Estate Issues For Foreigners In Qatar

The mortality of your employees is not something one usually considers during the day to day running of a business. However for the employers of expatriate workers in Qatar it is useful to understand what happens to assets, such as real estate, cars, usufruct rights (99 year leases), company shares and bank accounts held in Qatar in the event of a worker's death. This article addresses the fate of the assets and also provides some information on the process to be followed and the documents required for the heirs/beneficiaries to secure the release of the deceased's assets.

There is a common belief that Shariah law will apply to the deceased's assets in Qatar. This is incorrect. Articles 23 and 24 of the Qatari Civil Code Law 22 of 2004, provide that the country laws of the deceased's nationality (the deceased's home country) at the time of his or her death will apply in relation to inheritance laws, even if the deceased was Muslim. Qatari law will apply only if the