Free Zones (QFZA)
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Qatar free zone company setup
For manufacturing, logistics and trade with the region and the world.
Free zone company formation in Qatar runs through the Qatar Free Zones Authority, which regulates two zones. Ras Bufontas, next to Hamad International Airport. Umm Alhoul, next to Hamad Port, home of the Marsa maritime cluster. Both sit outside Qatar’s customs territory for legal, regulatory, tax and customs purposes, under a common law based framework administered by the Authority.
The framework
Ownership and tax
100 percent foreign ownership. A renewable 20 year corporate tax holiday. Zero customs duty on goods brought into the zone for storage, manufacturing, processing and re-export. No personal income tax. No minimum local employment requirement.
The limits
Goods sold into Qatar’s local market are treated as imports and pay standard customs duties. Land and buildings are lease only. Investors must insure inventory and hold a minimum QAR 20 million third party liability policy. Profit from activity carried out on the mainland can fall under the standard 10 percent tax rather than the holiday.
Eligibility
The Authority selects investors. Applicants for a Qatar free zone licence must operate in one of its target sectors, plan to trade primarily in regional and international markets, demonstrate added value to the national economy and show the financial capability for the investment. The process begins with an enquiry. A formal application follows only once the Authority has confirmed the business fits.
Sectors
Logistics and warehousing, industrial products, consumer goods, food and beverages, ICT, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, energy and environmental technology, automotive, marine, aerospace and aviation, among others.
Is this the right route?
Who fits
- A manufacturer serving the Gulf and beyond.
- A regional distribution centre.
- A logistics operator using the port or airport.
- A maritime services firm.
Who does not
- A business whose customers are mainly in Qatar.
- A contractor working on sites across the mainland.
- A service firm with no goods, for which the QFC is the natural home.
Speak to the adviser who will handle your mandate.
From the first assessment to the annual return, one person and one point of contact.