Insights

Doha, Qatar – Oct. 30, 2026: Crowell & Moring was named International Law Firm of the Year and Banking & Finance Team of the Year at the LexisNexis Middle East Qatar Business Law Forum 2026 gala dinner and awards ceremony. Crowell was also shortlisted for Corporate—Commercial Team of the Year and Property & Construction Team of the Year.

Doha, Qatar – Oct. 21, 2026: Crowell & Moring’s Litigation and Trial Group was named Litigation Team of the Year – International at the Law.com Middle East Legal Awards 2026.

Doha, Qatar – Oct. 7, 2026: Crowell & Moring was named Law Firm of the Year – Qatar at the LexisNexis Middle East Legal Awards 2026. The awards celebrate legal excellence, innovation, and leadership among law firms, in-house legal departments, and legal professionals across the Middle East.

It has been a couple of years since the introduction of Qatar's Judicial Enforcement Law No. 4 of 2024 (the Judicial Enforcement Law), but enforcement is still a process that many do not understand. It is therefore perhaps worth a reminder of the law and its far-reaching scope. I conclude the article with a brief look at how the law has benefitted creditors.

On 4 March 2026, Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) issued Ministerial Decision No. (25) of 2026 (Decision), establishing a regulatory framework (Framework) for conducting commercial activities through electronic platforms that do not require a physical premises in Qatar. The Decision was published in the Official Gazette on 15 March 2026 and entered into force on 16 March 2026.

The QFC has amended Article 25A of the QFC Employment Regulations, which pertains to the application of the Retirement and Pensions law to Qatari employees working in the QFC.

On September 1, 2026, Crowell & Moring's Charbel M. Maakaron, Catherine Martinez, and Ahmad El Lakkis published a Practical Law UK Practice Note titled Lending to a Company in Qatar: Regulatory Issues. In the note, the authors discuss the principal legal and regulatory issues foreign lenders should consider in cross-border financings involving Qatar-based companies, including sanctions, anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, currency exchange controls, licensing considerations, security and guarantees, enforcement, insolvency, and local compliance requirements. The note also highlights core considerations for lenders when structuring and documenting these transactions in Qatar.To read the full article, click here. For questions about cross-border lending transactions and related regulatory considerations in Qatar, please contact Charbel M. Maakaron, Catherine Martinez, and Ahmad El Lakkis.

On September 1, 2026, Crowell & Moring's Charbel M. Maakaron, Catherine Martinez, and Ahmad El Lakkis published a Practical Law UK Practice Note titled Lending to a Company in Qatar: Signing and Closing a Corporate Loan Transaction. In the note, the authors examine the key practical steps involved in signing and closing cross-border loan transactions involving Qatar-based obligors, including signing arrangements, execution formalities, electronic signatures, notarization, translations, public registry searches, conditions precedent, and filing and registration requirements. The note also outlines core actions parties should take to help ensure a smooth and effective closing process. To read the full article, click here. For questions about signing and closing loan transactions involving Qatar-based companies, please contact Charbel M. Maakaron, Catherine Martinez, and Ahmad El Lakkis.

On October 21, 2026, Partner Matthew F. Ferraro presented a briefing to the U.S.-Qatar Business Council in Doha, Qatar on “The Artificial Intelligence Agenda: AI Governance Amid Policy Uncertainty.” Mr. Ferraro discussed the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, AI regulations in the United States, Europe, and Qatar, and how companies can build AI governance structures amid developing technology and changing requirements. Mr. Ferraro – who counsels clients widely on emerging global regulations impacting AI – was introduced by Charbel M. Maakaron, the Managing Partner of Crowell’s Doha office.