(Last updated: 7 Jul 2011)

Business etiquette

Business tips

Greet Arab businessmen with a handshake. Do not shake women’s hands or touch women unless they indicate that it is alright to do so.

When passing items, eating or drinking, avoid using your left hand as this is considered unclean.

Do not sit with the soles of your feet facing other members of the group as this is considered offensive.

Building relationships and trust is extremely important. Do not rush meetings. Take time to answer your host’s questions in order to achieve this trust.

As part of this relationship building, be prepared to have several meetings and make more than one visit to Qatar before any business deals are negotiated.

Qatar is a little more conservative than Dubai. Men should wear a suit, shirt and tie to all business meetings. Ladies do not need to cover their hair, but it is preferable to wear tops with long sleeves, modest necklines and skirts falling below the knee.

The official language of Qatar is Arabic. English is however spoken widely in business.

Please also note: Bribery of foreign public officials is a crime. Australian individuals and companies can be prosecuted in Australia for bribing foreign officials when overseas. For more information, go to the Attorney General's Department on foreign bribery.

Tariffs and non-tariff barriers

Tariff

Single-column tariff. Duties are ad valorem assessed on the CIF value:

• Cigarettes, tobacco, and its derivatives - 100 per cent
• Concrete iron bars - 20 per cent
• Urea and ammonia - 30 per cent
• Alcoholic beverages - 100 per cent
• Basic food products such as wheat, flour, rice, feed grains and powdered milk are exempted from customs duty

Non-tariff barriers

Import restrictions

Required by law to have an import license for almost all products. Such import licenses are issued only to Qatari nationals. Imports of alcoholic liquor, firearms, ammunition and dangerous drugs are strictly controlled. Importing and distribution of pork products and alcoholic beverages are highly restricted. The Government of Qatar may ban import of religious or politically sensitive items.

Product certification, labelling and packaging

Labelling

Outer packages should bear the consignee's mark and port mark and should also be numbered (to accord with packing list) unless their contents can be otherwise readily identified.

Labels on foodstuffs must the following information:

• Product and brand names
• Production and expiration dates
• Country of origin
• Name of the manufacturer
• Net weight in metric units
• List of the ingredients and additives in descending order of importance
• All fats and oils used as ingredients must be specifically indentified on the label. Labels must be in Arabic only or in Arabic/English. Arabic stickers are accepted.

Customs authority contact details:

Department of Customs
PO Box 81
Doha
State of Qatar
Tel: +974 441 4333
Fax: +974 441 4959

Packaging

No special packing requirements but goods should be securely packed to guard against rough handling, extreme heat in summer, humidity in winter and periods of storage in the open. Steel strapping is recommended.

Special certificates

It is recommended that livestock be provided with sanitary certificates even though they will be examined by local health authorities on arrival.

Plants and plant products, including flour, wheat, rice and seeds, require phytosanitary certification issued by the approved authority in the country of origin; in Australia this is usually the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry-Australia or the relevant state department of agriculture.

Methods of quoting and payment

Quotations should be in Australian dollars (with Pound Sterling equivalents), CIF or CIFC (Incoterms 1990) preferably by pro-forma invoice. Payment usually by irrevocable letter of credit.

Documentary requirements

Pro-forma invoices for government purchases must be provided and must:

• Be stamped and signed by the supplying company or exporter
• Give the same serial numbers as the items shown in the government order sheet
• Indicate the delivery period and validity of the quotations

Recommended in all other cases as it facilitates establishment of letter of credit.

Commercial invoice

Must be legalised by the Commercial Department of the Qatari Embassy in the country of origin or by the Customs authorities at the point of entry into Qatar. Legalisation fees are levied on the basis of invoice value and range from QR100 on an invoice value of QR5,000 to 0.4 per cent of value for invoice amounts in excess of QR1,000,000.

Packing list

Not compulsory but facilitates clearance.

Public health requirements

Pharmaceutical products require registration with the Ministry of Public Health.

Exporters should check with their representatives in Qatar to ensure that all necessary conditions are met.

Shippers should ensure that foodstuffs avoid contamination during shipment.

Foodstuffs must be shipped direct to Doha. Transshipment through any other port is not permitted.

All imported beef and poultry products require a health certificate from the country of origin and a halal slaughter certificate issued by an approved Islamic centre in the country of origin.

Insurance

Normal commercial practice but must be with a company with no Israeli connections.

Weights and measures

The metric system.

Taxation

Tax rates vary on the amount of profit made, for example no tax is paid on profits of less than QR100,000 but 35 per cent tax is paid on profits exceeding QR6,000,000.

There are some exemptions to tax when projects contribute towards the development of the national economy, the project achieves planned development or economic objectives of the State and are approved by government or the project contributes to the support of a named tax exempt industry.

There is presently no personal taxation levied in Qatar.