This week the spotlight is on legal and regulatory developments in Qatar, where the Shoura Council has referred Qatar Decree-Law No. 18/2018 amending the 2015 Tender and Auction Law, Qatar Law No. 24/2015 to the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee to review and report back to the Council on.

The law details the classification process for those transacting with the Government, involving the issuing of certificates by the Government Procurement Regulatory Department (GPRD) at the Finance Ministry. Foreign and local companies are classified as contractors, service providers or suppliers. Tenderers applying to be classified are required to submit details on personnel, quality assurance, security and other information. The Council’s President had invited the committees to meet to discuss some things during the holiday, but a formal decision of memorandum cannot be issued to the Government until a new Council session has opened.

Elsewhere, the Council has referred a draft Media City Law to the Cultural Affairs and Information Committee to consider and report back to the Council on. The draft law would give the Media City legal personality and an independent budget. It would manage and develop media activities, attract international media, digital media and technology companies and media research and training institutions. It would provide services to licensed companies operating there, including granting licenses for television and radio broadcasting and for publishing and distributing newspapers, magazines and books.