If you want to invest in e-commerce in the Qatari market, you must first know the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar. In this article, we will give you a comprehensive look at the Qatar e-commerce market, its size, and its future. You will also learn about the laws and conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar. In short, this article will be the starting point for your online store in Qatar.

Reasons to set up an online store in Qatar: facts and expectations

It is no secret to anyone that the field of e-commerce is the most widespread and profitable field now to work on the Internet. While e-commerce markets are mature in most countries of the world, they are still in the process of growth, expansion and spread in the Middle East in general and Qatar in particular.

Currently, Qatar is at the forefront of countries when it comes to B2C e-commerce in terms of transaction volume in the Middle East and North Africa, with huge expectations that this rise will continue.

according to International Trade Department website According to the US Department of Commerce, the average Qatari citizen spends up to $260 per e-commerce transaction. Therefore, Qatar is the first in the Middle East and North Africa in per capita spending, and this is an encouraging sign for anyone who wants to start setting up an online store in Qatar.

According to the same website, 87% of small and medium-sized companies in Qatar accept electronic payment via credit cards, which are widely spread in Qatar, which shows that Qatar is a fertile and good environment for establishing an online store.

reach The volume of e-commerce in Qatar in the year 2020 About $1.9 billion, down from $500 million in 2015. The COVID-19 pandemic and the general closure contributed to this explosive growth first, and the Qataris were prepared for this shift mainly since Qatar is the first in the world in the number of Internet users By up to 99% of its population.

Here are the future predictions from the site Statista About e-commerce in Qatar:

• Revenue in Qatar’s e-commerce market is expected to reach $4.04 billion in 2022.
• Revenues are expected to show an annual growth rate of 15.24%, resulting in an expected market size of $6.18 billion by 2025.
• The percentage of users of online stores in Qatar is expected to reach 71.8% in 2022, and is expected to reach 76.7% by 2025.

Conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar

The Qatari e-commerce portal MOTC has issued the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar if you want to create your own store and enter this promising market. Here are the conditions:

1. Obtaining a license to conduct an electronic business in Qatar

Anyone who wants to practice e-commerce in Qatar, including those wishing to obtain a home commercial registry, must apply for commercial registration to the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Qatar Financial Center and Qatar Science and Technology Park, in order to:

• Ensuring domain name intellectual property rights and trademark ownership worldwide.
• Avoid exposure to Qatar Trade Law penalties.
• Obtaining free consultations from parties with experience in the field of e-commerce in Qatar via Government Thiqa Program.
• Providing financial, logistical and legal facilities when registering at the Qatar Financial Center and Qatar Science and Technology Park.
• Increasing the market value of the online store, attracting investors to it, and gaining customer satisfaction.
• Ensuring the rights of customers to obtain goods, products and services issued by a legally documented commercial entity to avoid fraud, fraud and poor services.

How to get a home commercial register

Local investors can submit a request online to the Commercial Registration and Licensing Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to request a home license.

Submit the application electronically

• to open E-Investor Services website And choose “Investor Services”.
• Log in or create a new account, then “Application for a Home License”.
• Enter all required data and attach the following documents:
• An undertaking by the licensee not to violate the terms of the license.
• A copy of the applicant’s ID card.
• The title deed only in the case of the type of property is a villa or a traditional house. In the case of land registration, a building completion certificate is required.
• A no-objection letter from the owner and a copy of the ID card if the house is rented.
• A no-objection letter from the guardian and a copy of the ID card in case the license is for one of the household members – first-degree relatives only.
• In the case of food activity: a copy of the health certificate of the license holder and the requirements of the civil defense.
• Pay the prescribed fees for applying for a home license.

Submit a paper application

• to download Application form Fill it out, then sign it from the authorized signatory.
• Attach the required documents mentioned above and submit them with the application form signed by the public service employee at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry or one of its branches.

Where to provide the service: The main building of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Lusail City – First Floor (See Google Maps).

2. Choosing and registering a Qatari domain name

Registering the domain name (domain name) that you will choose for your store at Qatar Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Which specializes in regulating the Internet in Qatar, one of the most important conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar. And if you want more professionalism and specialization, you should choose the .qa domain name extension (.Qatar in Arabic), which is intended for the State of Qatar only.

First, you must specify the domain name you want (example: e-trade.com.qa) through the tool Provided by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Qatar to check whether the domain name you have chosen is available.

If the domain name is not reserved by anyone and available for purchase, you will be directed to a page containing a list of companies that have contracted with the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in Qatar to sell domain names.

The number of approved companies is currently 10: Qtel, W3infotech, IP Mirror, Ascio, MarkMonitor, Marcaria.com, EPAG Domainservices, Safenames, CPS-Datensysteme, Mesh Digital.

3. Electronic payment and logistics

After completing the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar from licensing and reserving the domain name, you will now have to adjust the organizational matters related to the store, which include:

• Contracting with an electronic payment service provider in Qatar.
• Contracting with a company that provides logistics services in Qatar.

These two steps are important in order to allow your Qatari store customers to pay when purchasing from your store by the means available in their country. In addition to delivering their purchases to their addresses.

Availability of an e-commerce portal existing With electronic payment gateway providers and logistics service providers operating in Qatar to cooperate with one of them.

What are the most prominent e-commerce sites in Qatar?

There are dozens of websites that have fulfilled the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar, and they have become large and well-known stores. Availability of Qatar e-commerce portal complete guide For all e-commerce companies registered in Qatar, you can view it. But we have selected for you some of the most famous ones:

Thiqa Program THEQA

In fact, we cannot talk about the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar without talking about the Qatari Thiqa Program, which is essentially a non-profit Qatari government program aimed at helping and supporting e-commerce practitioners in Qatar who wish to establish an online store in Qatar and protect and educate consumers as well.

Thiqa provides collaborative training in order to develop the e-commerce sector in Qatar and create an atmosphere of honesty between the consumer and the service provider (the merchant). Thiqa has an excellent work environment due to the generous government support it receives.

The fact that the online store has a trust mark means that the store is documented and approved by the Qatari Ministry of Transport and Communications, and this also includes any home commercial registry officially registered in Qatar.

How to join the Qatari Thiqa Program

All you have to do is fill in Registration Form And send it to those in charge of the official Thiqa website, and wait for a short period of time until you receive a response to your email. The information you will be asked to fill out on the form includes the following:

• The commercial registration number, the legal name of your online store, the online name of your online store, and the link to your store address and logo.
• Choose the type of business you do. Is it the provision of services or retail services. And then determine the type of sector, is it, for example, selling electronics, foodstuffs, perfumes, clothes…etc.
• Enter your first and last name.
• Enter your e-mail to contact you and your public and private phone number starting with Qatar +947.
• Upload the payment gateway document, commercial register and commercial permit.
• Agree to the Privacy Policy and Code of Conduct and submit the request.

Conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar

It is clear to us from the above that the conditions for establishing an online store in Qatar are not difficult or complicated, in addition to providing government support through many services and projects to provide the appropriate environment for entrepreneurs and project owners to invest in the field of e-commerce in Qatar.

We have seen that the Qatar e-commerce market is a promising market with many opportunities and a lot of profits. So we encourage its entry as soon as possible.

Read also: The best online store program.. 6 platforms to start online trading