Qatar - Enforcement of Money Judgments

In general, foreign money judgments are enforceable in Qatar as long as the laws of the country where the said judgment is issued allow the enforcement of judgments issued by Qatari courts. Apart from the principal of reciprocity, the enforcement of foreign judgment in Qatar will be subject to other conditions set out in the Qatari Civil and Commercial Procedures Code. However, there are no further details or precedents on the attitude of the Qatari government.

B. Briefly describe recent illustrative attempts, whether successful or unsuccessful, to enforce a foreign money judgment in your country, particularly with regard to enforcement of any judgments from United States courts.

The Qatari Court of Appeal (judgment No. 76/1999) refused the enforcement of a judgment issued by a French Court because its judgment did not meet the requirements of reciprocity in Article 379. In its decision, the Court stated that neither party had submitted to the Court any evidence that a French court would allow the enforcement of foreign judgments in general or Qatari judgments in particular.

In a recent case in 2012, the court of appeal refused to enforce a judgment issued by a French court. The court of appeal based its judgment on the fact that the judgment was not final since the respondent had appealed the judgment before the court of appeal in France.

C. Describe any proposed legislation or other governmental action in your country that could significantly affect the enforcement of foreign money judgments.

We are not aware of any proposed legislation or other governmental action in Qatar that could significantly affect the enforcement of foreign money judgments against private persons or entities. However, the enforcement of a judgment against any governmental entity is possible. but the plaintiff cannot attach and sell any of the public assets because public assets were granted immunity from attachment by Law no 10/1987.