Qatar Lures Global Investors with $1 Billion Incentives Program

Editorial Team

Last updated 29-05-2025

3 min

Qatar launches a $1 billion incentives programme to attract local and international investors.

It offers up to 40% funding for investments in advanced industries, logistics, technology, and finance.

Investors need to spend at least QAR 25 million over five years to qualify.

The programme is part of a broader reform to enhance Qatar's business environment.

In 2022, Qatar attracted $2.

74 billion in foreign investments, creating over 9,000 jobs.

Qatar has just unveiled a substantial $1 billion incentives programme aimed at enticing both local and international investors into the region, as announced during this year's Qatar Economic Forum. This new initiative promises financial backing that generously covers up to 40% of eligible local investment costs over a period of five years. These allowances aren't just limited to the initial business setup, but they'll also help with construction projects, renting office spaces, purchasing necessary equipment, and even support the cost of employing staff.

It's interesting to see that the scheme's being rolled out gradually, starting with an initial phase focused squarely on four distinct fields: advanced industries, logistics, technology, and financial services—in and around Lusail. This targeted approach seems designed not only to boost fresh investments, but also to expand and modernise existing businesses, create numerous high-skilled employment opportunities, and foster much-needed knowledge-sharing among firms.

Naturally, there are specific criteria businesses must meet. For one, an investor’s project must involve a minimum of QAR 25 million in spending spread across five years, with clear outcomes in terms of job creation and alignment with strategic sectors of the Qatari economy. Businesses interested in taking advantage of these incentives will have to apply through the Invest Qatar Gateway—Qatar's first fully integrated digital platform, designed specifically to streamline business registration and related services.

For Qatar, this incentives programme is part of a bigger picture—the National Incentives Framework—which is tied closely to broader reforms aimed at making the country's business climate friendlier and simpler to navigate. The reforms so far include extensive digitalisation initiatives and simpler licencing and approval processes in multiple economic sectors.

Last year was pretty impressive for Qatar, drawing in around $2.74 billion in foreign direct investment across some 241 projects, a move that helped generate nearly 9,348 new jobs, according to recent figures.

In related news from the region, startup Pass recently attracted a tidy sum of $2.7 million in pre-Series A funding, as the company looks to broaden its reach into Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with additional plans on the horizon to expand into Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait by 2026.

It's clear that efforts like these could potentially be a massive boost for Qatar’s econmy, helping to transform the country into an attractive business hotspot. And, as our friends at Arageek are fond of saying, "Watch this space"—Qatar's business community certainly seems set for exciting times ahead.

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