The Qatar Ministry of Labour has formally published Ministerial Decision No. 50 of 2026 in Official Gazette Issue 15/2026, dated September 8, 2026. This directive updates the regulations governing the Wage Protection System (WPS) and mandates stricter deadlines for salary disbursements to all expatriate workers.
- Salaries for monthly or annual workers are due from the first day of each calendar month.
- Wages must be transferred to WPS-registered bank accounts in Qatar within seven days of the due date.
- Alternative payment methods like cash or Ooredoo money wallets are now invalid and count as non-compliance.
Under the new regulations, salaries for employees paid on a monthly or annual basis are considered due starting from the first day of each calendar month.
These wages must be transferred to the worker's WPS-registered bank account at a financial institution located within Qatar within seven days of the due date. For workers compensated on different payment cycles, wages are considered due starting from the first day of each two-week period. This mandate became effective on September 9, 2026, the day following its publication in the official gazette. The policy applies to all expatriate workers covered by Qatar's Labour Law, including Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals, as well as domestic workers and those employed in free zones who fall under the scope of the Labour Law.
The regulation effectively invalidates alternative payment methods such as cash or Ooredoo money wallets, classifying such practices as non-compliance risks under the WPS framework.Workers who do not receive their wages are advised to document their employment status by maintaining records of their employment contract, bank statements, payslips, QID copies, and relevant communications.
Formal complaints regarding unpaid wages or WPS violations should be filed via the official Ministry of Labour portal at mol.gov.qa using a QID and mobile number for OTP-based authentication. Alternatively, workers can utilize the ministry hotline at 16008 or send an SMS to 92727 by typing '5' followed by their QID or visa number. Upon filing, workers must retain their complaint reference number.
The ministry reiterated that the minimum wage remains fixed at QR 1,000 for basic salary, plus QR 300 for food allowances and QR 500 for housing, unless provided directly by the employer. Employers are prohibited from reducing existing salaries to meet these minimum levels.
Failure to comply with WPS regulations may lead to the suspension of business activities by the Ministry of Labour, and may grant affected workers the right to change employers or terminate their contracts in accordance with existing labor reforms.