LLC (WLL), subsidiary, branch or representative office in Qatar: which one?

Looking to set up an LLC in Doha, or a subsidiary of your existing company in Qatar? Here are the three possible forms and what sets them apart.

The LLC, called WLL in Qatar

The limited liability company, "With Limited Liability" (WLL), is the most widely used form.

• It has at least two shareholders.
• Each one's liability is limited to their share of the capital.
• It can carry out a full commercial activity, invoice and hire.

Since 2015 there is no legal minimum capital. And since Law No. 1 of 2019 it can be 100% owned by foreign shareholders in most activities.

A subsidiary: your company as shareholder

An existing foreign company can be a shareholder of a WLL in Qatar. This is what is usually called setting up a subsidiary. The file then includes the parent company's documents: certificate of incorporation, articles and a board resolution approving the setup. The subsidiary is a Qatari company in its own right, with its own liability.

The branch

A branch is not a separate company: it is the extension of the parent company in Qatar. Two consequences:

• the parent company is liable for the branch's commitments;
• the activity must be related to that of the parent.

The representative office

It prepares the ground: market research, promotion, contacts. It cannot carry out commercial activity, so it can neither sell nor invoice in Qatar.

How to choose

• You want to sell and invoice in Qatar with limited risk: the WLL.
• Your group wants a presence owned by the existing company: a WLL with that company as shareholder.
• You are carrying out the parent's own activity and accept that it answers for it: the branch.
• You only want to test the market: the representative office.

The framework matters too: mainland, QFC or free zone. See our comparison of the three.

Talk to us about your project

Every activity has its own rules. In a 30-minute introductory call you tell us about your project and we tell you whether we can help and what the next steps are. Book a call or see how we register companies in Qatar.