Law No. 25 of 2025: Key Amendments to Qatar's Civil Human Resources Law

In line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the State's continuing efforts to develop the government working environment, strengthen institutional efficiency and link incentives to performance, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, issued Law No. 25 of 2025. The law makes substantive amendments to Law No. 15 of 2016 on Civil Human Resources, entrenching the principles of national competence and performance-based reward. It regulates the affairs of Qatari and non-Qatari employees in government entities and sets clear foundations for recruitment, salaries, promotions, penalties and leave, with the aim of raising the efficiency of government work and ensuring a modern, well-ordered working environment that supports comprehensive development.

Effect of the amendments on the government working environment

The amendments are intended to bring about a qualitative shift in the government workplace, built on the principles of merit and excellence. Their principal effects may be summarised as follows.

I. Linking the periodic increment to performance

This new mechanism represents a fundamental move away from a system based primarily on seniority towards a graduated system that ties both entitlement to, and the value of, the periodic increment to the employee's annual performance evaluation. A Qatari employee becomes entitled to the periodic increment on 1 January following the expiry of one year from the date of entitlement to the previous increment, until the salary reaches the ceiling of the grade. The value of the increment is calculated as a percentage of the increment bands set out in the grades and salaries schedule No. 1.

II. The role of performance-linked increments in raising productivity

Rewarding excellence: the system offers markedly higher rewards to employees who achieve exceptional performance, at a rate of 150 per cent, creating a working culture that pursues distinction rather than the minimum acceptable standard.

Greater fairness: it ensures that financial increases rest on genuine achievement and added value, which improves job satisfaction among high performers.

Addressing weak performance: withholding or reducing the periodic increment where performance is poor operates as an effective trigger for management to intervene and provide the support or training the employee needs to improve in the following year.

III. Supporting Qatari talent and female employees

The amendments oblige government entities to adopt an annual replacement and Qatarisation plan and to appoint Qatari candidates, reinforcing Qatarisation policies and ensuring that national personnel are appointed promptly. They also raise the efficiency of government performance by linking financial incentives, such as the periodic increment, directly to annual performance evaluation, creating a competitive environment that encourages excellence and achievement, while providing an attractive and supportive workplace through enhanced social benefits such as extended maternity leave, alongside clear regulatory frameworks for penalties and sick leave that secure discipline and fairness.

1. Supporting national talent

By focusing on merit, the performance-linked increment ensures that outstanding and productive Qatari professionals receive the fastest and largest salary increases, making the government sector a more attractive environment in which to retain them. Tying promotions and career paths more rigorously to performance evaluation results also builds a clear career path and opens faster routes for advancement for young and productive talent.

2. Supporting female employees

The amendments improve maternity leave, childcare leave and flexibility in working hours, supporting the ability of the Qatari female employee to balance family and professional responsibilities without prejudice to her career path or entitlements. The amended law grants maternity leave on full salary for three months, which is not counted against her other leave, extended to six months in the case of the birth of twins or a child with a disability. The employee may choose when the leave begins from the eighth month of pregnancy onwards. At the request of a Qatari female employee, maternity leave may be extended for a further period not exceeding three months, during which she receives basic salary, social allowance and housing allowance. A Qatari female employee may also request to work remotely from the seventh month of pregnancy until she gives birth, and again following the end of maternity leave.

Preserving incentives: where controls ensure that an employee's performance evaluation is not adversely affected by statutory maternity or care-related leave, she continues to qualify for increments and incentives, which strengthens her professional stability.

An inclusive working environment: supportive incentives and leave entitlements reflect the State's commitment to empowering women in the government sector as an active and essential part of the national workforce.

IV. Incentives, bonuses and allowances

The amendments confirm the State's strategic direction of linking financial benefits to the achievement of social and economic objectives, and of supporting Qatari talent in particular.

Marriage allowance: a marriage allowance is introduced for Qatari employees to support family stability, granted in accordance with controls determined by the Council of Ministers, alongside an attraction and retention allowance payable to national talent in specialised posts that are difficult to fill.

Professional qualification allowance: the amended law allows a specialised professional certificate allowance to be paid to holders of recognised professional qualifications.

Overtime allowance: a ceiling is placed on overtime payments of QAR 10,000 per month for Qatari employees and QAR 5,000 per month for non-Qataris, for a period not exceeding six months in the year.

Incentive bonus: an employee may be granted an incentive bonus not exceeding total salary for providing distinguished services, research or proposals that improve performance efficiency, payable no more than once a year.

Conclusion

Law No. 25 of 2025 and the substantive amendments it makes to the employment framework represent a significant step in Qatar's continuing modernisation of its government environment. It confirms the State's firm commitment to empowering national talent and placing it at the heart of development through a transparent and fair administrative system. By linking incentives and pay to performance, Qatar is building an institutional working culture founded on productivity, excellence and merit rather than seniority alone. The expected outcomes extend beyond the regulation of personnel affairs to raising the overall efficiency of government work and delivering the Qatar National Vision 2030 objective of a developed administrative apparatus capable of meeting the aspirations of the nation and its citizens.