Qatar country pack.
Qatar pack covering Qatar Central Bank (QCB) governance, cyber security, AML/CFT and Shari'ah governance requirements for banks and other financial institutions, the QFMA Governance Code for listed companies (2025) with the ICOFR assurance practice, the Personal Data Privacy Protection Law and the National Information Assurance (NIA) certification scheme. Most QCB content is built from bank disclosures and is flagged unverified until checked against QCB's own text.
Frameworks and regulations.
| Instrument | Applies to | Requirements | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| QCB Governance Instructions for Banks Qatar Central Bank · QCB Circular No. 25/2022, issued 30 August 2022 | Banks, Islamic banks | 19 | Being confirmed |
| QCB cyber and information security instructions for banks Qatar Central Bank · QCB Circular No. 4/2018 (as cited by banks); current status and any later QCB cyber framework not confirmed | Banks, Islamic banks | 13 | Being confirmed |
| QCB AML/CFT Instructions for Financial Institutions under Law No. (20) of 2019 on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Qatar Central Bank · Law No. (20) of 2019 and its implementing regulations; QCB instructions edition not confirmed | Banks, Islamic banks, Finance companies, Exchange houses and more | 15 | Being confirmed |
| QCB Shari'ah governance requirements for Islamic financial institutions Qatar Central Bank · QCB Shari'ah governance framework issued in 2024 with the QFCRA (as reported); number and date not confirmed | Islamic banks, Finance companies, Insurers | 10 | Being confirmed |
| Governance Code for Listed Companies (QFMA Board Decision No. (5) of 2025) Qatar Financial Markets Authority · QFMA Board Decision No. (5) of 2025 dated 4 August 2025 (10/02/1447 H), sent to listed companies with QFMA circular 278/2025 of 27 August 2025 | Listed companies | 20 | Source checked |
| Law No. (13) of 2016 on the Protection of Personal Data Privacy State of Qatar (supervised by the National Cyber Security Agency) · Law No. (13) of 2016 | Banks, Islamic banks, Finance companies, Insurers and more | 12 | Being confirmed |
| National Information Assurance (NIA) Policy and Standard, with NIA certification National Cyber Security Agency · NIA Policy endorsed by the National Cyber Security Agency; current standard version not confirmed; certification under the National Information Security Compliance Framework | Government bodies, Critical infrastructure, Banks, Islamic banks and more | 14 | Being confirmed |
Checklists in the pack.
- QCB Governance Instructions Review
- QFMA Internal Control over Financial Reporting (ICOFR) Review
- NIA Compliance and Certification Readiness Review
- Qatar PDPPL Privacy Compliance Review
Regulators.
- QCB Qatar Central Bank
- QFMA Qatar Financial Markets Authority
- NCSA National Cyber Security Agency
- QFCRA Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority
Who it is for
Banks, Islamic banks, Finance companies, Listed companies, Large enterprises, Government bodies.
Regulatory calendar.
16 recurring deliverables, each with the regulator, the instrument and the deadline rule. Some examples:
| Deliverable | Regulator | How often | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Align governance with the 2025 QFMA Governance Code | QFMA | Once | Within one year of the Code's publication in the Official Gazette (extendable by the QFMA chair) |
| Annual corporate governance report to the QFMA | QFMA | Every year | Signed by the chair and submitted with the annual report |
| Mandatory board committee meetings | QFMA | Every quarter | At least four meetings a year for each mandatory committee |
| Annual board, committee and senior management evaluation | QFMA | Every year | Each year, with results disclosed to shareholders |
| Annual review of director independence and conflicts | QFMA | Every year | At least once a year; independent members confirm continued independence |
| Notify the QFMA of conflict-of-interest violations | QFMA | When it happens | When a violation occurs; deadline not stated in the text read |
Reporting conventions.
- Reports in Arabic and English
- Amounts in QAR
Arabic is the official language of laws, QCB instructions and QFMA decisions; English versions are translations and the Arabic text prevails. Regulators use the Gregorian calendar for deadlines, but QFMA decisions also carry the Hijri date (for example 04/08/2025, 10/02/1447 H), so reports citing them should show both. Listed companies publish annual governance reports in Arabic and English.
Kept current.
Content version 2026.10, reviewed 27 October 2026. Descriptions are AuditHD's own; each framework links to the official text. License this pack on its own or with other countries; International standards are always included.
See it with your own checklists.
Open the live demo now, or book a walkthrough and we will load one of your frameworks or work programmes.