Qatar Commercial Code Information
The Qatar Commercial Code, issued as Law No. 27 of 2006, governs commercial activity carried on in Qatar by merchants and trading entities. It defines who qualifies as a merchant, sets the rules for the commercial register, regulates commercial obligations and contracts that fall outside the general civil law regime, and provides specialised treatment for agency, brokerage, carriage of goods, deposit, pledge of commercial assets, and bank operations. Negotiable instruments — bills of exchange, promissory notes and cheques — are addressed in detail.
The code also sets out the substantive law of commercial bankruptcy and composition with creditors, including the conditions for declaration, the role of the trustee, and the consequences for the bankrupt merchant. Together with the Companies Law it forms the backbone of corporate practice in Qatar. The Commercial Code applies in the onshore jurisdiction; the Qatar Financial Centre operates under its own separate legal framework. Related legislation is collected on Qatar laws in English.