15/10/2020
Qatar adopts a non-discriminatory minimum wage
Qatar adopts a non-discriminatory minimum wage
Qatar’s non-discriminatory minimum wage benefits workers in all sectors
Qatar has become the first country in the region to adopt a non-discriminatory minimum wage
into law. It applies to all workers, of all nationalities, in all sectors, including those employed in
households.
Law No. 17 , adopted on 30 August 2020, establishes a minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals
(QAR) that will enter into force after six months. In addition to the minimum basic wage,
employers must ensure that workers have decent accommodation and food. The legislation
stipulates that employers pay allowances of at least QAR 300 and QAR 500 to cover costs of food
and housing respectively, if they do not provide workers with these directly.
The legislation also establishes a Minimum Wage Commission that will review the impact and
application of the minimum wage, and propose adjustments, in consultation with different
government bodies, experts, workers and employers.
The introduction of a non-discriminatory minimum wage will directly affect at least 400,000
workers in the private sector, and, through higher remittances, will improve the lives of millions
of family members in the workers’ countries of origin. To ensure compliance with the minimum
https://www.ilo.org/beirut/projects/qatar-office/WCMS_753583/lang--en/index.htm
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