The Qatari government has passed a law requiring a minimum level
of protection for personal data within the State of Qatar. It is
the first GCC member state to issue a generally applicable data
protection law. The law will be of particular interest to Qatar
based employers given it introduces new requirements in relation to
how employers maintain and manage their employee's information.
It will require prompt action to ensure compliance, both for
governance reasons and given the law introduces material fines for
breach. Law No. 13 of 2016 Concerning Personal Data Protection (the
Data Protection Law) was issued on 3 November 2016. It will come
into full effect in six months' time (3 May 2016), unless this
period is extended. The Data Protection Law will help build
consumer trust in Qatar in the online environment and may encourage
consumers to engage with innovative technologies in confidence that
their data will be protected. It comes at a time when the rapid
pace of
