State of Qatar Government

The Emir is the ruler of the State. Rule in Qatar is hereditary within the family of Al Thani, whereby power is transferred from father to son. In case no son is available, power is transferred to the person whom chooses within the family of Al Thani.His Highness the emir is the head of Constitutional Authorities, holding both legislative and executive powers. The Emir appoints the prime minister and ministers.

The Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the supreme executive authority in the country, assist implementing the general policies of the State. A 35-member Advisory Council debates economic, political and administrative matters referred to it by the Council of Ministers.

The Constitutional development of Qatar has kept pace with the rapid development and economic growth of the country. The first provisional constitution was issued in 1970, and amended in 1972 upon independence. In April 2003, an overwhelming 96.6% of Qatari voters said "yes" to a draft permanent constitution which became effective of the 8th of June 2005, transforming Qatar into a Democracy. In 2007, parliamentary elections took place in Qatar for the first time in Qatar's history, women was permitted to vote and stand as candidate.

In 1999, free elections were held to form a 29-member Central Municipal Council for the first time in Qatar's history - and women were allowed to vote and run as a candidate.

Amiri Diwan

The official website of the Emir contains interesting information about Qatar, and copies of the Emir's speech. Unfortunately, it does not work on the Firefox browser.

Centre for Geographic Information Systems

Expect a noisy introduction!

Central Tenders Committee

Organises tenders, bids and auctions for Qatar Government Bodies.

E-Government

Check Qatar visa status, renew health cards on-line, check for fines and more.

Endowments and Islamic Affairs

Official Endowments and Islamic Affairs website

Hamad Medical Corporation (Ministry of Public Health)

Hamad Medical Corporation website.

Hukoomi

Government website providing information and services to residents, visitors and businesses.

Ministry of Civil Services and Housing

Arabic only, except for the Labour Law section.

Ministry of Education

(Arabic only)

Ministry of Interior

Ministry of Interior website.

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture

Qatar Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture.

National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage

Qatar National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage.

Planning Department

Qatar Planning Department.

Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry website.

Qatar Embassy in America

This website contains tonnes of useful information about Qatar.

Qatar Foreign Information Agency

Qatar Foreign Information Agency website.

Supreme Council for Family Affairs

Supreme Council for Family Affairs website.

Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology

Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology site.

Supreme Education Council

Qatar Supreme Education Council website.