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Qatar
Women in decision-making positions
No data on number of women in elected local deliberative bodies
No woman is Head of Government
4%
Parliamentarians are women
11%
Ministers are women

Government organization

Spheres of government

Qatar is a unitary monarchy with two spheres of government: central and local.

One tier of central government and one tier of local government composed of municipalities.

  • Head of State: The Monarch assumes the role hereditarily.
  • Head of Government: The Prime Minister is appointed by the Monarch.
  • Legislative body: The Al-Shoura Council is a unicameral legislature composed of members appointed by the Monarch.
  • Executive body: The Council of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister, is composed of ministers proposed by the Prime Minister to be appointed by the Monarch.

  • Organization: Local government is organized into one tier of eight municipalities.
  • Competencies: Local government possesses legal personality. It is responsible for monitoring the implementation of laws and resolutions relating to the affairs of organizing buildings and land management, roads, shops, industry, and commerce, preparing the draft municipal budget and presenting it to the Finance Minister for consideration, preparing draft internal regulations to be issued by a resolution of the deputy governor, overseeing all municipal administrative work and financial affairs of the municipality, supervising all staff and municipal workers and their appointment, and conducting all purchases, sales, and other contracts relating to the work of the municipality.
  • Ministerial oversight: Ministry of Municipality and Environment

Overview of local government

Local government composition

Deliberative body: The municipal council is composed of the president of the municipality and 4-19 members appointed by decree based on the proposal of the Minister of Municipality and Environment. The governor appoints a president for the municipality from amongst the members of the municipal council by decree to preside over the municipal council; the president of the municipality is not vested with executive powers.

Executive body: The director of the municipality and deputy director of the municipality are appointed by the deputy governor by resolution to be the executives of the municipal level of government.

Local government elections

Electoral system: N/A

  • Direct elections are not legislated for the municipal level of government; municipal council members are appointed by decree based on the proposal of the Minister for Municipal Affairs.

  • Gender quotas: No
  • Additional quotas: No

  • Term length: 2 years
  • Last local elections: N/A
  • Next local elections: N/A

N/A

National legal framework on local government

  • Permanent Constitution of the State of Qatar, 2004;
  • Law No. 19 of 1972: the Establishment of New Municipalities, 1972;
  • Law No. 11 of 1963: the Structure of the Municipality of Doha, 1963 (amended through 1971).

There are no constitutional provisions that establish local government in Qatar.

The Al-Shoura Council is responsible for establishing the national legal framework on local government. The key pieces of legislation that regulate local government are the Law No. 11 of 1963: the Structure of the Municipality of Doha (amended through 1971) and the Law No. 19 of 1972: the Establishment of New Municipalities. According to Articles 1 and 2 of the Law No. 11 of 1963: the Structure of the Municipality of Doha, “a Municipality of Doha shall be established, having a legal personality, and shall be considered a public institution. It shall have as its goal the improvement of opportunities to develop Doha, in terms of environment and well-being. The Municipal Council shall be responsible for achieving the goals set out in the preceding Article.” According to Article 6 of the Law No. 19 of 1972: the Establishment of New Municipalities, “save as otherwise not provided for in the present law, the provisions of Law No. 11 of 1963 and its amendments on the Structure of the Municipality of Qatar, shall apply to such Councils.”

Sources:

1. UN Women: Data on share of women in local government as of 1 January 2025.

2. UN Women: Information on Head of State and Government as of 1 December 2025.

3. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU): Data on share of women in the single/lower chamber of parliament as of 1 January 2025.

4. UN Women: Data on share of women Cabinet ministers as of 1 January 2025.

5. Information on local government organization as of 1 January 2023.