Definition
Qatarisation is the national workforce nationalisation policy through which the State of Qatar seeks to increase the employment of Qatari nationals in the private sector. The policy establishes sector-specific employment quotas for Qatari citizens and provides supporting mechanisms — including training programmes, salary subsidies, and hiring incentives — to facilitate the integration of nationals into private sector roles.
Background
Like other Gulf Cooperation Council states, Qatar has a labour market characterised by a pronounced demographic imbalance: expatriate workers constitute the overwhelming majority of the workforce, while Qatari nationals represent a small fraction of the total employed population. This imbalance is particularly stark in the private sector, where foreign workers occupy the vast majority of positions across all skill levels.
Qatarisation emerged as a policy response to the dual challenges of national unemployment (particularly among young graduates) and over-reliance on expatriate labour. The programme aligns with the Human Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, which calls for the development of a skilled, productive national workforce.
Implementation
The Ministry of Labour sets Qatarisation targets by sector, with priority given to banking and finance, energy, insurance, telecommunications, and government-related entities. Companies that fail to meet their quotas may face penalties, including restrictions on the issuance of new work permits for expatriate employees and exclusion from government contracts.
Supporting mechanisms include government-funded vocational and professional training programmes, salary top-up schemes that bridge the gap between private sector salary structures and public sector compensation expectations, and partnerships between employers and educational institutions (including Education City universities) to align curricula with labour market needs.
Challenges
Qatarisation faces several structural challenges. The public sector continues to offer more attractive compensation, shorter working hours, and greater job security, making it difficult for the private sector to compete for Qatari talent. Skill mismatches between graduate output and private sector demand persist. Additionally, the relatively small size of the Qatari national population limits the available labour pool.
Significance
Qatarisation is both an economic policy and a social contract mechanism. Its success is essential to the National Vision 2030’s objective of building a knowledge-based economy sustained by national human capital rather than imported labour.