Court rules updated in the Qatar Financial Centre

Doha-based litigation expert Richard Ashmore of Pinsent Masons said the new rules, relevant to the Civil and Commercial Court of the QFC, should spur businesses operating in the jurisdiction to ensure they regularly monitor for service of legal notices.

The new rules provide businesses with just 28 days to lodge a defence against claims raised against them before the QFC court – with a default judgment of the court, being a judgment issued without any hearings, possible if businesses do not meet this deadline. However, once granted, a company can apply to have the default judgment set aside and the court will do so if it is satisfied that the company has a real prospect of successfully defending the claim or there is another compelling reason to do so. 

The default judgment mechanism is just one of the new features of the updated court rules that encourage speed and efficiency in dispute resolution, and align with international best practices, Ashmore said.

Among other things, the updated rules now provide for electronic filing of documents and notices via email or the court’s ‘eCourt’ system, cut the time businesses have to serve claim forms, provide for the appointment of single-judge panels, and reduce the time businesses have to appeal judgments of the court. The court’s business hours are now 8am to 4pm, with filings made after hours deemed submitted the next business day. 

In relation to claim forms, the rules provide that they can now only validly be served if they are served within 60 days from the date they are issued by the QFC court registry. The previous deadline for service was four months from the date of issue. Now, claim forms will automatically be considered struck out if not served within the 60 day period – although businesses will be able to re-file the claim if that happens.

The rules have also been updated to relax the previous absolute prohibition on service of a claim form only by electronic means. This will now be possible if permission is granted by the court.

Single-judge panels can be approved for certain cases by the QFC court president. Although not stated in the rules, the decision on whether a case is to be decided by a single judge or a panel of three judges will be determined by the complexity of the issues and the value of the dispute. High value and complex cases will therefore receive the attention of three judges; low value straightforward cases will be decided by a single judge.

The period for applying for permission for appeal has been cut from 60 days to 30 days, from the date of the judgment being appealed. A new practice direction for the court introduces a new streamlined review system for appeals, with permission granted only for arguable errors or serious risks of injustice. Permission to appeal must be obtained from an ‘Appeal Circuit’ formed of three judges of the court who will review applications for appeal and, where appropriate, grant permission to appeal. This will be done solely based on a review of written submissions as opposed to via oral hearings. The decisions of the Appeal Circuit are final. Where permission to appeal is granted, appeal remains by way of review, rather than a rehearing.

The rules around enforcement have also been updated, to align with Qatar’s enforcement law of 2024. Whereas previously the court had the power to enforce its own judgments, decisions and orders, the role of the QFC court is now to facilitate the enforcement of its judgments by Qatar’s new Enforcement Court, including by translating any English language judgment into Arabic for the purposes of enforcement. The new Enforcement Court has essentially the same powers as were previously provided to the QFC Court for enforcement, including powers to seize movable and immovable assets, bank accounts, shares, impose travel bans, and restrict business activities. The Enforcement Court has the power to impose penalties for non-compliance with implementing court orders and for concealing or disposing of assets to evade enforcement.

The court rules have also been amended to confirm that the Arabic version of the rules no longer prevails over the English version in the event of conflict. The rules now expressly acknowledge that the international nature of the court means that most proceedings will be conducted in English, but the rules expressly preserve the right of a party to conduct proceedings in Arabic in due respect to the fact that Arabic is the official language of Qatar.

The new court rules took effect on 4 June 2025. Informal guidance on how they are intended to operate was provided by the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre at an event earlier this autumn.

Ashmore said: “These transformative reforms will be welcomed by court practitioners and users alike. They promise fast and efficient dispute resolution focusing on a digital-first approach, with streamlined timelines for service of claim forms and appeals, reducing uncertainty and costs for court users. The use of the national addresses for service and the introduction of default judgments puts greater emphasis on timely responses to legal notifications. Businesses operating in Qatar would be wise to ensure that their national address for service, typically accessible via the Metrash2 application, is kept up to date and is monitored regularly.”