime under Law No. 7 of 2002 on the Protection of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Arts. 18-27 list the exceptions, which include the use of a work for personal purposes, for teaching within educational institutions, and the quotation of portions of a work for commentary or reference, among others.

Qatar is a signatory of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) of 1996, but is not a signatory of its 2015 expansion (ITA II).

In August 2024, following publication in the GCC Technical Secretariat’s Official Gazette (Vol. 47, 20 August 2024), the GCC Member States, included Qatar, imposed definitive anti-dumping duties for five years on imports of electrical connectors, switches, sockets and plugs for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 volts (HS 853669, 853650, 85444291, 85444221) originating in or exported from the People’s Republic of China; the duty rates range from 11.3% to 42% by exporter.

According to Art. 2 of Law No. 6 of 1987, when the quantity of national products is insufficient to fully satisfy the requirements of government agencies for a particular product, the agencies shall procure the remaining quantities from products of national origin, and only thereafter from foreign products.
For the purposes of this provision, national products refer to goods produced within the State of Qatar and recognised as national or local products under Qatari law. Products of national origin are defined as goods in which the value added through production in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state constitutes at least 40% of the final value upon completion of production, and where at least 51% of the ownership of the producing facility is held by GCC citizens, as certified by a certificate of origin.

According to Art. 108 bis (1) of the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 16 of 2019, in tenders valued at less than QAR 5,000,000 (approx. USD 1.37 million), the contracting government entity may restrict participation to micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that are duly classified by the competent ministry.
Additionally, pursuant to the same article, in tenders valued below QAR 1,000,000 (approx. USD 275,000), national micro-sized enterprises are exempted from the requirement to provide tender and performance bonds.

According to Art. 33 of the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 16 of 2019, tender conditions and draft contracts concluded with non-Qatari companies for the provision of services within Qatar (excluding consultancy services) must include a clause requiring such companies to rely on local markets for no less than 30% of the total contract value. This requirement applies without affecting the technical conditions and specifications upon which the contract was awarded. The stipulated percentage encompasses expenditures on raw materials, locally manufactured products, and services provided by local companies in the performance of the contract.

According to Art. 2 of Law No. 6 of 1987, in tenders, national products are granted a 10% price preference over similar foreign products and a 5% price preference over similar products of national origin. In cases where a national product is not available, products of national origin are afforded a 10% price preference over comparable foreign products.
For the purposes of this provision, national products refer to goods produced within the State of Qatar and recognised as national or local products under Qatari law. Products of national origin are defined as goods in which the value added through production in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member state constitutes at least 40% of the final value upon completion of production, and where at least 51% of the ownership of the producing facility is held by GCC citizens, as certified by a certificate of origin.

Qatar is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA).

According to Art. 2 of Law No. 1 of 2019 on Regulating Non-Qatari Capital Investment in Economic Activity, non-Qatari investors may invest in all economic sectors, with capital ownership of up to 100%, in accordance with the Minister of Commerce and Industry Decision No. 44 of 2020 issuing the Executive Regulations of the Law. Although the legislation specifies certain sectors excluded from foreign participation - such as banking and insurance, commercial agencies, and any other activities determined by a decision of the Council of Ministers - none of these restrictions are directly relevant to digital trade.

Portugal has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.